.. Fric was a commander at a concentration camp.. he’s sitting at a table with a woman and children.. maybe two or four, I can't quite recall.. the woman asks him.. if the Party ever demanded it of you, would you kill your own children..? .. Fric says that's absurd.. she insists.. Fric says, "Naturally." .. lunch continues.. and.. I think.. the woman toasts to him.. hopefully they stay good.. harmonious.. a family..
.. there's another similar example.. God asked Abraham to kill his son.. and Abraham agreed..
.. my dear.. being a free thinker.. doesn't mean I won't look for.. how Hitler's ideology and God's might be similar..
.. one might assume democracy is different.. because there isn't just one God.. or one Hitler.. .. but democracy has many gods and various Hitlers.. .. it was much the same with democracy in ancient Greece.. it wasn't balanced.. and not just because of the slaves..
.. in principle.. everything is just stories and mental constructs.. ideologies.. .. but there is a lower limit where that ideology crosses over.. mostly.. into reality.. .. and.. an upper limit.. where it crosses over.. mostly.. into shadow.. or something like that..
.. there is this concept called.. the wolf generation.. wolves are animals that can live in a pack.. or alone.. .. wolves are animals.. carnivores.. .. decisive animals.. compared to humans, they seem fearless.. .. they are creatures of the earth.. of the night.. especially during a full moon..
A few more thoughts on management—specifically regarding how company philosophy ties back to your people—and finding that balance between mission and the bottom line.
Work is something that happens on the floor—among actual, living people. ... though it could also be something happening right in front of the screen — tucked away between the numbers.
Look—say a company shows strong financials—yet they start laying off staff—it might actually be a signal to buy their stock. Profits tend to climb after those cuts.
Tracking the numbers—really knowing them—and learning how to link them together... that can actually lead to a certain kind of penetration into a system—even if you don't fully understand the inner workings of that system itself. Look—on any given machine, you can usually bump up the operating speed by maybe one or two percent. It’s all there if you look for it—through better organization to save on labor, or simply being smarter about how we use our materials.
The old-school communists used to say—as if they were some kind of authority—that certain things just couldn't be done here. It was all part of their supposed "expertise," I suppose—though looking back, it was really just a mask for their own insecurity. They were constantly terrified that the people running the show would actually strip away their control. The new management group talks a similar game—but their logic is completely different. Even though she doesn't have the slightest clue how the actual work gets done, she’s constantly applying pressure. Her argument is basically that since we've been doing things this way for years, it's only natural that we should have figured out how to optimize them by now—and then she just keeps pushing, staring at the spreadsheets and demanding results.
Look... back home, things have just become completely drastic and frankly, irrational. Yesterday, a task that should have taken four hours—I’m thinking two, honestly—was being discussed by some guy who claims he can settle it for one, without having the slightest clue what that actually implies. It’s one thing or another—honestly, what can you do? You offer someone a hundred bucks, but then there's some guy sitting right there with a three-hundred-dollar offer on the table, yet he turns to you and asks if fifty will do. I mean, what am I even supposed to say to that? It's just... well, it's a mess.
I spent quite a long time working in quality control—specifically dealing with ISO 9000 standards—and there was certainly a lot to learn from that experience. I honestly thought we were talking about self-governance... Teamwork—heavy on the statistics, even heavier on the data visualization—and a massive amount of sheer effort to pull it all together. It really comes down to that sense of belonging to the company.
We’ve worked alongside teams from France and Germany—and I've spent some time digging through various Italian studies.
The most important thing I’ve taken away—if I remember correctly—is that it's all about the system. It's a connected, fluid process—everything flows together. The system really should have been built around a clear hierarchy—both in terms of people and documentation—with policy sitting right at the top acting as the foundational philosophy. The corporate philosophy was always pretty straightforward—putting the customer first, obviously—but we never lost sight of our people. There was a genuine sense of responsibility toward the staff—an awareness that we weren't just operating in a vacuum, but were part of a real community. I’ve always felt—and this might sound a bit idealistic—that people working at the plant could just set aside one Saturday to spruce up the park surrounding the facility. Just a volunteer effort... free of charge. ... right in the middle of Germany ...
The fundamental rule—the core quality we’re looking for—was always about the operating procedures. I still remember reading that book back when I was following BMW—it was an incredible deep dive into systemic clarity. ... by department ... by job role ... I had an impression—and honestly, I still have it—that the system over there actually functions. It’s clear. They aren't just letting the rot of capitalism seep into everything like we do here. I mean... I get it—the whole situation with the big banks or the oil giants. It’s just the usual crowd of bottom-feeders—people who wouldn't know integrity if it hit them in the face. ...but I have a feeling that work—well, it’s just a different beast entirely.
