All Roads Lead to Cornithaca – Page 16

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “The tale does wag the dog” Bumper sticker

Stories, stories, stories – it’s the stories that hold sway today; and reality is cut to fit the narrative. But where do these stories come from?

One way to find out is to search the “target,” instead of the story. A story is repeated widely; but the originators have a more substantial agenda than mere maliciousness: They like to include a support structure for their tale – and are usually high in the search engine rankings.

And sometimes you can tell the maker’s label by just the cut of the cloth.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – “Secrets”

“Secrets” “Rise of the Evil Ones” – “Secrets”

Secrets. Government is run by secrets. We could speculate; but maybe that’s what we’re supposed to do. Making up answers is a cloud that best hides secrets.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Permanent tattoos and wash-off ethics” Bumper sticker

It’s all in the packaging. You can always sell the appearances – if the contents don’t matter.

When people are famous for being famous – does being famous for your achievements mean you’re successful?

2022: The year when people are willing to do anything – for not all that much.

The ethics? They come off with the wrapper.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “BIGOTRY – written in letters too big to see” Bumper sticker

“All “BIGOTRY – written in letters too big to see” Bumper sticker

It’s not a foreign language — so stop relying on the subtitles to learn what’s going on.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “What’s cool about natural disasters?” Bumper sticker

“It depends on how you see the world.” There used to be a morality question: “If you could press a button; and kill a million people on the other side of the world; and get a million dollars – would you do it?”

This simple “yes/no” scenario would be met today with equivocation: “It’s only about 1/8000^th of the world’s population – 0.013%.” or “There are too many people anyway” or [maybe even more dismissive] “A million dollars isn’t worth that much today.”

It seems that the only objection to making a deal with the Devil: is not getting the best deal possible.

If in the setting of Science; People don’t have much importance – why are we letting Science decide our future?

Science and politics are what people do; Art is what people are — maybe we should remember that.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – “Patching Policies”

Since government policies are created for the benefit of government; and not the people – the resulting deaths and other non-functional defects merely require a patch to keep the policy machinery rolling.

Enacting an expensive policy is argued on the basis of the welfare of the people; while a policy designed for the welfare of the people is rejected on the basis of its expense.

And our government’s need for secrecy cites your right to privacy much more forcefully than it defends your right to live.

If you want to change that “you don’t know politics” smile politicians keep in stock – just suggest/demand that their policies be radically changed – or entirely done away with!

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – Storytime Remix: “Frikin’ Little”

They make Reality shows about subsistence living; but if they made one about substance living – it would be as interesting as watching paint dry, and as stupid as pushing paperclips into an electric outlet. And you’d need to keep replacing the cast: They don’t live many seasons – once you subtract the rehabs.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Be the change [small change]” Bumper sticker

“The Change” is projected big on a paper-thin world of self-promotion; but if we walk through that projection into a world of reality – what do we see? Nothing.

There is no rising tide of anything good. There is no atmosphere that is positive and loving: It’s an atmosphere of hate and recrimination – and a repressive feeling of fear and apprehension.

“I’m not bad people; it’s people that made me bad.” “I don’t need to work; I just haven’t been paid what I’m owed.”

Once we’re done blaming others; there is no meaningful action — and once we’ve taken everything; and there is nothing left to take . . . it’s time to turn the page on this Society. That will be “the change.”

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Social Policy in 2022” Bumper sticker

“Social Policy in 2022: Bigotry and piggery – joined at the hip.” Our social policies are not selfless actions; but filled to overflowing with a sense of self and self-interest.

Keeping in mind that our leaders are not “movers and shakers,” but users and takers; gives a clearer perception of the “why” in back of policy making. Our social policies are designed to “line the pockets” of those who carry them out, and those who are the beneficiaries – and bigotry is the oil that it all slides on. It’s an elitist “black box” that conceals the construction, the actions, and even the results of the process — there is no public oversight: we have to take them at their word.

It’s this same commitment to self-interest that has led to the current batch of distancing descriptors. For example: “Lens” has replaced “viewpoint” in elitist lexicon – a viewpoint is inextricably attached to a person; while a lens implies an outside and less personal view. It’s the “lens” that is responsible – not the person who uses that view. Tricky.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Law • Paper • Bullet”

It’s not a time of building; it’s a time of cycling: the COVID cases ebb and flow, we go out and come back home, and crime endlessly cycles through our bureaucracy like hunters through the woods.

Deer me. I was going to add a fourth choice for the game: “Victim” – but since the victim is always the victim: it would always be the wrong shape at the wrong time — a Form Based thumbs down.