All Roads Lead to Cornithaca – Page 23

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “It’s not a government; it’s a gang” Bumper sticker

Tompkins County’s elitist clique doesn’t need the public as a source of legitimacy; just a source of funds and goods. Like the bandits in Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” – they see the surrounding communities as a means of comfortable living; just due for just force. An air of intimidation hangs over every County policy making decision.

What sort of people are these gang members? In a county where the people overwhelmingly believe that the government is corrupt and self-serving — County leaders publicly declare their unbroken service to the people and their commitment to public participation. It’s a measure of their power – and their hypocrisy.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Whenever they talk about ‘everybody’” Bumper sticker

Talk, talk, talk: in one chapter of the upcoming “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall” – I deconstructed one of their “goodness and togetherness” policy statements to arrive at the following core description:

“This plan is based on values that reflect the principles of the County’s Legislature. In serving this agenda; We will choose the burdens to place on individuals and businesses, and decide which individuals to restrict in their choice of where and how they can live.”

Not only does it reveal the authoritarian bones in their body of policy making — it showed a mocking and dismissive humor in the way that it was clothed.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rural people have no representatives” Bumper sticker

Yes, we certainly have tax collectors; and tax assessors — and they each ramp up the taxes in turn – while pointing to the other.

The assessment department claims that they are saving us money by keeping the number of employees down – but gather many times the amount of that “savings” from the blanket assessments their reduced size “forces” them use.

Representatives do nothing; can’t do anything; won’t do anything to help rural taxpayers — they just explain “why” this is happening; and feel content. It’s like a doctor diagnosing a gunshot wound without worrying about treating it – rural representatives seem to feel no need to actually help the people they “represent” – they have “larger issues” [more important people] to be concerned with.

In a meeting of unhappy rural taxpayers; the head of the assessment department announced that next year they would reassess homeowners on the other side of the county – Really? I wonder what he’ll be telling them . . .

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – Scientific Protocols Room

We all know it – modern regulations protect wrongdoers from accountability. Psychiatrists release patients into the community who do unthinkable things – but neither they, nor their patients are held accountable. Scientists who can’t even introduce existing species into a different ecosystem without disaster – can follow protocols and release Genetically Modified Organisms into the land, air, and water without any comeback for the harm they do. Polluters make use of a “Swiss army knife” of sweetheart deal-making: Voluntary Guidelines, TDMLs, Best Practices, Permit Shields, and a marriage of toothless regulations, best-friend investigating, and zero-fine adjudications.

Protocols are important because they cut people out of the loop – and cutting out any meaningful citizen participation is what today’s quid-pro-quo government is all about.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – Diversity Processing Room

Every grain of sand is different; but they’re all grains of sand.

Diversity was defined as “the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.” But in our government’s “Diversity” – forms and types are all regulated, conforming, and limited – and there can only be one thought. In the diversity of the natural world; our government is a monoculture.

Henry Ford said, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants, so long as it is black.”

This is what our government would call: “freedom of choice.”

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – COVID Room

“Exposed!” It could be the headline for a Pandemic story that can’t be written. Compassion is no longer a human feeling; it’s a marketing tool. Say “pandemic” and “compassion” together and a picture of a smiling health care worker or first responder appears. Victims are no more than an object — the messy collateral of societal policies and problems.

The elderly did the dying; and there was silence instead of crying. Instead: the Media lamented that kids had to stay at home and play Xbox and text each other; rather than visit their friends and play Xbox and text each other. Our elderly are looked on as an object of the past – put on a display shelf – and minimally cared for to retain their catalog value. They’re a piggy bank waiting to be smashed open — so don’t live too long and disappoint the kids.

Somewhere in our money-changing maze; bureaucrats are gleefully rubbing their hands together and thinking of all the Social Security payments they can keep. But that’s another story . . .

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – Phrase Molding Room

The same phrase; the same viewpoint; the same hate; the same target: over and over – dulling the mind into obedience. Everything else is secret. EVERYTHING is Doctrine. One Thought – One Taught – One Voice – One Choice.

But this is not the end: the end is coming because their Doctrine is unable to handle any emergency. And pushing back the decisions; is just stacking up the disasters.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Rise of the Evil Ones” – Form Based Evil – Fly Zapper Room

Form Based Codes are the way out? Just like a fly zapper: the blue skies of freedom hide a grid of death within. Form Based Codes bring the power and streamlined approval process of a dictatorship; to one of the last remaining areas of publicly participatory government — no wonder politicians and planners are eager to close zoning’s loophole of liberty. It’s the difference between doing what you want; and doing what they want. A 50 foot leash is still a leash – and they can retract it whenever they want – to a chokehold.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “End of Days” Activities Frontispiece

There’s “when you die; all the lights in the universe got out” and then; there’s “End of Days.” Greed, famine, and pandemics come together in a feeding frenzy of evildoing — but what will you be doing? This piece will present a number of different activities to help pass the time in God’s waiting room: from “Max your credit cards” [for early adopters] and “No Place to Hide” – spot the silly survivalists [they’ll be dead before they reach the first “sell by” date]; to the decadent thrill of “Open Burning” – “burn leaves and brush openly; with pride – burn your house; or your neighbor’s house.” So much to do – so little time. Which activities will make the cut? — that’s what End of Days is all about — you could “Dig your own grave” – but you’ve already done that. . . “Next!”

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Tompkins County: Proud to be ignorant” Bumper sticker

When there is only one belief; there is no need to look any further. Tompkins County’s doctrine pure don’t try to understand anything different; because it cannot be important – and it’s wrong. When there is only one belief; self-examination is unnecessary. When there is only one belief; there can only be believers. The Urban Colonialism of “New Urbanism” supporters sees only one form of living; spreading from one central seat of power – everyone and everything must conform – or be discarded. We’ve seen this kind of thinking before . . .