I believe any system operates according to its own set of internal laws—and if you actually want that system to function well, you have to keep it clear. That means making it transparent—and easy enough for anyone to wrap their head around. When you start muddling through a project—trying to force in neighborly ties or certain ideologies—you can really mess things up. That’s exactly how it turned out with those old American communist movements—it just becomes a total wreck. But... his fundamental—well, let's call it diabolical—destruction begins when an individual sells their soul. It happens the moment those core principles are lost to the darkness.
I think our work—and the way we approach life in the West—is fundamentally different. I truly believe our mindsets differ, too. Still... that deep sense of being completely screwed—that feeling of chaos—seems to be something we all share. And the only way out? It’s purely individual—within the strict... if you can call them that... frameworks of anarchy.
Money is the god of our era—it really is. But if you take a closer look—both here at home and across the globe—it feels like that very deity is starting to lose its grip. It loses its strength—in the sense that it starts leaning into the irrational, the madness, and the sheer stupidity of it all. It becomes unstable and unreliable. And honestly, that can’t lead to anything good for those who follow it—it only serves as a catalyst for anxiety, unease, and genuine fear.
... regarding... management... ... there is more to unpack there—but I won't go down that rabbit hole just yet—it really comes down to how a system views itself; what one might call corporate philosophy or politics, and how a company defines its relationship with its people, the center, and the capital. ... and, specifically, from the perspective of the system—how the situation looks from the standpoint of a single human being...
... but moving on to... machine control... ... computers are becoming the primary means for managing machinery.
... in mechanical engineering, I suppose the old guard built the first robots—it seems incredible to me now—I mean, who would have thought a hobbyist could send a numerically controlled machine or a robot straight to a home address? ... you imagine a massive project—government funding spent on nothing in particular, just for show, a "Man of Steel" type badge of honor—America threw itself into robotics... ... but honestly, you already have enthusiasts today who can assemble a numerically controlled machine out of parts from some ancient plotter.
... back in the day, we had some solid numerically controlled lathes in the industrial districts—good stuff from the old era—I worked with them myself. ... you see the robots on the assembly lines; when you see them for the first time, they are impressive—on a car body welding line, you'll see these huge robots, two or three meters tall, moving incredibly fast—and there are dozens of them, maybe 80, 100, or even more. ... and that was twenty—or twenty-five—years ago.
... the Germans are the masters of mechanics—specifically those wartime German engineers—I think that gave them, or at least gave them until recently, that sense of grandeur. ... their machine tools are absolute gems; I wouldn't say the French or Italians could compete, nor could the Americans back then.
... numerical control is something else entirely.
... with a computer, you can design an object—there are certain programs for it—and then simply hand that design over to a machine to manufacture it. ... AutoCAD is... well, it's a famous program, but I actually figured everything out using a different one. ... kids today will pick up these programs incredibly fast—many of them, and they'll be quite proficient. ... that kind of drafting could become a full-blown profession; we once did some work for American clients involving stone—the drawings looked like something a hobbyist put together, scavenged from old files, not strictly following every drafting law, but it was sufficient—more than sufficient, actually. ... even picking up an idea, copying it, or scanning an object—it all falls into this loop of rapid execution.
... from a digital model, it is possible to generate the program to run the machine. ... you just need to know the specs of the machine—how many axes it has, how they move, which tool to select—and then, for simpler tasks, you can whip up a program in ten minutes that directs the axes of the machine or the robot.
... the hobbyists don't realize it's this easy yet, and they haven't really had the chance to see it. ... mostly, they stay focused on the drawing and shaping those designs—which, I have to admit, was what fascinated me at first.
... some folks here paid five thousand dollars for a program over a year ago, and it seemed incredibly complex to me—much like those high-end projects they run in Chicago—but today, I think you can find a program for free that works just as well. ... a program that converts a drawing into G-code, into axis coordinates.
... where is the anarchy in that? ... as for the hobbyists, they will learn; they will do the work; for them, it will become simple.
... building a classic lathe required... specialized knowledge, money, organization, planning, and a bit of brute force. ... building a numerical one? You just need an enthusiast. ... I feel like buying one of those assembly kits from Italy just to build a little machine and play around with it.
... and the machine itself, being numerically controlled, is straightforward—though I won't dwell on that—in principle, it consists of assemblies and components; you treat some of them as black boxes—you don't know exactly what's inside, but you know how to connect them so they function. The mechanics are precise, yet simple.
... so... ... there is the world of labor, and there is the world that claims to support that world of labor. ... there are people, and there are ways they connect in pursuit of their lives and their progress.
.. here is what actually matters .. .. first .. neither a person .. nor their way of life .. is inherently complicated .. until social pressures and neighborhood dynamics make it so .. .. second .. you can't truly see that clearly while you're still caught up in those social webs .. .. third .. someone completely isolated within those social structures will never be able to perceive it .. .. fourth .. total freedom from society is just anarchy ..
