April 2004

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<itemid>1825</itemid>

<eventtime>2004-04-25 15:04:00</eventtime>

<logtime>2004-04-25 12:22:44</logtime>

<subject>Stand For Something</subject>

<event>

I have, of late, heard the disturbing belief that people say with somewhat mocking tone, "They must have gotten their ideas from 1984." These ideas are true. There are some things that, once identified, can never be undone. The genie cannot be put back into the bottle. They may have always existed, but once people know they exist, they will be studied, refined and put to good use. Doublespeak and control of the past is not a new idea. Politicians and rules have done it for a very long time. The ancient egyptians followed it religiously. They believed that the markings in tombs and momuments in this world gave power to the next (indeed, that is the reason for the oval around their names, the Cartouch, to protect the written name and their concept of such is largely resposnbile for the 'true name' concept so popular in fantasy novels today). George Orwell spoke about the world as he saw it in Russia. He used plain and simple terms that people could understand and took it to the next logical conclusion. He created a work of science fiction, not for entertainment but for social commentary. And yet in a world of multimillion dollar space opera block busters, we have forgotten that true Science Fiction has a way of coming true. Thus it is quite logical that as technology improves, so to will the social techniques that go with it. The study of ideas and the study of the mind are such that the techniques used to manipulate the social concious and the social identity have reached levels of sophistication that previously were unimaginable. Nature is a harsh mistress, and the world, such as it is demands answers that work. As such, if liberty is to survive, if hope is to survive, so too must the techniques of fighting those who would take your liberty. And so here it is....it is a simple concept, and like Doublespeak it is nothing new. You, as an individual, must act. And you must encourage others to do so. Be realistic. Understand that you cannot change everything in a single day, but you must have faith that you can make a difference. Faith then is the antidote to tyranny. Believe in something. Believe in something larger than you are. Believe in freedom and democracy and liberty even when all logical evidence tells you that it is being robbed from you. Respect the rights of others to do so. Be humble. Do not believe that your perspective is the only one that is correct. If you believe in God, do not pretend to know all of his thoughts or even that your interpretation of those is absolutely correct. At the same time, do not so lose yourself in empathy with the other side that you abandon what is plain, true, simple and good. Relativism is the bane of Fanatism, and both are the bane of liberty. In pure, practical terms what this means is admire your enemy. It means that if someone believes something that you do not, encourage them to advocate their point of view and to respect your right to advocate your own. Know the difference between truth and constructed truth. How do you know this? Observe their actions. Do you say that you cannot believe anything or do anything because the media spins things beyond your capacity to understand? If such is the case, see how the opposite side is spinning their story. The odds are, the truth is somewhere between the two. Do not make the mistake of confusing loyalty with blind devotion. It is one thing to be loyal to a cause, thing or religion that is honorable and good, but it is something else entirely to automatically assume loyalty to one thing because it is associated with another. Everyone likes Ice Cream. Everyone things Ice Cream is a wonderful thing. But just because you like Ice Cream does not mean that a restaurant that sells Ice Cream and Pizza means that Ice Cream is Pizza. The people who sell Pizza would love you to think this, especially if it were TRUE that everyone loved Ice Cream. They would say, "The Pizza and Ice Cream Store". Doublespeak is defeated by defining who you are and what you say yourself. Some say "YOU decide what is good. YOU decide what is right." There is truth in this. But not all truth. But avoid the relativist trap. The gravity principle still exists. Gravity does not care whether you believe in it or not. Justice does not care whether you believe in it or not. If you believe it is good to ignore traffic signals, then you will pay for it with your life and more likely the lives of those around you. But with very few exceptions, it is better that you BELIEVE it is good to ignore traffic signals than to believe in nothing. In other words, while it is true that everyone should define their own beliefs, it is also true that these beliefs have a definition of their own. Such is the wedge that ultimately separates us all. Do you believe in something greater than your senses? How do you define what a sense is? Ultimately, these things are the stuff of personal choice and legend, but the choice that you must make, the simple solution is to take action and responsibility for who you are. Even small, simple things. A letter, a phone call and above all a vote. Be awake. It hurts to be awake. The world is a painful place. Do what you can, when you can. Then strive to do a little bit more every day. Believe that you can change the world, and it will change. Believe it. For it is so. The direction of that belief is more important than the progress, for while you shovel the snowflakes with a spoon, when you least expect it, the glacier has moved. Did the glacier move on its own? Of course it did-but who is to know if the glacier moved because of gravity or because of your spoon? There is a spoon. There is also gravity. Small actions make big actions. This is something anyone can see. Enough small actions over time make big difference. Be a maverick. Be a rebel...but above all, be a citizen. Be a champion of good. Believe in something. Stand for something.

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