The PHILOSOPHER is missing in present democracy

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

And that means the rich have taken over the democracy. Yes, many people go and vote --usually the elderly-- and the elections are a big spectacle, but, besides missing the direct input from direct democracy, the figure of the philosopher is missing in present democracy. In other words there's no democracy.

Have anyone out there tell you the name of a philosopher. Then ask who Donald Trump is. See what I mean? Please, don't name me. My last name is "most humble philosopher."

Here's a philosopher of great wisdom:

We live happiest when we are free from the pains of life, and a virtuous life is the best way to obtain this goal. This is, in a nutshell, the view of the Samian philosopher Epicurus (342-271). In his opinion, we are unable to understand the gods, who may or may not have created this world but are in any case not really interested in mankind. Nor do we know life after death - if there is an existence at all after our bodies have decomposed. Therefore, we must not speculate about gods and afterlife. In Antiquity, Epicurism was the most popular of all philosophical schools, a popularity which it partially owed to the fact that its founder had explained his thoughts in several maxims, which even the illiterate could remember. Predictably, Christian philosophers attacked Epicurus' ideas about the afterlife and divine providence.

http://www.livius.org/gi-gr/greeks/philosophers.html

I like how Epicurus reached the illiterate with maxims and rhymes. I have the following question for the masses: IS YOUR COMMUNITY HAPPY OR CRAPPY?

People love this question and usually say "crappy." I think while Epicurus was the "philosopher of the garden" I am the "philosopher of the community." You need a community to be happy, a green, clean community, not a gated community. See what I mean, philosophy can make our lives better.


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http://BANANAREVOLUTION.bravesites.com

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

"Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher"

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey
And that means the rich have taken over the democracy. Yes, many
people go and vote --usually the elderly-- and the elections are
a big spectacle, but, besides missing the direct input from
direct democracy, the figure of the philosopher is missing in
present democracy. In other words there's no democracy.

YOU could also be rich, IF you didn't waste your time either
masturbating and/or peddling around on your bike.

No philosopher wants to be rich. His views would be compromised.

Pedaling my bike is a way to complement the Greek ideal: "Mens sana in corpore sano"...

Person in SUV should not even be allowed to vote.

[TheTibetanMonkey]

I'm a philosopher.
I only speak on subjects I know.
Otherwise, I wouldn't a philosopher.

No, no, no, that's not the job of the philosopher. You must make "educated guesses" at the nature of things. For example, you may say "It's idiotic that god made a universe so large just to house us." You don't know how large the universe is, but you trust the scientists, and not the believers. You may find yourself alone in the crowd, but nobody can beat your arguments.

How about if god is an idiot that made the universe so large? You must be prepared to answer that one.

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

"WARNING: There are other 'tibetan monkeys' around --impostors you may call them-- but none 'wise.' A simple search will show that there's only one 'wise tibetanmonkey... most humble philosopher.' Nevertheless I don't deny my monkey heritage. I like to 'monkey around' with ideas."
I think all philosophers like to monkey around with ideas.

but they don't sell books if they look like they're monkeys, they have
to go undercover which is like putting a monkey in a straight jacket.
author-ities on subjects have to adopt a certain tone and language that
comes off god-like.. which is ironically quite a primitive form of
communication. the less "is" is said and the more "maybe" and "i don't
know" is said the the higher the intelligence tends to be. but readers
are suckers, and they are lazy. they want someone to teach them right
from wrong without having to go through the messy business of thinking.

Socrates said something to the effect that the most humble is the wisest. His critical thoughts on society earned him a death sentence. People who make money through writing books, usually take a non-confrontational approach: They say whatever people want to hear.

I have thought this is a good solution to the dilemma: THE WISE MAN TRUSTS THOSE WHO REALLY KNOW, AND THEN INTERPRETS THOSE FACTS IN SOME INTERESTING WAYS. For example, I trust the scientists who tell us about CLIMATE CHANGE, but they are dry in style and would convince no one. The philosopher must be creative, unconventional, eccentric. There's a scientist famous for having all those qualities: Albert Einstein.

This is a well-argued debate about Socrates' wisdom:

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090218043326AAs4jfQ

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey

Hey, listen to this: I'm saying the philosopher is missing in present society and in its absence the rich kidnap the process. In other words, only the philosopher can guide democracy without the risk of become a "plutocracy."

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In the USA, the rich(powerful interest groups) has kidnapped democracy...NOT because the philosophy is missing in the USA...but because of a fatal flaw in democracy itself.
Using money, the rich has the all the policians (both democrat and Republican) in their pockets...it is so bad and so smelly that NO voices (of philosophy or poor morally upright politicians) can be heard...because the media is under the total control of the rich.
Now, in the USA you need MONEY to stand for and to win election ..people like Obama had to sell their soul to the rich in exchange for campaign funds from the super rich.
In this environment, a philosopher has NO VOICE, NO MEANS...to spread his message to the people...What can he do ? NOTHING.