.. take this, for example .. a barrel of oil hits $150 .. then drops to $50 .. and nobody even notices a disruption .. which means .. everything seems fine .. market-driven and under control .. .. but there is one thing that isn't quite right .. because of how much that money could have been used elsewhere .. the "normalcy" itself is what's abnormal .. .. it's the specific shape a person takes under these conditions ..
.. but social normalcy isn't some fixed truth .. would a dictator have been considered "normal" if he had actually succeeded?
.. it really comes down to a question of balance ..
.. in any case, we tend to undervalue a state of indifferent equilibrium .. the kind that doesn't require a prior ideology .. the kind that acts like a god .. creates, observes, and simply says .. "this is good" .. .. but .. anything that lacks a stable equilibrium won't last ..
.. Marx argues that man is a being of practice .. that our actions are what actually build us .. the doing, the thinking, finding new paths and methods .. the constant striving toward them .. .. I don't know how much truth there is in that .. but it is certainly true that work matters .. and that it is deeply tied to survival ..
.. I suspect you all realize the importance of computers far more than I do — though I assume everyone here handles them better than me
.. Anarchy is just one part of current philosophy .. a sort of method of action .. because it puts the individual first .. .. Truth is becoming a broader concept .. and it is .. the new god of our time .. primarily because it stands against .. that hidden .. world .. the era of money .. .. At the twilight of capitalism, money turns into something like .. a dark emperor .. a beast of the night .. it’s possible that this money kills without mercy .. without control .. without reason .. turning into a kind of total madness .. benefiting no one .. but that can only happen when it remains sufficiently hidden ..
.. This situation arises when the system of work .. and the systems of human relationships .. become detached .. when those relationships appear as — and often truly are — a substitute for actual work .. much like in politics .. the church .. big banks .. or similar institutions .. .. And then those relationships seize power .. .. That is when the system of work becomes .. a system for the downtrodden ..
.. Which is where computers can be useful ..
.. For connectivity .. which you all understand much better than I
.. Imagine a client in Germany sends you a photo and says .. "this isn't what we ordered .. we want something else .. we don't want this" .. .. You send them something else .. you do the work all over again .. you pay for shipping .. you've wiped out any profit .. but perhaps you find some benefit if you remember to take photos of the materials yourself and send them ahead of time, asking .. "will this work?" ..
.. But that .. for connection .. for communication .. for maintaining the system .. .. How many service vehicles and trips could that replace .. how much expense could it avoid .. that is the question ..
.. Secondly .. databases and production management .. .. If you know what you are doing .. if you truly understand the work .. it is possible to manage it incredibly precisely and up-to-date in a very simple way .. once you grasp it, it looks like a miracle .. .. Monthly or annual business reports can be generated in an instant, providing a precise picture of everything ..
.. I once worked on two machines .. privately .. with four others .. .. I knew my way around Excel somewhat .. and I knew everything I needed to .. there was one younger guy who perhaps knew a bit more than me .. he only needed about four hours a day to gather the data and input it into the computer .. .. I needed to know which machine .. what was being run on it .. the order, position, operations .. hours .. labor hours .. by date and shift .. .. The hourly rate was known .. .. All data was archived .. and I tracked it weekly .. just to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks .. .. Total funds .. total hours .. the ratio of worked hours to attendance .. costs per product .. per order .. assembly costs .. realized hours per shift .. per worker .. .. Sick leave .. vacation .. overtime .. whenever delays occurred .. why they happened and with whom .. .. Labor costs .. the specific hourly rates per person .. .. From that data, the invoice would be generated at the end of the month ..
.. All that data was .. public .. the person collecting it knew .. and others could have known too .. it didn't bother me ..
.. Factories in the West always have all this data readily available, using it almost like .. a business ID card .. .. The hiding and cheating we feel is sometimes necessary in work .. in honest, normal work, there is none ..
.. Computers can serve that purpose .. .. Through them, one can manage production and a company in an incredibly clear and effective way .. .. That young guy knew Excel better than me .. but he had no idea what it was actually *for* .. when asked what a computer is used for, people usually answer .. "you can do whatever you want with it" .. .. You need to understand the system well .. and you also need to know a bit about computers .. or at least have some trust in them ..
.. in a factory out West, even a one or two percent bump in the bottom line .. is considered a massive win .. .. I honestly used to think we could aim for a thirty percent improvement here .. .. now? I’m thinking there are plenty of areas where we could see gains north of fifty .. maybe even hitting a hundred .. .. the biggest savings come from .. workflow .. organization .. .. while the biggest roadblocks are .. interpersonal politics .. essentially .. mindset .. though that mindset often devolves into .. near-constant sabotage .. and efforts that feel .. almost irrational .. even manic ..
.. when it comes to this, computers are simply .. tools of truth .. messengers of reality ..
.. lists of unpaid invoices .. lists of questionable clients .. lists of potential orders .. lists of products currently in production .. .. departmental costs .. the ratio between what sales actually closed versus what they claimed to sell .. whether an outside contractor could do it cheaper ..
