The Neverending Search for Clarity

Professor J,

I agree with you about the anger. What do you think is the source of it? Do you think that most people know that something is wrong but lack the information to see clearly the root problems? Is it that people are so dissatisfied and disappointed with their own lives that they are constantly battling an internal anger, much of it directed at themselves? Is it an overwhelming sense of hopelessness combined with feeling powerless to understand the complexities of the issues and imagine that any real solutions are out there, leaving them awash in frustration and ire? Or is it a toxic cocktail of all of that and then some?

The idea of a "rollback" you propose is a good fantasy. :) It reminds me of an idea of Richard Maybury proposed in his book, "Whatever Happened to Justice?" (an excellent resource for young people). Part of what he addresses in that book is the sea of laws we are adrift in and how they choke out liberty. His idea is to repeal several laws for every new law that gets passed.

Even with all its problems, what system is better than Capitalism? Ron Paul makes a very good observation that much of what people blame on our economic system isn't actually flaws in Capitalism, but what he calls corporatism: Big business in bed with government, and all the negatives that ensue--unchecked greed, rampant corruption, political paybacks. etc. It's not the system, but how it is regulated, manipulated, and twisted by the few with the most power; that is the real problem.

As for no one being able to define "enough," you are so right. Materialism, gluttony, drunkenness--I find it interesting that the 10 Commandments are all directed at individuals and families, not society in general. A collection of self controlled, kind, thoughtful individuals create a community that reflects those attributes. But it takes time to do some self inventory and uncover real desires and needs, and how to do that when everyone is being asked to work longer and longer hours? Many corporations are not replacing employees that quit or retire. The attitude is, "You'll all just have to work harder" (with the implication that one should be happy just to have a job in this economy). These attitudes and practices come at a high cost to the mental and physical health of employees, and threaten the survival of any kind of family life, the essence of which is time spent together to form healthy relationships. Such an impediment to corporate America's bottom line...that pesky personal life.

"Isn’t the primary purpose of education for the masses, as defined in practice by the wealthy elites, to produce proficient and diligent WORKERS, not critically thinking CITIZENS?" Yes Professor, exactly! But the public system that was created was spawned with that very idea in mind. They are, once again, interwoven. The taxpayers pay for it, the public tolerates it, even though for the amount of money spent the results are far below what would be tolerated as a return on an investment in any business setting. Tracing the thing back shows that the result is fairly close to what was intended: obedience, subordination, and being conditioned to the collective life. In those respects, some of its early proponents might consider it quite the success.