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The Falcon Cannot Hear The Falconer
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The Falcon Cannot Hear The Falconer Anarchy: "No rulership or enforced authority." "A social state in which there is no governing person or group of people, but each individual has absolute liberty (without the implication of disorder.) But is bound by a social code ." "Absence of government; a state of lawlessness due to the absence or inefficiency of the supreme power; political disorder." "Absence or non-recognition of authority and order in any given sphere." "Acting without waiting for instructions or official permission... The root of anarchism is the single impulse to do it yourself: everything else follows from this." An anarchist argues for an absence of state, and often, the abolishment of all forms of authoritarian government, like capital markets and title based property ownerships. They believe that common sense would allow people to live peacefully, forming their own morality and ethics structures without a government opposing it's will. They think that without structure, ultimately, we would live peacefully. I disagree. We used to have a saying, back in the days of my philisophising youth: "Common sense isn't all that common". (Actually, this is ripped off from something Voltaire said in his Dictionnaire Philosophique in the late 1700s. But nevermind that). In the shadow of a government who imposes law and ethics on us, we have a society that manages to function to a point where most people experience happiness at some point in their lives. The majority of people go about their day to day business not taking what they didn't earn, not killing off the people they have disagreements with, not fucking every person that walks by them that has the desired parts, despite the fact that on some deep, socially repressed level, most people would be happier doing the things that give them that immediate satisfaction (this is the very definition of Hedonism, and I do believe that if not for the rules and laws imposed on us by religion and society, Hedonism would be the dominate philosophy). They sometimes feel an urge to do these things, but for the good of society (or, more specifically, to keep their own asses out of jail or avoid the other consequences of so called "bad-behaviour") they ignore these things, or seek professional help in getting them out of their mind. So what happens if we remove the religious and governmental ethical structure? Do we become a better society? Do we act upon each other in kindness? Do we take care of each other? Do we worship the use of common sense and the principle "If it harm none, do as you will"? No. We can't live like this now. Common sense is a joke. The majority of humanity fails at simple ideas. I used to believe it was just the masses that were foolish, that as individuals, people could be really clever, observant, intelligent. Now I don't believe at all in the individual. As I see it, the human population is like a gold mine. You have to sift through alot of mud to find anything of value. And even then, what you find might not be worth as much as you think it is- eg Fool's Gold. Lack of common sense is evidenced by many things- high STD rates and personal debt, psychic hotlines, ridiculous divorce rates, Atkin's Diets... you name it. How many people run off and get married within weeks of meeting each other, claiming to be soulmates because they bumped into each other in the mosh pit at the KISS reunion? Ok, the concert example is a little esoteric, but we all know those people who manage to fall in love within weeks of meeting a person. Really? Did no one teach you about the power of infatuation? And there are so many more examples of people lacking good common sense. Really, it's the basis of almost all advertising. And altruism? Altruism is dead, baby. Long live self preservation. It's been said that the last two generations have been the most selfish in human history. Yeah. I believe it. The "ME ME ME" mentality. Have you ever been the patient one sitting in traffic completely horrified at the nerve of people running up the shoulder and leapfrogging in line in front of you somewhere? Really. What makes them so special that they can't wait in line? This is typical of most people's attitude regarding their peers. In some places, this kind of selfishness has gotten so out of control that it's become part of society (if you've ever driven in Rome, you know what I mean). Some of you may remember the story of the biker who was struck by a car. As he bled to death in the street, no one stopped to help. No one called 911. Everyone looked at him and kept walking. There was no gain in helping this man, so no one did. They delegated responsibility to everyone else, assuming someone else would help him. And these days, ulterior motive is in everyone's mind, even if they don't realise it. Although many people may not ask for a reward for a