.. and that’s where the anarchy lies .. anyone can look at the data and see clearly .. where they stand .. what they depend on .. what their specific goals and results actually are ..
.. computers .. according to my own classification .. cover yet another massive territory .. controlling the machinery ..
.. the first .. tighten your seatbelts, you band of thieves .. .. the second .. these students demanding tuition-free education ..
.. I haven't read much today — barely anything, really — but I find myself sympathizing with the students. Damn it .. perhaps even with things I haven't fully grasped yet .. but .. here it is .. in short ..
.. this "band of thieves" approach is just how the regime operates .. it’s an old neighborhood trope .. everyone knows the drill .. they say .. "they're robbing us blind" .. .. the agitators remembered their roots and expanded .. turning into real heavyweights .. and now they're stirring up the whole neighborhood .. .. all according to strict democratic principles .. just like the way unionists would take to the streets to fight for workers' rights .. .. success? .. please .. we're looking at a news report featuring a single agitator shouting at ten people ..
.. why are the students better? Why do they have .. such a good sense of anarchy?
.. because .. if you let the wealthy pay for their own education .. you're essentially letting them pave the way for laws that turn them into an aristocracy .. and what kind of law would they pass? .. through a referendum .. where the poor might trade their vote for a single meal on election day?
.. walking through university halls and telling your buddies .. "that's enough for today .. you can go wander off or stick around .. we'll tell you a story" .. that is propaganda through action .. .. interesting .. the actual number of students doesn't matter here .. if there are only a few, it just means they know exactly what they're doing ..
.. I heard they aren't even identifying themselves .. which is fine .. it isn't necessary .. they want to establish a rule: free education .. it isn't about becoming Che Guevara or some revolutionary icon .. that's not the point ..
.. the regime is criticizing their methods .. but why? .. delegation and dilution .. is that really the method? .. Isn't what they're asking for simple enough? .. the opportunity for everyone to get an education .. do they really need to write that down in blood?
.. quite interesting .. it's as if they aren't fighting for themselves, but for the principle itself ..
.. damn it .. in the case of these students, the best move would be to back down quickly .. they would benefit most from it .. by saying .. "hell, we were just joking" .. .. but regardless .. they want change .. but they aren't the type of agitators looking for a handout ..
.. so .. regarding work .. neighbors .. money .. and the individual ..
.. a few thoughts on labor ..
.. if someone decides to build a house in the neighborhood .. everyone suddenly becomes an expert .. especially if the neighborhood is strictly suburban and the guy building is an outsider .. it’s the same when you're building a cathedral .. priests and ministers are always full of suggestions on how everything should be laid out and oriented ..
.. but work isn't like that .. .. the ecosystem of labor is .. a system .. a machine .. there are so many moving parts you can evaluate and measure .. .. from the results .. all the way down to the final bottom line ..
.. Marx might be a philosopher of labor systems .. but let's be honest .. he was just a philosopher ..
.. you actually have to get to know that system .. through the work itself .. through action .. seeing how the gears turn .. and knowing how to move so you actually achieve something .. .. I really ought to tell some stories about it .. .. those stories are where the true chaos lies ..
.. what I endure for the sake of the little guy.. it actually yields wonderful results..
Bravo. You’ve realized that by claiming your "right" to build a "house" in this "neighborhood," you’re simultaneously granting the "neighborhood" the right to move or demolish that very house.
.. truly, bravo..
.. it happens.. sometimes you gear up for these long, exhausting debates just to prove some half-truth.. only for someone else.. without any debate at all.. to offer you something complete..
.. so.. does your membership in the neighborhood give the neighborhood full authority over you..?
.. which means.. society isn't just an organization of neighbors who agreed to cooperate as a way of life—people who established laws specifically to be useful to one another.. .. instead, society is.. well.. it's a beast that stands guard over its neighbors.. imposing ideology, behavior, and authority well in advance..
.. a person.. essentially.. isn't an individual who chose to join society.. .. a person is.. rather.. a shaped individual.. .. conforming to the mold is the prerequisite for everything.. .. so.. you have to accept authority over yourself..?
.. from your right to be here.. comes their right to tear you down..?
.. you can come back.. but no longer as a free man..?
.. damn it.. it's the opposite.. anarchy is the true opposite.. you have to think of yourself as a human being first.. at any cost.. and only then.. enter any neighborhood or any social structure..
.. think about it.. are you giving your democracy the right to dismantle you.. simply because you exist within it..? .. that is pure fearmongering.. for God's sake..
.. damn it .. I'll never be able to write anything like that ..
.. but damn .. that’s just anarchy .. meaning .. what I think regarding John and those old shamans .. you guys are saying .. is just meaningless nonsense .. .. and I'm perfectly fine .. with you all thinking the same about my own speech ..
