amosknows

I see that your censoring alternative views here. I wasn't aware. You apparently feel that the ideals expressed here can not stand up to criticism or debate - otherwise there would be no need to hide alternative views. I would suggest that a failure to debate alternative views (by burying them in a garbage pail) is a sign of both intellectual dishonesty and cowardice.

I'd be happy to debate your opinions but so far all you have exhibited is an ability to call someone a name, make an unsubstantiated blanket statement, and display disdain. If you have something substantive to say I'm all ears...

Ah, that thing called humanity is in trouble once again. Of course this trouble is not specific to our humanity or our civilization. This time it appears to be global, which may or may not have occurred before. But this trouble on the new and improved global-macro-scale is certainly nothing that the micro civilizations of the past failed to experience first hand. In fact, this trouble has found it’s way toward countless past civilizations, eating and eroding them away until ruins are some time later discovered. Often leaving the discoverers to wonder and ponder just what happened. But there is actually really nothing to ponder after all. There is nothing to discover in those ruins because the solution to causation is not a complicated equation at all. In fact it’s very simple. What causes civilizations to collapse, and what is causing our global civilization to erode away, is simply animal behavior. In every instance animal behavior happened - repeatedly. In every instance animal behavior took control of the power structures and like a gun slinging cowboy rode society in to the ground. The ever present propensity of men to behave like animals creates the very societal destruction that these “animals in control” are so apt to avoid on a personal level. Confucius was well aware of this fact. Jesus was well aware of this fact. Many who have strived to live an anti-animal existence can identify the root causes of the collapse of any civilization. It’s the animals that can not recognize it even as they perpetually turn the screws to their own demise. We are seeing this now as the animals in power continue to behave simply like animals. Many mask their animal behavior with a dress suit and nice tie and kind words of hope and desired help. But in reality these things are really deceptive cloaks of destruction. For civilized behavior is apparent not from the appearance nor the words of men and women, but from their actions; and from the results of these actions. There is accordingly no lesson to be learned from the system that these animals operate within. Dictatorships, republics, democracies, monarchies, they all equally (and not coincidentally) find and claw their way to destruction. We could get historical and cite countless examples, but I have decided to make this a philosophical examination of the problem. When we fail to learn history and repeat it, we’re not failing to learn the specific events of history, we’re failing to learn the underlying and consistent modalities of behavior that causes history. The never-ending operation of animal behavior that weaves itself through-out historical collapse. We need not focus on the events themselves, but rather on this singular common thread. And if we look closely enough at societal collapse we will see that this common thread is that societies as a whole have consistently chosen to behave like animals. The solution therefore is never to change the method, or change the concept of what drives the system, or even to change the system itself. What is required is something much more intrinsic than this. The solution is to change how we behave as human beings. A solution which is not only beyond the comprehension and understanding of most, but nearly impossible to create in any meaningful way. In the first place, there is an ironic and macabre component of this demolition of civilization - the animals are always stronger. The animals are always the one’s in control of the means; they are the ones with the power. They are always the one’s making the decisions which drives this animal behavior toward collapse. And because their very behavior is animal in nature - it hungers for wealth and for power and for control. And then having acquired the means to dictate to the other humans what should and should not occur, they do so most often to the benefit of their own animal satisfaction. Often creating the circumstances which drive societies toward oblivion. The United States has yet to have a President (or a congress) in my life time that was solely motivated by the needs of Americans. It’s never happened and it probably never will. However, in today’s ultra-surreal reality, self interested behavior is not only common-place, but rather blatantly common-place. The bailouts, the greed, the pork, the irrational votes - all on display for everyone to see. It’s become a system where even the appearance of doing what is right is no longer necessary. It would seem that this is a general degradation of moral behavior. While this may be true, I think it’s more involved than that. Why is there no real outrage when millions of Americans are forced out of their homes by foreclosure while the banks are given a free lunch? What are there no mass protests? No mega-organization working for social justice? Three hundred million Americans and no real significant numerical organization of outrage? No real sense that there is any substantive desire to prevent these types of injustices from occurring. The reason that even appearances are no longer necessary is that the majority of humans (and the majority therefore of Americans) are and always have been simply (also) animals. Their varying levels of animal material existences are such that most Americans have enough of what satiates their personal desires that they can not only look the other way, but in fact actively or implicitly support the injustices they constantly see. Consequently, we can define these “animals in control” broadly to include the majority of the citizens of a collapsing society. Actual control and the means to actual control having their foundation in the citizens who stand by, even as the means of survival is sucked dry in to a sponge of despair. As I have noted, history is chock full of examples of self-destructive behavior, motivated exclusively by animal instincts. I don’t need specifically to point my finger exclusively at modern day America. I may do so because America not only fits the mold of an animal controlled society, but also because the animals have cleverly couched animal values in to something they like to call “American Values”. And in doing so have transformed what is otherwise abhorrent to men of virtue, in to something to be desired by common men and women. A deceptive means of brainwash where America animals can (for example) relieve any latent moral guilt by turning killing, death an destruction and imperialism in to in to a just or necessary fight. Where the ruling class can dispatch inherent inequality in to a cry for hard work. These “American Values” therefore turn animal behavior in to something to be desired. They mysteriously place power, money, wealth and material possessions on a pedestal of desired abject morality. Clearly it’s not impossible to reconcile how animals would want these things to be valued above things like sharing, compassion, caring, self-sacrifice and in general the betterment of all humans. It’s certainly a means of keeping the masses of other animals (and semi-animals) on board with their own animal behavior. It is simply the replacement of truth and morality with a means of programming animals to over-come their own guilt toward submission. Nevertheless, by far, it is a general catering to comfort and convenience that turns so many Americans in to apathetic creatures of habit. The final piece of this puzzle of societal inaction is exemplified by the minority (perhaps the super minority) of people who would prefer socialist ideas to capitalist ideas; who would prefer a fairer society (not just in wealth distribution) to an unfair society. For the most part these people may become out raged at injustice; at the unequal distribution of wealth in America; at the fact that there is social injustice being committed every day. But these people are the same people whose values are contrary to taking the necessary action to change any of these things. They’re certainly not going out and killing anyone to cause some necessary change. They’re not starting violent revolutions, Their love of people and nature and space and time is certainly not a match for the guns and jails and the general protections put in place by the “animals in control” to secure their positions and possessions. Saints have never had the moral disposition to become an animal to fight an animal. Because humans of virtue would prefer to be figuratively (and even often literally) burned at the stake in lieu of sacrificing their morals and their utter contempt for being just an animal. So without any real resistance these “animals in control” will not cease and desist until America (and maybe the world) erodes in to self destruction. They will not voluntarily replace self with selfless. They will not be violently removed by moral and virtuous people who understand the difference. They will continue to be animals. Notwithstanding these seemingly insurmountable odds and resistance, whether we can, as human beings, survive a pre, post, or concurrent collapse is actually irrelevant. If we classify this animal behavior in to terms which (by no coincidence) mirrors the behavior of animals in nature, and then seek to behave in an opposite fashion, I believe this is the extent of what is possible for moral human beings. Our values are the only element of any material equation which could ever have any real meaning. While the animals like to hoard; the animals like to control; the animals seek power; the animals seek material accomplishment, the animals can kill to accomplish their goals; the animals don’t like to share (in any real sense of the word), the animals are takers and not givers - we can strive as individuals and as a collective to be something more. And by becoming something more perhaps influence (in whatever small way we can) the behavior of these “animals in control”. Although even this should not be our ultimate goal. The first thought that comes to mind for a human animal is not the betterment of humanity, but rather the betterment of self. And the creation and protection of the animal needs and wants. The furtherance of these needs and wants is most often at all costs. Not by a conscious desire to create destruction, but rather by a sub-conscious program, the elimination of moral choice, which makes one simply an animal. By the relinquishment of being a human being. Of a general lack of focus on nature and humanity. Of the person whose thinking is only about (or primarily focused on) one’s own condition and existence. It’s a focus that is not easily (nor often) over come - even by a willing participant. or even in the face of or an actual or perceived collapse and destruction of a society. For in defining their own blinding short term interests as paramount, animals are oblivious to both the short term and long term betterment of society (or humanity) as a whole. So some forced change of these “animals in control” is not the answer. Nor as we have discussed is a change in the political vehicles any particular group of animals is using to drive us toward demise. We can complain, and cite references of immoral acts, all without effect to either the “animals in control” or our own conditions. What’s required instead is a concerted effort by the rest of us to be something other than animals. To defer hoarding to sharing. To defer self interest to self sacrifice. To replace accepted with acceptable. To find ways to be human among not only ourselves, but also among the “animals in control”. www.amosknows.com

