Political Relativism

During the past few months an economic disturbance has shaken our political structure. With a new administration come new ideas; new challenges. We are embarking on a new path to summit this obstacle which we have painstakingly built for ourselves, and the question arises, is this the right path?

Is there one? Is there just one? While the problem is definite, the solution is not. Many considerations must be taken in the choice of one's path. The paths all may take us over the mountain, out of immediate danger, but they do not take us to the same place. Where is it that we want to be when we are finished? Do we want the economic security of a greater whole or the independence that comes with absolute sovereignty? We will emerge from this debacle, but with what scars, what losses. What do we sacrifice, our comfort or our liberty?

When all is said and done, and economist go back to their desks, abandoned by the cameras, where should we be? I haven't the faintest clue, we have yet to see where either path takes us. Yet, I would favor one that gives us the mobility in the future, one that does not tie us to our weaker peers. I dare say the harder path is more appropriate, but tomorrow it may not. Tomorrow we may find ourselves only with one path left, if any at all.

You, Rebuild the Party!

We have the chance to set a new direction for the GOP, but which one will it be. RebuildtheParty.com allows you to "digg" the ideas you believe are most important to the future of the Republican party. The site provides an excellent basis for the eventual consensus which will be necessary going into 2010 and 2012. This is the first attempt at legitimate discourse within the grass roots of the party on a large, public stage. Let your voice be heard for the future of the GOP.

Rebuildtheparty.com

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Conservatism 101: Back to Basics

Well, its time for the GOP to rebuild, so I thought it was time for primer on the ideals of the Right. Too long has the Republican Party been hijacked by simple-minded yokels who think the most important issue is an fetus and that Africa in a country *cough* Palin *cough*. It is time to return to the ideals that the Right was founded on, capitalism and small government. So let us begin, and I can think of no better instructor for this rebuild then Ronald Regan. I have a speech here of not-yet President Regan speaking on the behalf of Barry Goldwater in his 1964 campaign for president. Goldwater was the father of the modern conservative movement long before it was waylaid by irrelevant social issues, and you can see that pure unadulterated though in Mr. Regan's speech. For those who do not realize what this speech means concerning the conservative sphere, think of it as Phish opening for The Grateful Dead, epic. So ladies in gentlemen, I give you Ronald Regan 10/27/64... the second set is epic.

Ron Paul on the problems facing Obama in office

Does it really look like change out there, Ron Paul says no and I agree. Little will differ in this upcoming term, and this is well known in the Obama camp. The talking heads of change are already out there, making it clear that Obama won't get much done his first year, his first two years, his first term. Hmmm.... that doesn't sound like the change we can believe in, that sounds like typical political maneuvering and back peddling.

Where are the spending cuts President Elect Obama, have they bee replaced by sacrifice now? Weeks ago it was only the rich who had to sacrifice for the nation, now its all of us? Why is this just coming out now that you have been elected. What other new unsocliceted change are you going to spring on us? Hold on folks, this could be a wild ride.

Why I will not cry if Obama wins.

Like in every organization, there are ebbs and flows, and partisan politics are no different. While Obama has won the election, the Republican Party enters a rebuilding cycle, much like sports teams. This does not trouble me, it actually inspires me, and this is why-

1. Bush is out- The Anti-Jacksonian party was born to run against Andrew Jackson, and died after he left office. The Democrat party has become the Anti-Bush party, and Bush is out of office now, who are you going to run against, what’s your platform? With no central figurehead to fight against, focus is lost as is motivation.

2. Messianic Obama- People are looking to Obama like he is the Messiah, not literally, but some one who can deliver us into an “enlightened age.” Well, even Jesus couldn’t live up to people’s expectations, and I doubt Obama will either. Obama has built himself up as such a huge figure of change, and due to that it will be next to impossible to fulfill the amount of change people expect. A perfect example is the video of the woman who said Obama was going to pay her mortgage and pay for her gas; another is the man who committed suicide and left a note asking for Barack to take care of his family. People are expecting more then any president could deliver, and the failure to reach those expectations will play against him in 2012.

3. It’s the Economy, Stupid- Well the mess has been made, and its not going to be cleaned up quick. There are going to be long periods of unemployment and recession under Obama’s first years and probably longer. The burden will increase on the average American as time goes on, taxes will rise, and that 250K number will drop quickly. People are going to be struggling, good hard working people, and they are not going to see the relief they expected, in fact they will see a even heavier load. People will be reminiscent of a time when tax rates were low, and the Republican Party (now Bush Free!) will be there for them to turn back to.

4. Sarah Palin could be trampled by a moose - Pretty self explanatory, I would be very happy if she never surfaced again.

5. RON PAUL- Not to sound like a fervent fanboy of the Doctor, but what he did was something else. He hit a chord within the American people, and hopefully it will now have room to amplify and resonate. People will begin to clamor for small government after the growth of the last eight years compounded with the growth that will accompany an Obama administration. I can see series of Ron Paul Republican congressional candidates pop up in 2010 in places like Montana, Nevada, Idaho, and then possibly grow bigger by 2012. Dr. Paul open a lot of people eyes to what was going on in Washington to a lot of people, and those people haven’t forgotten.

