Skip to main content

Thoughts XXIV - More Quotes



Here we offer three quotes from Will Durant's, "The Story of Civilization." This is a multi volume opus, thick with pages and loaded with insights.  It is marvelously well written.  While they were applied to civilizations past, they seem to apply even today.
A. On socialism: Individualism is the snake in the socialist paradise.
B. On citizenry: The dole weakens the poor while luxury weakens the rich.
C. On Roman emperor Gaius Caesar (Nero): Having been educated with smattering of philosophy, it was enough to free his intellect but not enough to moderate his judgment.
---------------
In a sense, a college education leaves a person uneducated and vulnerable, as it often quiets natural intuitions and replaces them by short one-line talking points. Such folks are wide open to a better talking point.  No thought or common sense is needed, the narrative being key. 
---------------
In the beginning, there was the "alien," a person in a country temporarily but not a citizen.  It is a universal term of long historical standing.  Afterwards, new definitions were augured in.  The earliest and most popular is the"illegal  alien" or  "undocumented alien," roughly the same thing but softened a little to indicate only a technical differentiation, say like their visa has expired. The word "alien" was pesky and demeaning.  This was altered to the "undocumented immigrant," again the same thing, but indicating an actual immigration status without official papers, suggesting simply the lack of conference.  

 The next step is imminent if only implicitly.   Soon we will hear of the "undocumented citizen." This confers citizenship to certain groups of aliens (the original term) lacking only tiresome paperwork. It is simplistic to understand this advent by the "tells."  Many are conferred sanctuary in diverse localities. Many gain driver's licenses upon request. With current voting regulations, many do vote. A latest example, a number of undocumented citizens have sued the University of Georgia for free tuition.  Can they win this suit?  Most certainly.
---------------
For some, the only lasting and true relations are those best described as occasional.  Constant communication leads to the discovery of constant, fatal flaws, leading to a relationship deterioration.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Behavioral Science and Problem-Solving

I.                                       I.                 Introduction.                Concerning our general behavior, it’s high about time we all had some understanding of how we operate on ourselves, and it is just as important how we are operated on by others. This is the wheelhouse of behavioral sciences. It is a vast subject. It touches our lives constantly. It’s influence is pervasive and can be so subtle we never notice it. Behavioral sciences profoundly affect our ability and success at problem-solving, from the elementary level to highly complex wicked problems. This is discussed in Section IV. We begin with the basics of behavioral sciences, Section II, and then through the lens of multiple categories and examples, Section III. II.     ...

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

  Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1.       Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty.   This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...

Robin Hood and Cliven Bundy

  Actor Herbert Mundin, playing Munch in the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood (starring Errol Flynn) is charged by Prince John's troops of slaying a royal deer in the royal Sherwood forest.  The punishment is death.  Though the events of this film are a portrayal of events dating to the 15th century, they became by the 19th century a "robbing from the rich for the poor" theme so often depicted in other film genres. The William Tell legend is another. The plot is simple.  A poor man desperate to survive tastes the forbidden fruits owned by the authority, and is condemned. I would love to hear this event debated on the current TV news shows.  On the one hand, Munch would be a champion in service to his family.  On the other hand, his legal rights are restricted by legal authority. so, the argument would proceed.  Legal scholars cite statutes chapter and verse, while others would root for the common man.  Fast forward to 2014. Parallels ...