good deed, they still expect to be recognised for performing it. I look up to the anonymous- to the people who are willing to give without receiving. But those people aren't so common anymore. People are out to better their own lives, to make more money, to become more popular. They do so that they can receive. Altruism is not in season. It is not the current style. It is not what's popular. It has gone the way of green coke bottles (apparently I'm groovin' on Alan Moore tonight). And so, in light of this, how can we ever see an anarchist society, completely devoid of imposed rules and morals and ethics, as a successful idea? Just like communism, on paper, it works fine, but in practice, people fuck it up every time. When you remove the boundaries, chaos ensues, and there isn't enough spirit and good-will in humanity to really pull it together. Many people lately have been asking me why I haven't posted my party post. Where is it? When am I going to recap my adventures? Well, fuck. I'm giving in. Here it is, in all it's fucking glory. What? Did you think that I refrained from posting because I had a wonderful time? Don't get me wrong- pockets of good time did exist here and there, like temporal displacement. I had a wonderful time at dinner the night before the party, and an excellent time (when I came out of my shell) at the bar the night of. In the places where we have restrictions. Where we have to play by the rules. But when the confinement of societal law came down, chaos ensued, bad decisions were made, and people were hurt. Now, granted, this wasn't universal. Some people had absolutely wonderful times. And I can assure you that no one hooked up more than I did that weekend. I had more sex between Thursday and Sunday than I really deserved. But all in all, the drama that came about as a result of some of the more rash decisions that we made was just much more than Thom cares to bear. Hold the Carebear jokes. We declared Anarchy for two nights in that hotel in DC, and the results are in- that shit DID NOT work. Kudos to the people who had a genuinely good time that night, woke up in the morning, had more fun, and did not come away with a single regret. We love you, but you are few. We of the regretted decisions (hidden or public) are Legion, for we are many. I don't want anyone thinking that the time I spent with them was regrettable. It certainly was NOT. I had a wonderful time with each and every one of you that took the time to get to know me. And to be honest, if I had to go back and do it all again exactly the same way, I probably would, because after the dust settled, the relationships that really mattered were made stronger, new ones were forged, and I learned alot about myself and the people in my life. The drama, as detestable as it was, was necessary for some of us to move forward. In the chaos of anarchy, a few of us banded together and realised that we do need clear ethics to keep us from destroying ourselves. ~Thom Bombadil  "Everything in moderation, including moderation" - Oscar Wilde |
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Could it have gone differently in DC? Sure. But I am not looking back, only forward. Overall, I had a good time and I learned a lot about myself and my fellow bloggers. You don't owe anyone an explanation about what happened or a recap or anything. Even though we are semi public figures as bloggers, we still get to keep some things close to our hearts. Oh, and you probably still didn't have as much sex as I did! haha ***
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Ok... 1. I am a big fan of "V for Vendetta." I watched that movie way too much. 2. To some anarchy is very appealing but I agree that it probably would not work. Common sense escapes a lot of people. 3. Hedonism sounds very appealing to me...at least for a weekend.  4. Yes, I have been that patient one seeing all the dickwads passing on the right to jump in front. Irritating...but only for a moment. 5. Is the basis for hooking up per partner or number of times throughout the weekend? We need clarification here. There are many that will argue your statement of hooking up the most. Not me...but a few. Lol.  And finally... I'm going to agree with LU. You do not owe anyone a recap of that night or any night during that weekend. Speaking for myself...it's none of my business. That falling in "love" and running off to get married thing is funny. Whatever happened to good old fashioned courting? Better yet...good lustful fun? Maybe I should blog about this. Hmmmm..... "For a woman there is nothing more erotic than being understood." ~ Molly Haskell Read about Me Being Naughty o-o
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8/18/2010 6:41 am |
Hidden in the pages of the codex, therein lay the code. I almost missed it my friend, almost.. Yes, anarchy, does tend to have its drawbacks, that being said, the morals and laws that govern us, could not exist with out some occasional unrest and decent.