How about the Internet? That's the only democratic system we got, and if we know how to use it, it can have an effect. You don't know how deep is the effect but you may have an effect. You may also hand out fliers, and this flier is one of a kind:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nffbCR_uCZ6znjf3gLiFRXSAoLzhWtoZ6U4S7Y37aKc/edit?usp=sharing,

It does have a strong effect on people as if they see the light for the first time. I know it's a drop, but those fliers are passed around rather than wasted. A BANANA REVOLUTION loaded with humor and spicy content is a killer combination. And the power of the finger should not be underestimated.

Anyway, that's the best I can do as monkey philosopher. Yes, anyone is invited to make a copy of it. Notice, it all fits on one single sheet of paper. What the heck, I'm having fun.

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

If Epicurus had an SUV what would he do with it?

No, no, no, the philosopher would never have an SUV. He wouldn't be a philosopher. The philosopher would never be arrogant. That's like asking if Jesus would drive an SUV.

Say that his friends and mother put their resources and bought him a brand new grand spankin' SUV and brought it over to his house. He didn't want an SUV, but out of respect and out of feeling a little intimidation he kept it. So now he had to do something with it, so what would he do with it now?

He would surely sell it in order to finance his preaching life. The SUV would isolate him from the people he is trying to convert. He would ride a bike.

By the way, what's the difference between Jesus and the philosophers? Take into account that they are both humble. God is arrogant but Jesus is humble.

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey

Democracy is about how we act as a community...philosophy is about what is life.

In the USA, the rich(powerful interest groups) has kidnapped democracy...NOT because the philosophy is missing in the USA...but because of a fatal flaw in democracy itself.

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TRUE Democracy....should be an elected government...of the people, by the people and for the poeple (A definition given by a former US presdient).
This is used as the yardstick for democracy nowadays.
Using this yardstick, the USA is no longer a democracy.
Democracy has been hijacked by the rich Americans who used their money and influence to put their appointed man to be elected as the US president and in the US Congress. The rich Americans are the real rulers(kings) in the USA.
As a result, the US government is working for the rich, in the interest of the rich and powerful....in the service of the new rulers of America..NOT in the service of the common Americans.
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But what matters is not the name but the content. "Banana Republic" is a fitting name for our democracy.

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Is the USA a banana republic ?
NO. or at least NOT yet.

Would you please read the fine print?

"America is a Constitutional Republic . . . NOT a Democracy"

http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com/NotDemocracy.html

Now that we know it is a Republic, what kind of Republic is it? Read the definition of Banana Republic:

"It typically has stratified social classes, including a large, impoverished working class and a ruling plutocracy that comprises the elites of business, politics, and the military."

See what I mean?

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey
Yes, the USA is like Soveit Union in its dying days...
yes, the USA is no longer a real super power. The USA has been weak and utterly impotent.. like an old man in dealing with affairs in Egypt, in Libya, in Syria, and now in Ukraine and..... in losing the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

America relies on high technology. Her troops are stretched beyond her capabilities. And a draft may cause a real revolution in this country. Yes, it's that bad.

Post by Wise TibetanMonkey
However, the USA is not yet a banana republic (hopelessly useless)...as it still has many military bases...NATO in Europe, bases in the Middle East and in the Far East....and a fleet of aircraft carriers.

Read the definition above. I may add that in a Banana Republic the laws exist on paper, but rarely enforced. CORRUPTION is the sector with the highest growth. Basic industrial goods are made abroad. Something like Venezuela.

[TheTibetanMonkey]

I'm told you wouldn't see in the 50's, America's golden age. Or maybe they are lying to me...

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Where's democracy? Our representatives and powerful people live in gated communities and drive SUVs.

How about this?

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Or this?

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I can't ride a bicycle in my community... Do I need to say more?

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

Wise TibetanMonkey,

On Friday, March 28, 2014 3:15:21 AM UTC-4, Oleg Smirnov

Maybe it's better to say 'smart-ass' ;)

I'm afraid you must be a smart-ass to survive in the
political jungle. Yushchenko (Orange Revolution) was all
the rage of the revolution and the West and he ended up
like a petty ass.

<http://www.countercurrents.org/smith270314.htm>
A good review about Ukraine.

Democracy may mean nothing, or may be fighting corruption
and the elites and people working together. Look at
Obama, all the hopes are dashed. And worse, there's no
hope that a Republican would be any better.
And Clinton was the worst of them all. He splurged all
the "peace dividend" and failed to deliver his universal
healthcare (blame the Republicans).
I thought the world would be much better without
communism, and it only got worse. Now I think democracy
is for smart-asses and idiots.