.. anarchy is how I carry myself toward another person .. assuming I am a human being .. and holding onto the right .. to clean up today .. just as I did yesterday .. truth be told ..
.. about John .. .. there were others .. I remember him and the soup .. equally good .. but John was the intellectual brotherly figure ..
.. this .. he doesn't matter at all .. I don't get it .. are you trying to say he's just some local nobody .. and that's why you bring him up .. ?
.. and damn .. while they were singing and mocking .. they were looking further ahead into the politics of slaughter ..
.. and then there were the third parties .. the ones who actually had to work so the singers and the butchers could eat .. .. the story of anarchy is really the story of those third parties ..
.. songs live on a single sensation .. on a single tone .. that is art .. they create .. an atmosphere .. an emotional state .. .. we could talk about that forever .. but I've already said too much .. so I'm bored of it ..
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.. yeah .. I could have put this on a blog .. or somewhere else .. but I wanted it here .. damn it .. that's why I posted it here ..
.. does what you're saying imply a tone of .. "we let you in, so you should be grateful" .. ?
.. you enter a house by clicking and walking in .. and once you're in, you're in .. whoever wants to come in does .. whoever doesn't stays outside ..
.. so what, you're saying the noise from my house was bothering the neighborhood .. ? .. there could be several explanations for that .. a few come to mind .. maybe .. some bad ones .. but also .. some .. quite good ones ..
.. anarchy is .. this ..
.. there is a neighborhood .. and there is a house .. the neighborhood sets all the rules for how a house can be built .. but the one building the house has to accept that if necessary .. he might have to sell his soul .. .. you can follow every rule and still find it isn't enough .. he has to be with the neighborhood in his heart .. .. the neighborhood's love for him is massive .. but they demand it be returned .. .. they don't ask for it clearly or distinctly .. they just demand that you be one of us .. they want your blood ..
.. it's the same situation with Americans .. they love and help the whole world .. but if that love isn't reciprocated, they bomb them ..
---
.. listen kid .. I feel like this is my house .. and you're getting on my nerves here .. but what can I do .. I like you .. for certain .. sportsmanlike reasons .. .. and I endure it .. following the rules of the neighborhood ..
.. if an object is in stable equilibrium .. it returns when pushed .. much like a bell .. .. if it's in unstable equilibrium .. once nudged, it moves away and doesn't come back .. like a coin balanced .. on the edge of a knife .. .. if it's in neutral equilibrium .. it just stays wherever you put it .. like a ball .. rolling on the ground .. or maybe a bowling ball ..
.. the South wasn't in stable equilibrium .. its balance was unstable .. once it collapsed, it didn't recover .. .. and if John helped tear it down .. is this current situation .. the stability he fought for .. .. and if it is .. then why isn't .. that specific balance .. actually here ..
.. back in that war .. the American South fought for slavery .. and they considered it democratic .. since the ancient Greeks saw themselves as democrats too .. despite being a slave-owning society .. .. neither side was truly in equilibrium .. things needed to change .. .. Hitler wasn't in equilibrium .. nor Mussolini .. nor feudalism .. .. they were all in unstable equilibrium .. and they fell .. they vanished ..
.. so .. one has to assume that modern global democracy .. this American model .. is the final equilibrium .. which means .. it's stable .. .. which implies .. if pushed out of balance .. it returns .. it understands crises .. but it emerges from them ..
.. the fact that no school system ever really teaches why a system grows old .. or why it must eventually fail .. that's pretty obvious .. .. and that many people fought just to maintain the status quo .. well, that's understandable ..
.. the idea that everyone in the world today would be perfectly satisfied with their station in life .. everywhere .. that's .. obviously not .. the case .. .. so .. that isn't the reason for equilibrium ..
.. the cause of equilibrium must be .. essentially .. some sort of resultant force .. .. and it might be best to view it as biological .. akin to the struggle for survival .. where no force is strong enough to oppose it ..
.. in that way .. this democracy .. could be .. a thousand-year Reich .. .. you can't stop the world .. you can't freeze it in time .. you can't tell the Chinese to just stop .. and progress is something this democracy simply has to endure ..
.. Marx argued that the state of the means of production .. was the key to a society's level of development .. .. years ago, I was in a hospital .. staying with my siblings .. some kids there stayed for quite a while .. I was there for about a month, I think, and even that felt long .. we had teachers coming in to teach us .. nothing too serious, mind you .. and I remember one teacher saying the reason Rome fell .. was because the slaves became too smart .. when the overseer wasn't looking, they'd strike the stone with a pickaxe .. then take it to the overseer and say .. it broke .. .. later, I realized that Marx and that teacher were saying the exact same thing ..
.. I tend to agree with them .. labor is significant .. though I'm not sure if man creates the tractor or the tractor creates man .. .. but I also think social ties matter .. things like church charities .. television .. volunteer groups .. the Department of Health .. the government .. .. and I believe money matters too .. whether it's viewed as a divinity .. or a beast .. .. and I still think the individual matters ..