In summation I believe that the GOP has its work cut out for them, but it is not an insurmountable task. With appropriate rebranding the can cut into congress Democratic majority in 2010 (don’t forget those current approval ratings) and hopefully regain the majority in 2012 along with the white house. I believe that Obama would have to do something pretty amazing in order to achieve his expected targets, and I believe he will fail, hell anyone would. Not that it matters though, everyone know the world will end right after the 2012 election anyway.

Words for Graduation

As my college career draws to a close this week I find myself reflecting, not on the football games or the long nights, but on the words of witticism and wisdom that plague newspapers in May. Every writer, it seems, feels the strong pangs of relevancy and seeks to pass on their wisdom to the newly departed. While most of these are quite drab, some do contain a bit of truth an humor that justifies complete reading. This years winner for best forcefed wisdom is the conservative satirist P.J. O'Rourke from the May 4th LA Times.

Fairness, idealism and other atrocities
Commencement advice you're unlikely to hear elsewhere.

Well, here you are at your college graduation. And I know what you're thinking: "Gimme the sheepskin and get me outta here!" But not so fast. First you have to listen to a commencement speech.

Don't moan. I'm not going to "pass the wisdom of one generation down to the next." I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.

We were the moron generation. We were the generation that believed we could stop the Vietnam War by growing our hair long and dressing like circus clowns. We believed drugs would change everything -- which they did, for John Belushi. We believed in free love. Yes, the love was free, but we paid a high price for the sex.

My generation spoiled everything for you. It has always been the special prerogative of young people to look and act weird and shock grown-ups. But my generation exhausted the Earth's resources of the weird. Weird clothes -- we wore them. Weird beards -- we grew them. Weird words and phrases -- we said them. So, when it came your turn to be original and look and act weird, all you had left was to tattoo your faces and pierce your tongues. Ouch. That must have hurt. I apologize.

So now, it's my job to give you advice. But I'm thinking: You're finishing 16 years of education, and you've heard all the conventional good advice you can stand. So, let me offer some relief:

1. Go out and make a bunch of money!

Here we are living in the world's most prosperous country, surrounded by all the comforts, conveniences and security that money can provide. Yet no American political, intellectual or cultural leader ever says to young people, "Go out and make a bunch of money." Instead, they tell you that money can't buy happiness. Maybe, but money can rent it.

There's nothing the matter with honest moneymaking. Wealth is not a pizza, where if I have too many slices you have to eat the Domino's box. In a free society, with the rule of law and property rights, no one loses when someone else gets rich.

2. Don't be an idealist!

Don't chain yourself to a redwood tree. Instead, be a corporate lawyer and make $500,000 a year. No matter how much you cheat the IRS, you'll still end up paying $100,000 in property, sales and excise taxes. That's $100,000 to schools, sewers, roads, firefighters and police. You'll be doing good for society. Does chaining yourself to a redwood tree do society $100,000 worth of good?

Idealists are also bullies. The idealist says, "I care more about the redwood trees than you do. I care so much I can't eat. I can't sleep. It broke up my marriage. And because I care more than you do, I'm a better person. And because I'm the better person, I have the right to boss you around."

Get a pair of bolt cutters and liberate that tree.

Who does more for the redwoods and society anyway -- the guy chained to a tree or the guy who founds the "Green Travel Redwood Tree-Hug Tour Company" and makes a million by turning redwoods into a tourist destination, a valuable resource that people will pay just to go look at?

So make your contribution by getting rich. Don't be an idealist.

3. Get politically uninvolved!

All politics stink. Even democracy stinks. Imagine if our clothes were selected by the majority of shoppers, which would be teenage girls. I'd be standing here with my bellybutton exposed. Imagine deciding the dinner menu by family secret ballot. I've got three kids and three dogs in my family. We'd be eating Froot Loops and rotten meat.

But let me make a distinction between politics and politicians. Some people are under the misapprehension that all politicians stink. Impeach George W. Bush, and everything will be fine. Nab Ted Kennedy on a DUI, and the nation's problems will be solved.

But the problem isn't politicians -- it's politics. Politics won't allow for the truth. And we can't blame the politicians for that. Imagine what even a little truth would sound like on today's campaign trail:

"No, I can't fix public education. The problem isn't the teachers unions or a lack of funding for salaries, vouchers or more computer equipment The problem is your kids!"

4. Forget about fairness!
We all get confused about the contradictory messages that life and politics send.

Life sends the message, "I'd better not be poor. I'd better get rich. I'd better make more money than other people." Meanwhile, politics sends us the message, "Some people make more money than others. Some are rich while others are poor. We'd better close that 'income disparity gap.' It's not fair!"