Think of yourself for a moment as simply a computer. For those of you familiar with a 2001: A Space Odyssey your name is Hal. You were programmed to survive. All of you actions were originally created to give you a means (without conscious thought) of surviving. You acted entirely via instincts. that is external stimuli and internal needs drove your behavior. There was no thought involved. And you were (at a certain time) simply an animal. You killed without remorse, you hoarded wealth without remorse, you stole without remorse. All of your actions were geared simply toward survival. This is the symbolic Garden of Eden in which men and women were in bliss. The kind of bliss that comes with not being aware that their actions (their behavior) could be “wrong” At some point, however, we evolved. We became more intelligent. The snake in the garden of Eden is a symbol for wisdom - and when we evolved a sufficient wisdom as humans we suddenly became self-aware. We could ascertain that we could replace sharing with stealing; we could replace self-interest with compassion; we could replace violence with peace. In a computer we would call this new self awareness artificial intelligence. But in humans we simply call this awareness consciousness. The problem with this new consciousness is that the programming that was running all this time, the programming which permitted us to survive instinctively, has not been turned off -it’s still running. It’s running it the background. It still influences our behavior. And it does so silently. It rears it’s head in the form of greed and anger and violence and vanity and selfishness. It controls behavior in many people and they have no idea that it’s even influencing their behavior. What’s more, as humans not all of our programming is the same. There are for example dominant and submissive programs which will develop and influence behaviors according to external stimuli. There are degrees of programming at every level. And all of our programming can be influenced by external conditions such that it will develop in different individuals differently. As it is among animals, our programming develops based upon our environment. Some aspects can be strengthened through continual external stimuli. Some can even be made in to habitual behavior as a result of continual stimuli. Adding to the complexity of human behavior we have the additional component of what I like to call the varying degrees of morality. While this new consciousness permitted us to understand the difference between self-interest and selflessness, between a total lack of compassion and a sense of compassion, between hoarding toward survival and sharing toward survival, the ability to develop a true sense of right from wrong is also available to varying degrees and also developed as a result of external stimuli. That is exposure (for example) to compassion creates a greater sense and urgency of behaving compassionately. Through out the known history of man, these competing forces upon behavior have been known and they have been expressly symbolized in various ways. It is the classic battle between dark and light and between good and evil. The greatest understanding is found in those symbols in which there is shown physically a weaving of your programming and your moral component. Some examples include the Ying Yang Symbol (as dark and light interwoven), a man hanging (split) by a cross , the Star of David (as two inter-connected triangles of competing degrees. Understanding this duality has been available to many men and yet it often eludes humanity. There are many reasons for this variance and most often depreciation of this understanding. Central to them all is the observance and dedication of our behavior to the programming part itself. Of creating dynamics which are essentially made to satiate internal survival programming. For our need to belong to a pack or a group. Religions, fanaticism, core beliefs in the strongest god or the greatest gods are a by-product of a pre-programmed needs to belong to the strongest pack. Similarly following is a product of dominant and submissive programming. It’s difficult for many people to understand (no less admit) that the reason they belong to any group is not a choice but rather due to an uncontrollable internal need Yet to understand your true inner workings and to be able to distinguish between your programming and your moral abilities is to be enlightened. www.amosknows.com

Moral perfection is the total relinquishment of your survival instincts. It is the relinquishment of self. People who sacrifice their lives for others have therefore engaged in moral perfection. In other words, a conscious decision to totally relinquish self or your survival instincts which resulted in your death would be an “absolute” of this principle. This is exemplified by Jesus’ willingness to die for others. Or the story I read recently about a Marine who threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. In any action you engage in there is an opposite reaction. Your survival behavior will always have direct negative consequences on the ability of other people to survive. Even eating an apple can negatively impact the survival of other humans. Of course, no one can actually achieve this “absolute” of moral perfection and survive. Leaving us with a dilemma regarding what is expected of us as moral beings. To address this enigma. Buddha put forth the “middle way”. The “middle way” involves avoiding self-indulgence and achieving a balance between survival and morality. There are also varying degrees of sacrifice between the “middle way” and the absolute way - for example Mother Teresa’s attempts to dedicate her life to others would push her balance toward the absolute. While most of us will be unable to achieve such a degree of morality, as a moral individual you should strive to push yourself to the absolute by eliminating self toward the unattainable goal of moral perfection. In any attempt to guide yourself toward moral perfection you must therefore eliminate your own personal needs, wants and desires and begin to minimally think about how your actions are affecting other human beings. Most people operate in, or are tipped toward, their survival programming - allowing it to dominate their actions. When they behave what they are thinking about is themselves and not others. Certainly most of us could intentionally never lay down our lives for someone else. But what’s equally troubling about the state of humanity is that many of us will not even sacrifice excess wealth to help other people. Most who have much more than they need justify their status on the basis of “hard work”, a value system which is strongly rooted in the material world. We humans can also rationalize having ten apples and only sharing one - it’s actually a way in which most people suppress any feeling of remorse or guilt they might have. So not only are people behaving like animals, they are able to side step their moral component by rationalizing their behaviors. Amos was a farmer and a prophet who lived within the confines of Israel and Judah from 793 BC to 753 BC - at a time when both Israel and Judah were wildly prosperous. But also at a time when the people of Israel and Judah had reached a low point in their devotion to God. The people had become greedy and had stopped following and adhering to human values. The wealthy elite become rich at the expense of the poor. Peasant farmers who once practiced subsistence farming were being forced to farm what was profitable as foreign trade. This period of time mirrors ours, and probably mirrors many periods that have come before. God speaks to Amos and tells him that the judgment day for Israel and Judah is coming due to the decadency of it’s people and that this punishment will be inflicted by a foreign nation. One of the central themes of the teaching of Amos is that social injustice and and a general lack of concern for the disadvantaged is ultimately punishable at God’s hand. And that punishment need not be a direct blow, but as a result of the actions of the people so effected and/or from outside sources as a result of it’s influence on other nations. As a race of beings, it’s imperative that we begin individual self examinations. An examination of what is causing and guiding our behaviors. Only in this way can one become enlightened to the causes and control of one’s own behavior. An understanding of what is causing you to behave the way you do is essential to being able to chose the “middle way”. A focus on societal change, policy change, the change in our economic system, or our criminal justice system, will never lead to a global improvement in the human condition. Mainly because the substantive parts of our society and our civilization will remain grounded in animal survival instincts. www.amosknows.com