I have a bit of humble philosophy about that.
The democracy is in a large part about how people
reason each other. Autocracy implies some (violent)
enforcement and coercion against those who disagree
(with the will of those who better understand what
'we' should do). The democratic reasoning is what's
intended to replace the coercion with a 'conscious
conviction'.
Thus in a democratic society the means and skills
of persuasion of people become to be of paramount
importance, - that's what impelled those ancient
democratic Greeks / Romans to develop the rhetoric
and logic, not just their love to these arts.
The modern societies are numerous. The people can
not come together to a square or to a stadium for
discussion. We have 'system of communications'
within the society, and how the system is arranged
greatly affects how the democracy is functioning.
If you feel the (Western) democracy is corrupted
and don't work as expected, then it's appropriate
to look at the communication realities in the
society. In my view, what we can see in the modern
world is ever-increasing alienation of people in
the 'real life', and ever-increasing importance of
one-to-many one-way communications, when many watch
or read the same and the only 'mainstream media'
(their incarnations in various guises), and this
in facts turns the democracy into a 'mediacracy'.
The mass-media create a large part of reality and
perception of the world for you. Who orchestrate
the media are in fact your masters. It's certainly
more humane than a violent coercion, but it still
doesn't make the society really 'free'.

I agree that the media makes up an image of the world that only makes sense from the side of the mighty. Those are the ones that own newspapers and TV/radio stations, and the reporters/analysts do the job they are paid to do. I say that I'LL BELIEVE THE MEDIA WHEN THE REPORTERS MAKE MINIMUM SALARY. Obviously that is not the case so I treat all news with skepticism.

The reality for the "man on the street" is very different. He can not afford a car and can not afford NOT to have a car. Riding public transportation is a gamble time-wise, riding a bicycle is Russian roulette, and walking is for idiots --or the elderly.

And things are not getting better. WE ARE AN ACCIDENT IN THE DESIGN, such as this I witnessed today:

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AND...

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AND...

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Read the captions please. If you were to ask the prey what's freedom, they would say "ROAMING FREE." That's what freedom means, and we are not nearly free. We are slaves of making payments on a car. We are barely surviving in the jungle.

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

FREEDOM is the ability you have
to say
What you feel like about USA .

That's only one definition. The other day though they terminated my website account with bravesites.com. No excuses.

Now, what's the difference between NOT being able to talk in China, and being able to talk here, but ignored?

They know that the chances of any monkey changing the world by punching keys on the keyboard is rather remote.

I'd argue that a system becomes more stable by giving the monkeys the "illusion" that they can talk.

In reality this is what happens:

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[Wise TibetanMonkey]

Here we go again, "freedom of the speech" goes down the drain:

WEBS.COM writes...

"Your are blatantly sending our emails to promote your site. This is spam. Your site will stay suspended."

***

That's the second website provider that terminates my account in as many weeks. They fear something in this language --this post-- or someone high up is interfering. Notice how he terminates my account without the benefit of the doubt. I didn't know including my website was spamming. I simply charged into the "jungle of ideas" armed with my ideas. My ideas are laid out here --exploration, challenge, adventure-- and they are also nicely collected in my website. He changed one word that I challenged though. Instead of calling it "advertising," he says I'm blatantly "promoting" my website. Of course, when you watch the news they are blatantly promoting a government agenda or --if it's a private channel-- they are blatantly advertising SUVs and junk food. Websites are all about making profits as well, but they rather not be caught up in conflict.

I can now get another website and then wait to be shut down again. It sounds like fun. I really don't need it though, and my point has been proven beyond reasonable doubt. Wasn't my point that freedom is an illusion?

This is the hardcore truth as I see it:

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nffbCR_uCZ6znjf3gLiFRXSAoLzhWtoZ6U4S7Y37aKc/edit?usp=sharing

From now on I'll have that as my website.

[Wise TibetanMonkey]

SOMEONE ACCUSES ME OF SWITCHING THE BALL:

Title: What is Freedom?

Poll question: Are you free in America?


Wow, what a major switch in topic, from the thread title to the thread's poll question.

I'll answer the question in the title.

I am free when no one is able to coerce me, or the people around me, without my (or their) consent.

***

MY ANSWER:

I don't think the problem is unique to America.

It depends HOW you define freedom. Women are not free to study in Afghanistan, people is not free to ride a bike/walk in America. Notice many communities don't even give you sidewalks. Here you are a CONSUMER, and nothing is free. You are free on paper. When we ride bikes on sidewalks --in order to survive-- we threatened the freedom of pedestrians to walk in a safe environment.

Once you become more demanding about freedom, you may start demanding others. The point is that we all become FREER.

(By the way, 56% of those who voted --21 vs 16-- think we are not free in America.)

My new website with Google is...

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

https://sites.google.com/site/wisetibetanmonkey/

It's not super long or super fancy but I think it's something to live by. Much better than the Unabomber's Manifesto. ;)