10-06-2014, 05:37 PM
I do understand completely the concepts of deep politics and deep government. The forces that underlie our society can appear powerful and malignant. I also understand that the legitimate tools that we still have in our democracy are sufficient to combat the excesses and injustices that we see on a daily basis (just as the Founding Fathers believed), unless we just give up.
It's true that I have a lawyer's viewpoint of the law. I have the honor and privilege to fight for the underprivileged and powerless every day in the courtroom. I get to see up close, how a little bit of effort (or a lot of effort) can actually improve not only one person's life but, from time to time, the overall functioning of the bureaucracy that is the criminal justice system.
One of the personal dangers of looking for "hidden powers" is that the seeker begins to feel powerless. Another danger is that the seeker feels "enlightened" and somehow better than others who don't possess the hidden knowledge. Either way, you get the same sort of fundamental disconnect from society that prevents you from effecting a public change in a democracy. And also that same fundamental disconnect from the mass of other people, is what allows some people to take advantage of others.
It's not sufficient merely to post messages on a forum. It's not even enough just to tell people that their "buttons" aren't working. It should be part of your job as a person to teach others how to cross the street. You won't be able to do that if you believe that you are powerless, or if you believe that other people aren't worth saving.
It's true that I have a lawyer's viewpoint of the law. I have the honor and privilege to fight for the underprivileged and powerless every day in the courtroom. I get to see up close, how a little bit of effort (or a lot of effort) can actually improve not only one person's life but, from time to time, the overall functioning of the bureaucracy that is the criminal justice system.
One of the personal dangers of looking for "hidden powers" is that the seeker begins to feel powerless. Another danger is that the seeker feels "enlightened" and somehow better than others who don't possess the hidden knowledge. Either way, you get the same sort of fundamental disconnect from society that prevents you from effecting a public change in a democracy. And also that same fundamental disconnect from the mass of other people, is what allows some people to take advantage of others.
It's not sufficient merely to post messages on a forum. It's not even enough just to tell people that their "buttons" aren't working. It should be part of your job as a person to teach others how to cross the street. You won't be able to do that if you believe that you are powerless, or if you believe that other people aren't worth saving.