.. damn it .. what kind of argument for anarchy would it be if I didn't believe the individual mattered ..
.. it’s not the same thing... you can hide behind words, certainly... but you can also reveal quite a lot through them..
.. and it’s true... you just have to look at where someone stands... that’s how you know them... people occupy the roles they were meant for—if someone belongs in a mob boss's seat, they'll be there... if someone is a bottom-feeder, that's where they'll end up...
.. I don't think John was anything special... he was just one of those minor gurus you see by the thousands in the newspapers these days... .. the idea that he didn't want to state his position to anyone... well, do you see the contradiction in what you're saying? .. the old federal system was a godsend for those revolutionaries... it functioned like a self-governing community... the list of total losers who managed to climb into high positions is unbelievable... being against that entire structure was easy... and safe... .. but now what? Tear it down... throw it all in the trash... and then what? .. What should John say now? That maybe he actually loved that old union? That it felt like home? Do you really think that's impossible? .. that sentiment is becoming more common... kids who grew up in the heart of the old system, hating it—even though it provided for them—are now remembering that the old era wasn't all bad... I find the people from the Midwest particularly interesting in that regard...
.. using John as an ideological example is like using a pop star... .. he might explain a lot of things... but it's certain that the important parts will remain hidden...
.. which means I spent a year writing whatever I wanted without anyone bothering me... .. does that imply there was a lot in those writings that shouldn't have been said... or perhaps should have been erased? .. well... you were the moderator... .. Anarchy says—what is written, I wrote, and that is my responsibility... but allowing it to be published—that is your responsibility... .. damn it... the idea that "I wrote whatever I wanted" is equally questionable... It seems I was removed because I'm better suited for spirituality...
.. but alright... that doesn't matter... .. To understand anarchy, in my view... you need more than that... .. One of the points is this...
.. The current regime... the existing social order within both large and small states... are the relationships between people actually in balance? .. Is this democracy—supposedly the best way to organize human relations—actually sound and sustainable?
.. Suddenly, I'm left thinking about three types of balance... stable, volatile, and indifferent...
.. Otherwise... the heart of anarchy is this... .. On one hand, you have society acting like a hive... providing a person with rights and duties... binding them through thousands of interpersonal connections... giving them many great things, sure... like the ability to survive... but also some worse ones... .. Or you have the individual... who, for starters... just wants to know which of those connections are worth accepting...
.. everything.. even literally.. material things.. I believe they require constant new energy to exist.. nothing can truly exist in total isolation..
.. it’s like a river.. it needs a constant influx of water.. otherwise, it dies..
.. ideology works the same way.. .. it draws its lifeblood from the establishment.. when a moderator takes on.. the responsibility.. for any kind of distribution or redistribution.. they are always counting on that stability.. .. for instance.. the very process itself becomes ideological.. because democracy in this context is both a confirmation and a challenge.. it keeps everything within the democratic framework.. .. practically speaking.. what doesn't fit is the individual.. and that individual becomes increasingly out of place the more they stay silent.. which is essentially anarchy.. .. someone might conclude there's no point in speaking up.. the establishment boasts about how they handled some minor anarchist.. but a seed of doubt remains in the establishment's mind.. they know they had to expend effort just to survive.. and.. crucially.. they have etched that mechanism--that survival instinct--into their own minds.. now, everyone has to fear that same mechanism.. that ideological.. mindset.. .. something much more extreme than a forum.. say.. we call it the FBI.. you constantly find yourself wondering if someone remembered a word you said, and if that one word will be enough to get you sent to Alcatraz..
.. people experience this differently.. everyone is more or less immune to certain things.. .. I’ve seen instances of posts being deleted.. or moved away from here.. unrelated to my own posts.. yet it immediately made me nervous.. I felt this sudden tightness in my chest..
.. that situation ties back to what Marx calls alienated labor.. something is written as something created.. and a person experiences that work as an extension of themselves.. when someone else takes that and uses it as a weapon.. it feels to the creator like they are being dragged and beaten around their own neighborhood with their own creation..
.. but.. well.. not everyone feels it with the same intensity..
.. looking at it from an energetic standpoint.. it seems like anarchy is hard to sustain.. as if a person simply cannot muster enough strength to behave that way.. .. but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case.. .. you can save quite a bit of energy on certain things.. .. still.. damn it.. proper dosage is the real essence.. accepting that you simply cannot.. where you cannot.. is the only sensible path..
.. anarchy might be considered an ideology -- I don't know much about it, honestly -- but I tend to stick to one approach... that you can slowly pull yourself away from any ideology you know... or any group you belong to... .. during that process, you have to accept all sorts of things... binding yourself again... in different ways... .. but you can always keep one thing in mind: your ultimate goal is to pull yourself back toward yourself... toward your own core... .. that doesn't mean you have to write everyone else off -- that isn't really possible -- but it means if you can become even a millimeter freer, you take it. Because you know that’s the point...
