If we are to face our fears we must first identify them.
here's an exercise in levity and non-sense that actually works.
1. stand in front of a mirror.
2. ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?"
3. get real about this, don't be a coward. what scares you most? Death? Loneliness? Pain? Poverty? Cancer? Queers? Jeezerz? Islamofascists? Jooz? the Guvmint? Global Warming? Global War-Mongering? Mushroom Clouds? Muishroom munching commie hippies? Gun totin' drunken mulletted rednecks?Rush Limbaugh? The number thirteen? Barack Obama? Me??????
BOOGA BOOGA!!!!!!!
Everyone's afraid of one thing or another.
4. Think about the most horrific specifics associated with your fears. Make an equally horrific face in the mirror., one of abject terror, a Munsch-kin scream face ugly so ugly o the horror the horror and keep doing it scarier and scarier until...
(wait for it...
wait for it...)
5. You suddenly look so funny that you can only laugh at your face, yourself, and your silly fear.
Okay, my dear sisbrahthren, now that we have that opening stretch out of the way, let's get down to business.
I'm just joshing. I'm out of business, so let's get down to pleasure.
recurring themes round here include
conspiracy/connecting the dots
myth v "reality" and/or myth as reality
similarity across boundary and/or mixed metaphor
there's others, too, that take turns surfacing and submerging but we'll try to stay primarily with the short list.
let's start at the top . what is a conspiracy?
in simplest terms: A conspiracy is a secret plan.
Usually we associate conspiracies with "evil" or malicious intentions. Is that always the case? I say, "Not Necessarily."
Allow me to suggest that most "conspirators" believe that their aim is true, and that their ends ultimately justify their secretive means.
<< Enter Santa Claus, aka Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, star witness for the defense...
Attorney for the Defense of Benevolent Conspiracy: Mister Claus - Are you real?
Santa Claus: Well, that's kind of a tricky question...
AfD: Very well then, we'll skip that one for now, as I'm quite sure the jury, being mature adults, know the difference between reality and a fairy tale. Instead, let me ask you this, Mr. Claus: Why does the myth of your existence persist despite the ever-mounting physical evidence to the contrary?
SC: Ho, HO, HO!!!!!!
AfD: I beg your pardon?
SC: Ho, ho ho. Joy to the world and all that good stuff. He sees you when you're slleping/He knows when you're awake/he knows if you've been bad or good/so BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!!! MERRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!! My myth brings joy and merriment andprosperity and the spirit of giving; spreading love and light across the world during Winter's coldest darkest days.
AfD: so, in other words, it serves the greater good to perpetuate the myth, is that correct?
SC: In my opinion, you are correct sir.
AfD: But what of the deliberate deception of the innocent? The lies? The subtle use of fear to modify the behavior of the True Believers.
SC: Eh.... who's complaaaaaining? Nobody really gets hurt, and even if a few do, everyone else makes out like a bandit! All those presents...
AfD: So you would in fact argue, Mr. Claus, that in the case of your benevolent conspiracy and the fairy tale it perpetuates, the end justifies the means because, in the end, the good far outweighs the bad?
SC: That is my firm belief, counselor.
AfD: Thank you, Mr. Clawz. no further questions. >>
This is but one bite of a mock turtle soup trial in a kangaroo court of the imagination.
Let's explore a little more.
Once again: a conspiracy is a secret plan.
As we see from the above example, not all conspirators conspire solely for ill gain. Sometimes the means are deceptive, but the intentions are certainly noble. Deception is a necessary evil when it comes to maintaining belief in a myth. Sometimes there's a supplemental agenda attached. In the Santa Claus conspiracy, "He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake has been encoded within the tale as a tool for benevolent behavior modification/control.
The idea of benevolent conspiracy is not new. Google "Plato noble lie".
Then check out Leo Strauss.
Leo adapted Plato's "noble lie" philosophy to modern geopolitical thought. Strauss believed that those in power - a tiny minority of intellectually superior elites - have not only the right but the responsibility to use "noble lies" to deceive the masses (and, at times, their "elected" figurehead leaders)thereby controlling their behavior and maintaining "order" for the "greater good" ie maintaining the existing order/power structure/global control/distribution of wealth/resources by an elite, intellectually superior oligarchy.
That was Leo Strauss' fairy tale. A benevolent conspiracy to rule the world.
I'm glad we're all adults, and can separate myth from reality.
Imagine if there really were people who believed that Straussian crap, and actually actually occupied positions of power and authority in the world... they could manipulate the truth in the press, use fear of shadowy enemies or imminent catastrophes to control our behavior, seize our wealth and limit our freedom. Hell, they could create a bogus, elaborate sleight of hand monetary policy to divert all the assets from an entire nation into the hands of a tiny minority, leaving nothing but a pile of iou's on the treasury floor.
They could wage perpetual war if they wished.
Just kidding.
We can rest assured that if such a (benevolent)conspiracy were to actually exist, the end would eventually justify the means, the noble intent of those in power would ultimately bring joy and merriment and prosperity to the world at large, serving the greater good, right?
Ho,
Ho.
Ho.
Let's boogie, my sisbrahthren. dance your cares away with me:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment