Walk The Path

Religion for me is a complicated issue. I was raised as a boy to be Catholic. Attending weekly mass, praying at night, and finding purpose in my life through love for something greater than myself love with God. Slowly I began to see the corruption of the church I belonged to, and it became harder for me to easily accept the truths that were given to me. I became skeptical of the word of God and the cracks became wholes that I could no longer ignore. It made me sick to see how the words of good intention could be so easily twisted to justify incomprehensible action. So I abandoned my faith and resigned myself with a world without a God. Thus I began to accept the facts I could comprehend, and take life in stride. Personally, in my opinion, I find it amazing that no matter where you look in all the different spiritual practices there are common themes. Of course, there are differences in literature, practices, and beliefs but they all try to satisfy human anxiety. The anxiety of existence, purpose, and the unknown. Humanity is afraid of their mortality afraid of what they cannot comprehend. This fear has driven us astray many times and will continue to do so in times of great trial. No matter if it originated in the west or east humans strived for a peaceful way of living. To be loved and to love. Find acknowledgment from others, purpose in living, and meaning in pain and suffering. It’s only natural that texts written centuries ago wouldn’t hold up to scientific rigor with the knowledge we have accumulated since their conception. It was a different time, and thus a different knowledge base to pull from, but behind all that there is a clear sentiment that even I understand.

What I see now in my own time is how the desire for wealth and the forces of capitalism have replaced the force of religion in western society. There was once a time in which man worked with what little crops he had, died young, and lived as Hobbes once describe “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. So man wondered what is the purpose of this? Regardless of opinion man turned to God. In whatever sect or form it may have arisen, but God was the answer. You may be suffering now but at the end of the tunnel there is salvation. Kings claimed divine right because it gave them legitimacy in the eyes of the people. I am not advocating that this is right, or it should have been done. Nor am I saying that man should be blind to the religion as I have mentioned before I’ve seen with my own two eyes how easily it can be corrupted. What I am attempting to convey is that in the world we live in today is a shallow one. People have replaced community, prayer, and simplicity for pleasure, and fame. It is now okay to view people as a means to an end. Making friends not to have connections, but because you are looking at career opportunities. Consume clothing, electronic devices, posters, and products to feed the economy. Throw away humility, but instead follow the impulses of greed, ambition, and pleasure. Live for only yourself, and not for others. That the goal in life fundamentally is to accumulate capital and to die. As society has moved more secular and away from the forces of religion. Partly due to the fault of organized religion and its incapability to adjust its views, and connect with the changing mind of humanity. It has become evident to me that it has become easy to justify improper actions in our time. We admire role models who exemplify corruption, ego, vanity, and greed. For capitalism is a system of competition, and for all its merits it is an environment in which those who do whatever takes reach the top. It is why you have CEO’s who view workers as mere numbers on a piece of paper, and politicians who will do anything for power. Lie, cheat, and ally themselves with those who give them the greatest chance of success. Thus it becomes a world without ideals, and this is a world that holds absolutely no true value.

It has taken me time, but I finally see the value in believing something higher than yourself. It may differ from person to person, but believing there are ultimate consequences has a purpose. We become united in our fear of death of what we cannot understand: The scarcity of life. We wonder about the destiny of life itself. Thus it becomes a way to learn to live a moral life that fosters a strong community and unity. A world where the free market has replaced this is a world that is fractured. Interactions are superficial because we are fearful to be emotionally vulnerable we live life thinking only of our hearts desire thinking of only the present. Humanity has become arrogant, and selfish but like all things, we will soon learn humility once again. Nature and God has a way of resetting the balance. As Icarus once flew and burned so will we as we often do. Since the cycle of ascending, and declining is the same. Nothing ever lasts forever. All good and bad things come to an end eventually. So will we all someday. Now the question becomes how to do we restore unity in a fractured capital-driven society. It is obvious people will always disagree when it comes to the literature of the word of God. What force can bind people together especially now in a world that is flowing with different ethnicities, and ideas due to globalization? I say we point for a common culture, history, and land seek the answer. One can disagree on many issues, and debate endlessly, but most good common people value their community. When you run your hands through the dirt of your home one can feel a special connection a sense of tradition, history, and the flow of energy of past generations. Slowly the realization that you are the embodiment of past ideals, and that the torch has been given to you to shine the past for those still unborn.

For greater the peace, greater must be the sacrifice.

Psychological Warfare

The modern world is defined by who you can influence you the most. People often view this as the form of the mainstream media. Commercials and advertisements bombard the individual with tricks who in turn end up buying into the consumerist culture. A culture in which everything is a commodity. Where a price-tag is placed upon anything of value including life. And this is correct. Most people would agree that the job of advertisers and corporations is to fool the consumer into using their product or service. And for a long time that was the only focus, but the beat of capitalism evolved. This evolved into everything to the absolute.

In today’s digital agenda, advertising has morphed into every aspect of society. Politics, health, sex, religion, etc. Influences are sought to endorse a product or a certain point of view. For the sheep follow their herder. People have not realized this, and believe that their icons whether they are religious ones such as priests, or sports icons. They are indoctrinated into their belief system or are given monetized coercion, but because the idols are often portrayed as one’s hero one can relate to they tend to believe and trust the people who they should be most skeptical of. For they are a product, a product to consume and to use as an authority to drive one’s own decisions. It is easiest to see this in the music, artist, and political icons of the modern-day but this is also coming from corporations and religious institutions. Public relations and branding have become one of the most important things for any ideology. Ideas died when there is no one to advocate for them.

The person is under attack from all angles. This attack is against the mind. Pieces of the mind are carved up for competing ideas wanting real estate in you the individual’s ideology. For the stronger an influence the more willing one will be to advocate for their cause. And the more followers they gain the stronger their hold on civilization
they have. This idea could be as simple as being either pro or the anti-death penalty. Or it could be the idea of a nation-state, an ethnicity, but it could also be more abstract. The way a society should function, gender roles if a monarchy is more proficient than a democracy. As time goes on one idea supersedes another. Even if it is only temporary.

The Lion, Sheep, and Turtle

There are no moral actions there are only outcomes. If the outcomes align with your beliefs and philosophies then the action taken was correct. If not then one needs to re-evaluate. Self-introspection is the most important thing any human being can do. People get caught up in applying one set of rules to every situation. Often this can bring comfort to the individual because these are the set of laws that can bring meaning to a world that seems chaotic and cruel. Yet time and time again it is proven that this type of thinking eventually will be applied to a situation in which the intended consequences were not intended. Thus the moral system is shattered. No one source of truth can contain all the solutions. If mankind is flawed then so is the moral system that it can conjure.

Actions are merely echos and some echos are stronger than others. As an individual, you must decide what kind of echos one wants to bring forth into the world. Once unleashed it cannot be taken back. And the more power you hold in a society the larger the echos one can unleash. Thus power has always been the center of the daily life of the person.
Stop being a slave as Nietzsche would put in the confined limited rules of the moral standards the plebs must follow in order for a society to function. There must always be a lion and the sheep he feeds upon. Yet the real trap is that being the lion is the nirvana people believe it is to be. The lion has the burden of power. The illness that eventually corrupts all. To live a truly peaceful, and charitable life. It is better to be a sheep.
People who are sheep are followers, and the grand illusion is that they believe they are in control when they have no control.

Sadly the lion is often a man who believes he is doing good. That he is God’s chosen speaker, that in his grand intelligence he can change the world in a positive way. It is that hubris. That has often destroyed not only the lion but the society he promised to protect. For the lion after feeding on the fears, and anxieties of the sheep has no more nutrients to sustain itself. And if humanity consists only of those two groups the human species would have died long ago. But fortunately, there is a third type of a human that exists and has been the balancer. Between the lion with limitless appetite, and the herd mentality of the sheep. The third symbol of man is the turtle. The visionaries who are able to see the reflection of the past, and in their wise wisdom see the pitfalls and critique both the sheep and the lion in a sensible manner. These are the few gems who are often relics of each generation whose voices are not often heard, or promoted but when one sits and listens. The insight and truth that one can learn from these people are profound. A turtle is a person who is patient, cautious, and wise in their wisdom. They may lack the yearning of radical action, and trying to transform society through unrealistic means.

The lion, sheep, and turtle revolve in a cycle. For when the lion spirit in fueling civilization it often represents an era of great, risk and innovation. Man believes in building the vision and society that represents the ideals of the people or perhaps just the ideals of the visionary leaders of the epoch. When the turtle drives the society stabilizes. People are more guarded, and cautious with change and respect the methods of the past is maintained. Thus society is slow-moving, and the institutions are working as intended. When decay sets in the sheep often begin to become the orchestrator. When this happens society breaks down, and chaos ensues this usually marks the end of the epoch, and thus the cycle renews. New lion pubs are born from the sheep and help uproot the failings of the previous system. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it does not. Lions who grow wise from these failures become the turtles, and new sheep are always produced because there will always be people and generations of humans who are trapped in their ignorance and in the cycle of being sheep for they have not awoken yet. But do not demean the sheep as often the lion or turtle do because it is their hubris and ego that often breeds the decay and eventual downfall of the kingdom.

Techno-Fascism

The advent of the technological age will bring great wonders to our world. With it will arrive a force so powerful it will fundamentally change human existence. It will be marked by one historical alternating paradigm shift: The destruction of human nature. The genetic code of the human species will be written, and the history of the mammal will forever be changed. A dark abyss will slowly take hold and envelop everything in its wake. There will be neither life nor death but instead culture and civilization will be driven by a single force: Techno-Fascism. An energy so powerful mankind will merely submit and obey. Obey like the animal he is. From the ashes of previous civilizations will rise something anew. A monster that will destroy everything you currently comprehend as art, philosophy, and nature. It is not a being or object but an entity. An entity that will be more powerful than the advent of Christianity, Egyptian pharaohs, and The Third Reich combined. Providing a precursor of this entity is my final gift to humanity. This goes beyond the realms of science-fiction, the singularity, and perhaps everything humanity has ever known. In a world devoid of meaning, choice, and love humanity must ask itself once again if this is the path it wishes to follow and what does it mean to be human if such a perspective can truly exist in the future.

CitizenFour

Recently I got around to watching the documentary CitizenFour. It’s about the first hours of Edward Snowden as he reached out to the press as well his first interactions with journalists of The Guardian. The movie evolves into recording his reactions to the initial release of classified information to the world and thus exposing the programs that exist to spy on the public. I believe people are captivated by not only what information he released to the public, but also him personally. What he did took courage. Many call him traitor now, and he is hated by many all over the world. People like to live in comfort and ease. For a man to forsake his life, wealth, lover, and family for his beliefs does take courage. Doesn’t matter if you think he is a traitor or not it takes conviction to do what you feel is necessary.

Yet I can’t help, but think he was bit naive when it come to trusting the press. As many already know the press has become a mouthpiece for the institution that is the state. You are fed the propaganda you want to believe, and proper facts and unbiased analysis are avoided. I am sure the intentions of The Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, etc. were pure and some journalists still believe in proper reporting. It is the self-preserving nature of those who are in power of the welfare state who need to make sure that anything that can threaten them be contained.

Computer guys tend not to be the most social, or fluid speakers for that matter. I believe that Snowden stuck with an ideology that existed in his head of what justice and freedom are. He ran with it as someone who believed in the principles of western democracy. If you have been reading my blog you are well aware of the themes I try to convey in my writing. One of those themes is the idea that western principles are decaying fast.

What he failed to understand is that people are networked in. They aren’t going to give up the ease of unencrypted email, Facebook posts, Instagram photos, or Snapchat videos. People aren’t going to bother to create strong passwords or have 5-6 email accounts. Most people don’t even read the terms of service that all software companies force you to agree with. We live in a life of convenience, and luxury.

I once went to see a talk given by the legendary programmer, and activist Richard Stallman. I was hoping to get some technical insight of GNU, but instead became a political speech about promoting libertarianism and that the individual rights of citizens that are being corroded by modern software companies. He had a point, but he is mistaken on what the solution should be. He believes like many before in the need to get politically motivated. In my opinion, only economic collapses get most people motivated. He criticized that “we” tech people always look for a technical solution to the problem, but, in fact, we need to solve it as a political one. Well, I have to say I don’t see the change he keeps yearning for. I see more of the same. I bring up this point because I think Snowden indirectly did the same. He realized there was an issue, and pursued the traditional routes solving the problem. As you clearly see in a sense both have failed. They did have an impact and still do. Yet the sea hasn’t changed color, and we are still drowning in the decay that is the welfare state.
When I started learning about computers it started for the simple fact that I liked video games, and from there my world viewed kept expanding. I started to see the larger role that software and computers were partaking in society. Software is allowing people, and, more importantly, civilization rewrite the rules, and structure of the society. As I get older I realize that as a coder I don’t only have a responsibility to write programs that are technically correct, but that must also follow my morality, and ideology.

There is a battle between software that is closed, and those which are open. Only time will tell which one ends up winning the war. That battle may determine Snowden’s legacy ends up being.

 

When will the civilized age begin?

I believe that the civilized age begins,not when we reach solar energy, nor is it when we achieve artificial intelligence or even when humans gain the ability to teleport across oceans . In my humble opinion it begins when humanity can re-construction a society that has a better understanding of creation, destruction, and recreation.A culture that fosters knowledge without prejudice and accepts mistakes as it does success. A society that fosters the balance between individuality and collectivism along with people who have a better grasp that chaos and order mesh together.

A value system is in place that promotes knowledge, understanding, sustainability, reason, and freedom. Where discussions are listened to and openly accepted. Contrasting opinions are heard and are constructive. We can all agree to disagree. A world where there is no state and we recognize that we live as one humanity species and not separate parts. A world that fosters human creativity and ingenuity and a world that is filled with open minds. That is when we truly become an open-source society.Where knowledge is free, learning is free, and most importantly we are free to learn. Self-indulgence, ego, and possession are trivial. That the only continuity is information, where patterns of information is being passed down from generation to generation. Information is constantly flowing. In essence true civilization begins when we stop attacking each other.

In other words until we respect not only ourselves but the universe around us we will never be at a civilized species. Perhaps we will never reach that point or perhaps we will. Such an interesting dilemma is it not? The universe will exist long before and after us. Humanity takes the world for granted a truth which is indeed sad but none the less true. Universe is filled with remarkable beauty. It is literally everywhere from a flower, to a cell phone. Everything in quite remarkable if one just sits to take a moment watch, listen, and see.Yet humanity has decided to fill its own needs with celebrity, status, consumerism, possession, and ego. Yet we can do quite remarkable things. Create an artificial light, a phone, and music beyond imagination.When one hearts Mozart and Beethoven one can feel deep down the genius of humanity.

There is great potential, but it is merely potential. Every person has the potential to be intelligent and have their own unique stories and art. It is why it is my hope that with the internet that decentralization becomes a true reality. Perhaps for the first time in human history technology will empower people who share, teach, learn, and grow to understand each other. Perhaps it is been my greatest disappointment that the internet has become corrupt by “garbage” content of the artificial needs and endless stupidity but yet again it is merely my perspective and opinion. Somehow for the rest of it is filled with meaning and wonder. I respect that even though I may not necessarily agree with this type of value system.Yet is it status quo and even though it saddens me it is something I must learn to accept but, this is a challenge at the same time.

Changing the world may seem hard, but it is like developing the first airplane it takes one step at a time. One ripple leads to another and another. At the minimum I hope that my ideas and thoughts can open doors for others. I charge no cost. I am always willing to discuss with anyone I have no prejudice. If you listen to me I will listen to you. The civilized age man dream of will one day come of age, but one must remember that perfection can be subjective and that is the key to everything.

“Let tears flow of their own accord: their flowing is not inconsistent with inward peace and harmony.” Seneca (5 BC – 65 AD)