.. I wouldn't say humans have a natural craving to be enslaved... but it's precisely that enslavement... or belonging to a specific circle... that secures one's survival... .. and there's always that catch... the tighter the circle, the worse the curse when you finally try to leave it... .. I'd argue that a spark—a dream of freedom—exists in everyone... and people actually spend far more energy trying to kill that spark than they do trying to fan it into a flame...
.. every circle, every ideology, has its period of birth, development, and death... .. democracy is certainly a highly developed ideology, and I don't think there is a true ideology capable of replacing it... .. I don't think there are enough... knots of ideas and thoughts... logical enough to tie themselves together... to unite people into a new collective... .. I believe the destiny of man is... man himself...
.. but... what I actually meant was this... .. I just felt like talking... so I started talking... which usually leads to arguing, which then gets me kicked out, and that's fine... .. I wanted to talk... it feels like philosophy, but my interest would fade quickly, so I'd move to anarchy, and eventually... maybe even to Papa Wojtyła... .. I said I "felt like talking" because I wanted to feel at home somewhere. Whoever wants to open up can talk, or argue... and if they don't want to, they owe no one anything... .. but the system won't allow it. The moderators feel they need to "guide" me—as if I shouldn't be given that freedom. I remember... last time, the question was whether I was even cut out for philosophy... .. let's assume those are the rules, and that they are right in some sense...
.. the question I'm asking myself is this...
.. first... is the ideology setting the rule reliable enough? What is it built upon? It could be based on an organization with its own questionable motives—whether through ignorance or malice... .. second... can some completely insignificant rule shape me... turn me into a member who eventually loses the ability to see even the most obvious truths... like the fact that Hitler was burning millions of people in camps...
.. I want to... here we go... talk about ideology versus anarchy..
.. Let's start by establishing a baseline.. Ideology is essentially a collection of thoughts, ideas, and stances—everything coming together to form a single, coherent concept.. a structured system.. .. Take communism, or even the Third Reich, or Catholicism.. they function as sets of interconnected beliefs and ideas. From those core tenets, organization emerges—people being gathered and funneled into a specific circle.. almost like being packed into a single vessel..
.. On the other hand.. consider anarchy as a fundamental human drive.. the refusal to acknowledge one man's authority over another.. .. This isn't about rejecting truth or dismissing all authority entirely. It’s about personal agency—acting only upon what one has consciously accepted. If someone believes a certain path is right, or if they believe someone else possesses knowledge, or even if they feel compelled by necessity—but they choose to accept that reality through their own reasoning.. it's a matter of *amor fati*.. .. That distinction is vital—accepting authority, even over oneself, provided you truly understand why..
.. My philosophical stance—the one I'm advocating here—is this..
.. A person isn't lost simply because they have to follow a rule. A person becomes a mindless drone when those rules transform into divine commandments—when they become part of an ideology or a concept that they can no longer, or perhaps dare not, question..
.. Sometimes, those in power do this just because they can.. .. Which basically means.. .. It's like some bully in a back alley who doesn't actually care about the fight, he just wants to flex his muscles and show everyone how much power he holds..
.. When looking at the utility of ideology from two different perspectives, the results are... distinct..
.. Regimes use ideology to stifle thought while it's still in its infancy.. .. They claim, "these rules are our foundation; they must be respected. We are a civilized society, and that is non-negotiable." We can discuss them, we can change them, and then we move forward.. .. One has to notice that democracy can function similarly to the Third Reich—specifically at the moment it successfully traps its citizens within a rigid cage of rules..
.. For anarchists, however, this ideology becomes a tool of its own. As a regime grows older and more authoritarian, it accumulates more rules—typically bureaucratic ones—that lack logic and common sense. These rules eventually become so nonsensical that they are incredibly easy to identify.. .. In that way, the madness of the ideology and the madness of the regime actually become an advantage for anarchy..
.. Furthermore..
.. A person becomes.. a creature of the regime.. .. You shouldn't say he "accepted" it; you should say he "became" it.. .. He is now living out a different mode of existence.. inhabiting that ideology..
.. what’s the deal with .. everything that is, is here ..? .. what could possibly be over there .. with you .. do you think you can just turn water into wine like Jesus?
.. causal essence doesn't necessarily have to precede existence .. but if it doesn't, then existence itself better be damn well geared toward causality .. .. interesting point, regardless .. I'd love to hear more ..
.. Love has a causal essence .. practically built into the atom .. he calls it consciousness .. but his philosophy isn't quite hitting the mark .. all he manages to assemble is a hive-mind approach to people .. it's a materialistic view .. a dangerous, ugly picture ..