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Blogger's curse. We think that because we experience something powerful, whether for good, ill, or both, that we have to dissect it. Of course we don't, but the need is sometimes there. Most humans will never spend the time and do the hard work to come up with a bona fide ethical code that serves them personally as well as the greater good. Even those of us who have still fall short of our own ideals all the time. All any of us can do is to try to serve as an example to others by our actions while trying to live up to our own code. When we fall short, we ask for forgiveness from others and ourselves. It is useful to remember though, that one person's anarchy is another person's normal. Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies. For vilest things Become themselves in her, that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish. ~~ from Antony & Cleopatra
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"Judge not or you shall be judged" does not mean that if you judge others God will judge you. It means that if you are willing to judge others you will also judge yourself and who could be a harsher critic. I think that in general people are good and that there is wisdom in the masses. I do think that well meaning folks often create unintended consequences because they do not understand the complexity of civilization today. From what little I witnessed, you care and were in a difficult situation inconsistent with your desires. You tried to control your frustrations but acted out in ways that you seem to feel put you out of integrity. It is a learning experience. Take the lesson. Let go of the self judgment. Create what you desire. Serenity my friend.      
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Comments out of control. Ok. 4fwin- hilarity. Thanks for the laugh LadyU- that's true, I didn't. And I'm ok with that. Just making it clear that my whole weekend wasn't moping around and being annoyed. Philly- yes. there would have to be much, much fewer people. And they would have to be good people. We're lacking in seriously good people in society. Or maybe it's not that we're lacking, but there are just so many no-so-good people out there that the good ones go unnoticed. Kiki- Religion based ethics is what happened to good ole' fun. Sad. Deviant- We have to live by rules simply because so many people cannot figure out how to function without them. This, I think, was all too clear to me for the weekend. Now I see the same dissent growing amongst the attendees for the STL event. I can only hope that there are lessons to be learned from DC. Bubbles- I believe that SOME people want to be good and do the right thing, but I also believe that these people are a minority. Most everyone else is just in it for self gain. The thing that quells the masses during times of unrest? Compromise. They feel like they are getting something out of the disagreement, they go home somewhat happy. Or, at least, a shadowy form of happy that's not really happy at all. Christy- one ethical idea to rule them all: "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." Most people get the "do what thou wilt" part, but they seem the miss the "an it harm none" portion. Hell, I'm also guilty of making decisions that are harmful to others, but I feel like I at least make an effort. C- yes. that's true. We are not extinct, just endangered. Oh, and I think I vaguely remember Anarchy from my Pendleton days. Never visited though. Sasha- I have to disagree. I can think of two more compelling reasons no one poisoned my drink 1) I'm a cool guy who does not threaten anyone's forward advancement to their will or desire. 2) There's a chance of being discovered, and although that chance is slim, it's enough to make people fearful of going away for murder. Now, don't get me wrong. I feel most people fall into group one, which is great. But had there been a situation where maybe I had to remove someone because they were getting out of line, then it may become very likely that said person would fall into group 2. And it will be the people who can either think they can elude discovery or don't care about the consequences that would carry out the plot anyway. Luckily, MOST people like me, and would rather have me alive than dead. The bunnies make anarchy work, but keep in mind that many animals kill each other over territory and food. Humans are not much different. Besides, the bunnies don't need rules. Just food, and a place to poo. I think you're getting confused. I feel the overall experience was not positive. It's a general statement. But there are specific time spans where I was having a wonderful time. And I wish I could have had just those time spans and left out the whole mess of drama that made up the other portion of the weekend. That said- I have to apologise- there are people that I wish I could have given more time and attention to that I failed to do so with because of the need to attend to other things. And, lastly, you're taking the statement out of context. I wasn't bragging. I was saying that my weekend wasn't a completely miserable mess. I did have alot of fun. But, again, I'd like to have the fun without the drama. The ensuing drama is what killed the weekend for me. Annie- I would do it all again because in the end, where all the hardship brought me was a place that I'd prefer to stay. There were important conclusions and changes made because of how bad things got out of hand. I was unhappy with the whole mess, but, just like all the real tragedy in my life, if one thing was different; like if my Mother hadn't died or my wife had stayed with me or things in Iraq had gone much differently; I wouldn't be where I am right now. And I wouldn't want to change that. Benedar- On the money with the self assessment part. I ended up with a situation that made me feel very insecure and I acted out in a way that was very out of character for me. I have seen that, and I've seen what it means for that particular relationship and others that were affected. I'm now building on that to strengthen my resolve and to ensure that I respond appropriately in the future. That's what self assessment should be all about anyway, right? "Everything in moderation, including moderation" - Oscar Wilde
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