In the woods, a fluffy bunny rushes in leaps and bounds toward something... a trail, a scent that it recognizes on some primal level. Shredding the ground as it goes, it finally comes upon a lip, an entry-way leading deep into the ground. So deep, in fact, that not even the animals of the wilderness have ever seen or smelled or heard what lies beneath.
The bunny sniffs around the edges, but is startled by whispers coming from inside the cave. Seeing what looks like an arcane symbol glow dark blue for a moment and then fade, the hare takes what little survival instinct it has left and uses it as an excuse to rush away from this dark, old-smelling place.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Anger Appreciation Apathy
The last few days have been troublesome to say the least.
I am angered by the priorities of the world; I am not an anti-capitalist by any stretch of the imagination, but I cannot help but feel legislation leans in favor of the corporations. The concept that a corporation is a legal entity just like a single human being is, to be frank, disturbing. That an insurance company has more rights than I do is more than an annoyance.
And then there is the legislative priority of household pets. These are our children, they are our family, and yet they have about as much rights as our car (if not less).
Ironically, it feels good to be angry though. I feel that the human spirit needs an adversary, or at the very least a goal. We need to feel strong, like we can stand up against anything, and I feel at times like screaming in the face of the corporate greed-machine, or the callous government that cares more about supporting those who can pay them more, rather than helping those who cannot afford as much as their rich neighbor.
The problem with the social priority these days is that it is both hyper-practical and heartless. It punishes those that attempt to stand on their own, separated from the pack; I even here rumors that the government is attempting to outlaw personal gardens. And I can see it happening... because the government wants as much money as they can squeeze out of their citizens due to the national debt which is MAN-MADE.
Let me point this out clearly... debt is an arbitrary and artificial system. If a friend does us a favor, they are not doing it so that we can pay them back in kind, although we may feel obligated to do so. I will not feed my pet with the demand that he perform tricks for me, I feed him because it is his biological necessity. I take him for walks not because he will entertain me, but because I feel it will make him stronger. All this care does not make me feel obligated to him, or make me feel that he is obligated to me-- it just furthers my bond with him.
Imagine if I demanded money from my animal: how would he gather these funds? If I were to mimic the government's attitude, I would immediately respond, "that's not my problem." And remind him of the services I have given him, and how indebted he is to me.
If I were to mimic the government, I would force him to pay into my services of protection should another animal attack him during our walks. After all, we pay car insurance to protect us from the chance of an accident, so why shouldn't he pay me to protect him? This is a valuable service I am offering him by keeping others from harming him.
What other valuable services do I render? Well, there is food and lodging... there is life insurance and health care (both of which I pay out of pocket).
But do I want to start charging him, even if he could pay? Sure, it would be nice to have fiscal support for the things I do for my pets, but I will not take away all these things merely because he has no means of paying.
I will not offer protective services (like, say, the police) in order to protect the money I am owed.
I will not legislate against him going to other means to supply these services to himself.
In other words... I am not, nor ever will be, the government...
I am angered by the priorities of the world; I am not an anti-capitalist by any stretch of the imagination, but I cannot help but feel legislation leans in favor of the corporations. The concept that a corporation is a legal entity just like a single human being is, to be frank, disturbing. That an insurance company has more rights than I do is more than an annoyance.
And then there is the legislative priority of household pets. These are our children, they are our family, and yet they have about as much rights as our car (if not less).
Ironically, it feels good to be angry though. I feel that the human spirit needs an adversary, or at the very least a goal. We need to feel strong, like we can stand up against anything, and I feel at times like screaming in the face of the corporate greed-machine, or the callous government that cares more about supporting those who can pay them more, rather than helping those who cannot afford as much as their rich neighbor.
The problem with the social priority these days is that it is both hyper-practical and heartless. It punishes those that attempt to stand on their own, separated from the pack; I even here rumors that the government is attempting to outlaw personal gardens. And I can see it happening... because the government wants as much money as they can squeeze out of their citizens due to the national debt which is MAN-MADE.
Let me point this out clearly... debt is an arbitrary and artificial system. If a friend does us a favor, they are not doing it so that we can pay them back in kind, although we may feel obligated to do so. I will not feed my pet with the demand that he perform tricks for me, I feed him because it is his biological necessity. I take him for walks not because he will entertain me, but because I feel it will make him stronger. All this care does not make me feel obligated to him, or make me feel that he is obligated to me-- it just furthers my bond with him.
Imagine if I demanded money from my animal: how would he gather these funds? If I were to mimic the government's attitude, I would immediately respond, "that's not my problem." And remind him of the services I have given him, and how indebted he is to me.
If I were to mimic the government, I would force him to pay into my services of protection should another animal attack him during our walks. After all, we pay car insurance to protect us from the chance of an accident, so why shouldn't he pay me to protect him? This is a valuable service I am offering him by keeping others from harming him.
What other valuable services do I render? Well, there is food and lodging... there is life insurance and health care (both of which I pay out of pocket).
But do I want to start charging him, even if he could pay? Sure, it would be nice to have fiscal support for the things I do for my pets, but I will not take away all these things merely because he has no means of paying.
I will not offer protective services (like, say, the police) in order to protect the money I am owed.
I will not legislate against him going to other means to supply these services to himself.
In other words... I am not, nor ever will be, the government...
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