BATRThe immortal words uttered by Prince Hamlet as he contemplates death and suicide, applies for an entire society. The enormous gravity that permeates William Shakespeare’s tragic hero represents the same fate confronting the normal mortals, who make up the ranks of Americans. The rapid decline in intelligence and moral character has approached epidemic levels. The ROT which has seeped into the popular culture has become a metamorphosis Reign of Terror. The transformers from a heritage of principle, courage and honor have sunk to a level of Slouching Towards Gomorrah. Such a fate was feared by our Founding Fathers.
Such a band of brothers would be hung together today, for daring to defy the established order. This ageless conflict between those with imposing power and the subjects, who suffer from the rule of tyrannical madmen, never ends. Well before the era of the Bard of Strafford-upon-Avon, the playwrights of the original Greek theater operated as the model for an establishment governance.
From the venerable 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica volume 20 page 144 the pattern of human domination is illustrated.
“The success of the oracle led at last to the establishment of the rule that Herodotus declares to be almost universal in Greece, namely, that no leader of a colony would start without consulting Delphi. Doubtless in many cases the priesthood only gave encouragement to a pre-conceived project. But they were in a unique position for giving direct advice also, and they appear to have used their opportunities with great intelligence.
They could have for it was not by any means far-reaching conscious of no mission to preach Apollo, for his cult was an ancient heritage of the Hellenic stocks. Only the narrower duty devolved upon them of impressing upon the consultants felt the religious obligation of sending tithes or other offerings.
Nevertheless their opportunity of directing the religious ritual and organization of the public worships was great; for Plato’s view that all questions of detail in religion should be left to the decision of the god ” who sits on the omphalos ” was on the whole in accord with the usual practice of Greece. Such consultations would occur when the state was in some trouble, which would be likely to be imputed to some neglect of religion, and the question to the oracle would commonly be put in this way “to what god or goddess or hero shall we sacrifice”?
The oracle would then be inclined to suggest the name of some divine personage hitherto neglected, or of one whose rites who fallen into decay.
Again, Apollo would know the wishes of the other divinities, who were not in the habit of directly communicating with their worshippers; therefore questions about the sacred the goddesses at Eleusis would be naturally referred to land of him. From both these points of view we can understand why Delphi appears to have encouraged the tendency towards hero-worship which was becoming rife in Greece from the 7th century onwards.”
The lesson from placing submission in the hands of ruling elite goes back to antiquity. Usually that obedience was based upon physical threats of coercion, slavery or death. The cradle of Democracy interjected a cultural element into the mix that the priesthood class could intercede with the gods on behalf of a civil society of implied, free men.
The notion that citizens could vote on public issues, and confer consent was earth shattering. Making appeals to pagan deities is not unique. Access to “consultations” with the gods, followed a procedure that was strictly maintained by the prevailing order. The standard that saved the city-state required divine approval. Today regimes are protected by controlling mass allegiance through a cultural assault of rigid conformity to basic compliance of laws that is acceptable to the establishment authority.
None of this social dominance is healthy for a free society. Yet, those who give a superficial reading of Robert H. Bork’s book, risk missing the balance needed to protect individual common law rights.
“Slouching Towards Gomorrah is a penetrating, devastatingly insightful exposé of a country in crisis at the end of the millennium, where the rise of modern liberalism, which stresses the dual forces of radical egalitarianism (the equality of outcomes rather than opportunities) and radical individualism (the drastic reduction of limits to personal gratification), has undermined our culture, our intellect, and our morality.”
In order to promote legitimate individualism and personal freedom, the fundamental canons of natural rights must be the core criterion. Ethical conduct requires personal choices and conscious decisions for behavioral conduct.
Being part of the establishment means that acceptance of the system goes mostly unquestioned. Anti-establishment sentiment does not mean becoming a social misfit is the only path. There is no practical way to drop off the planet altogether and remain alive. Hamlet is correct in questioning his very existence, but few surviving participants in the daily grind of the rat race ever make time to contemplate their own place in the world.
Essentially, being Stuck on Stupid finds a delusive comfort and a false security in acquaintance to the status quo, even if that mode of interaction is wholly corrupt and destructive.
Until the masses make a commitment to be honest and honorable, no effective campaign can be waged against the establishment. Those who vigorously defend the actions of the establishment are lost. Seeking the guidance of the symbolic Delphi requires a total break with hero-worship of establishment proponents.
Radical egalitarianism is a cornerstone of the establishment, in their effort to become the Lord Master of the system. The madness that Hamlet experience drove him to express, “To die, to sleep-/No more“, is based upon his torture and fear that there might not be peace even in death.
Likewise the torment of thinking social critics understands that current ruling institutions and authorities are rotten to the core.
Trust worthy traditional conservatism offers a cogent, proven and utilitarian approach to achieve a renaissance for Western Civilization. In order to plant the seeds of individual Liberty, a populist message and a spiritual re-awakening must be adopted.
Society as it is presently configured is doomed to a catastrophic upheaval. Now is the time to prepare for personal survival, because the governmental safety network systems are unsustainable.
After the collapse, as the substantive re-alignment struggle is fought out, each of us will need to answer the primary question: Will you obey the Fascist Police State elites or you will you overcome Hamlet’s fear of continual existence and resist the tyranny?
The saying often associated about the place one resides: “Where Life is Worth Living”, should apply to America. For most of its history this attitude was true. More people than ever are not so sure that the nation once revered deserves to survive.
A new Gallup poll indicates that “Americans continue to view government as their single greatest problem. While the economy and unemployment have given the government a run for its money over the last year, in recent months government has taken a clear lead for the ignominious title.”
The establishment most closely is associated with the government. However, the social culture ultimately accepts the system even when vocal activists are protesting. The reason is simple, fear of the unknown. Like Hamlet, death may not be relief in the end. Nevertheless, Abu Bakr’s quotation regretfully is all too true. “Cursed is the man who dies, but the evil done by him survives”.
How does one respond when the death of humanity comes as the cost of the survival of the establishment? The sickness that has become today’s political, social and economic environment is a wholly owned dividend from the establishment’s war on God.
Seeking the console of the Delphi to intercede with Apollo is like applying for a government grant to endure one more day of food rations. The dependency milieu is designed with a kill switch. Nothing is more philistine in a stance than to keep accepting that the establishment is a legitimate authority.
While there are few Plato’s among us, there are many despotic followers of his ideal Republic despotism. One can explain away that Plato was promoting his Philosopher King, but there is no excuse to execrate the long list of democratic leaders who work tirelessly to establish their kingdom here on earth.
For God’s sake! If not for your own; then seek righteousness for His. Remaining dumb and stupid is no defense for encouraging the establishment by providing willful assent. The notion that we can reform ourselves out of this dilemma is folly. Every day the situation deepens into a Shakespearian tragedy. It is too late to avoid the slide into Gomorrah because we are already in the pre Hellstone and brimfire danger zone.
People seldom learn from the past because they are living examples of denial. This experience is different from previous ages when life was short and often came to a violent end. Survivors understood the nature of tyranny. Now the soft kill culture does the dirty work, while most remain silent.
SARTRE – March 17, 2015
Excellent article. In the end we must individually decide whether to give our assent to our predicament or risk the perils of refuting the decaying system within which we find ourselves. To be or not to be..indeed.