Well, I am here to advocate for unfairness. I've got a 10-year-old at home. She's always saying, "That's not fair." When she says this, I say, "Honey, you're cute. That's not fair. Your family is pretty well off. That's not fair. You were born in America. That's not fair. Darling, you had better pray to God that things don't start getting fair for you." What we need is more income, even if it means a bigger income disparity gap.

5. Be a religious extremist!

So, avoid politics if you can. But if you absolutely cannot resist, read the Bible for political advice -- even if you're a Buddhist, atheist or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who believes that God is involved in politics. On the contrary. Observe politics in this country. Observe politics around the world. Observe politics through history. Does it look like God's involved?

The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin. Observe the Tenth Commandment. The first nine commandments concern theological principles and social law: Thou shalt not make graven images, steal, kill, et cetera. Fair enough. But then there's the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

Here are God's basic rules about how we should live, a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. And, right at the end of it we read, "Don't envy your buddy because he has an ox or a donkey." Why did that make the top 10? Why would God, with just 10 things to tell Moses, include jealousy about livestock?

Well, think about how important this commandment is to a community, to a nation, to a democracy. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't whine about what the people across the street have. Get rich and get your own.

Now, one last thing:

6. Don't listen to your elders!

After all, if the old person standing up here actually knew anything worth telling, he'd be charging you for it.

P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for the Weekly Standard and the Atlantic, is the author, most recently, of "On The Wealth of Nations." A longer version of this article appears in Change magazine, which reports on trends and issues in higher education.

Bravo Mr. O'Rourke, you have come close to what someone masquerading as Kurt Vonnagut has done, get college students to read! Every must remember the words attributed to KVJ that find there way into papers this time of year, hell they were even made into a song. His oft noted , never given graduation speech for 1997 MIT grads was actually penned by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune in a June 1st column. Subsequently it has taken on a life of its own, as "Wear Sunscreen."



Now while the details of my commencement speaker have not yet been revealed 24 hours ahead of time I dream of who it could be. Hey, I guess it always could be this guy again.Edit: The commencement speaker has been announced as Barbara McConnell Barrett, the U.S. ambassador to Finland. Hurray, someone who has to deal with the strained tensions between US and the Fins, could you ask for more? Maybe she can tell us about the Architecture in Helsinki.

Also Sprach Zarathustra

The ominous yet triumphant tones that Richard Strauss' 1896 masterpiece are possibly some of the most recognizable notes from classical music that has seeped into popular culture. The origins of the piece are found in the words of Friedrich Nietzsche's book Also Sprach Zarathustra (translated it reads Thus Spoke Zarathustra). Yet, the title itself does not find its originality in the 19th century, the name Zarathustra comes from the name of the Persian prophet and poet Zoroaster, and the name itself could men many things, all relating to camels.



Yet, Zarathustra will not bring to mind the music that has become so entrenched in our culture, indeed no words at all will evoke the song, yet a number will, 2001. In Stanly Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey the song is featured prominently in the opening, and from this we all glean both the name and images that are associated with the iconic song.



The story does not end there, Zarathusta continues to travel on in popular culture with its new more accessible name 2001. The legendary professional wrestler Ric Flair chose 2001 as his entrance music for his walk to the ring, instilling a bombastic hurrah, or Whoooo for that matter, among fans.



Ric Flair is not alone in using 2001 as a rousing introduction, the SEC football team for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks have taken the song and added tens of thousands of screaming, sunburned, and sloshed fans to its reverie.



However, 2001 does not simply exist as a trademark entrance, the megalithic band Phish took the song, beginning in 1993, and added it to their massive repertoire. They did not play the original notes of Strauss, but instead embellished and stylized through their improvization to create a very different song; it retained its Germanic origins.



The Phish version lives on even if Phish fails to do so. Last night five musicians, and for the most part fans, Marc Brownstein and John Guttwillig from The Disco Biscuits, Joe Russo, Jake Cinninger from Umphrey's McGee, and Kyle Hollingsworth of the late String Cheese Incident, preformed the song along with other classic Phish tunes as the Head Count Allstars at the 2008 Jammys.



And so, 2001 has traveled from the scrolls of ancient Iran to the pen of continental thought to the hallowed ground of Williams Brice stadium and countless wrestling rings to the LSD drenched minds of some hippies from Vermont. The journey from the loftiest berths of high culture to the beer stickied floors of American low brow, and like everything else it will continue to change as we change.

Explanation

The title of this blog is derived from the book The Simulacra and Simulation by French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard. Within it he delves into the depths, or lack thereof, of humanity and its culture. he explains how culture has destroyed its origins and has become a simple surface entirely comprised of copies. The origins have been destroyed. The book has become the treatise for postmodernity, and its influence can be seen throughout recent culture. Have a look, its all there, as is everything.

Opening

Welcome to my blog. Here we will be diving head first in to the intertext of humanity, the linkages that bind our thoughts and voices. From here we will journey into the worlds of art, literature, science, technology, music, and how they interplay with each other to form our own reality.