.. alright, walk me through yours .. .. keep it simple and clear .. so I don't have to read it three times .. the simpler, the better .. anything worth knowing is usually straightforward .. and I definitely need that .. my brain isn't exactly firing on all cylinders today .. I barely managed to wrap my head around what you wrote
.. yeah .. it feels that way .. because it’s just delaying things ..
.. a house has to exist .. stone does too .. there isn't a choice .. a tree, a little kid .. it's all the same .. .. with the child .. where nature has allowed for the most freedom .. I don't just know that they exist because they have to .. I actually understand why they do everything they do ..
.. I know why it seems that way to you .. because it’s an act of delay ..
.. this world you’ve accepted—this world of "things" driven by external forces .. that’s a world where one thing pushes another .. what you call cause and effect .. .. and you already know deep down that such a world isn't enough .. .. you call it chaos .. or uncertainty .. when causes start appearing from a distance .. .. but those causes only seem close while you’re grounded here .. being material enough .. and even then, they aren't really .. though it's hard to see them any other way .. .. it's just that it isn't possible to view them in any way other than the one that is available .. and that depends entirely on what you are .. .. much like how butterflies perceive different colors or dogs sense different scents ..
.. the real question is why it seems that way to you .. that’s the philosophy part .. .. you say .. based on the model in your head .. necessity arises from the cause-and-effect organization of the universe .. which eventually leads to God .. the First Cause .. .. you believe that philosophy leads to God .. .. I used to think that philosophy led to the model inside my own head .. .. I don't think that anymore .. I think that philosophy leads back to you .. to your very existence .. .. because according to the model I hold .. it is precisely within humanity where the laws of infinity grant the greatest freedom .. it is exactly where God is least needed ..
.. a thing, regardless of who you ask, is primarily a thing.. .. and the fundamental issue with any such thing is its continuity..
.. this world—to anyone, really—is a collection of moving parts.. a world of phenomena in flux.. a realm of material earth governed by gods.. .. the entirety of philosophy—from the ancient Greeks onward—is essentially an inquiry into the constant.. the relationship between the heavens and the earth.. .. at this level, reason and experience aren't much more than noise.. it’s the classic debate: idea versus matter.. is everything just the rising of the soil, or the falling of the sky? Plato and Aristotle pretty much exhausted the topic there..
.. we live in a world of things.. a world of bounded objects with edges and limits.. it is a world where things coexist within time and space.. .. yet, what people actually seek is the infinite.. they wonder if there is a reality where things have no boundaries, no edges..
.. philosophy serves as the first stage of grasping this world from a human perspective.. the second stage is magic.. .. philosophy has its own birth, lifespan, and eventual death.. born in Greece, it probably ought to die by now.. .. all the vital questions were already posed back then—and not a single decent answer has been found since, nor has one been found today..
.. the continuity of a phenomenon—that might be one way to perceive what exists, and by whom.. .. or the continuity of an object itself..
.. objects are composed of atoms; the only constant within them is motion.. an object in one moment is entirely different from the next..
.. first.. one could attempt to take the state of those atoms as the "thing in itself"—a frozen snapshot of reality at a single point in time.. but that image isn't reality.. it would be non-existent, impossible.. because reality cannot exist in a frozen state..
.. second.. even that isn't enough.. the very building blocks of that reality change from one moment to the next.. Zeno pointed this out long ago—he was likely just messing with people, but if he was, he hit the nail on the head.. he spoke the truth..
.. the kid says something exists simply because it can.. which is, naturally, wrong.. but being wrong is useful.. .. because one should instead argue that something exists because it *must*.. .. the kid claims tomorrow's rain is nothingness.. the kid is a genius—wrong again, but you just have to flip the perspective.. .. tomorrow's rain already exists today..
.. to him, rain is just something falling right now.. but that’s only because of how he views it.. to him, the rain over the next town is also nothing, just like the rain over his own house that he slept through..
.. rain isn't just a droplet of water hitting the kid in the head.. .. rain is the entire universe conspiring to create the laws and conditions necessary to bring that droplet to the kid's head..
.. and there it is.. that is where philosophy dies..
.. all that's left are stories about love, brotherhood, unity, and the interconnectedness of all things.. those are tales from another world.. bringing those stories into our neighborhood is just nonsense.. and frankly, it stinks.. .. those stories are the most potent weapons of the reactionary..
.. don't bother asking the neighbors .. look .. why would anyone talk about what you already know ..
.. ask me instead .. look .. I know stories you haven't even dreamed of .. .. those tales about lions and ants? those are the ones you know .. you call that the struggle for survival .. .. the theory behind it is evolution .. some guy named Darwin laid it all out ..
.. there were people who saw it differently .. .. they’d say that evolution isn't really a theory .. it's just an ideology .. a twisted, satanic one at that .. .. to put it simply .. .. this idea you have—that society can't function unless we're constantly hunting and killing one another—well, not everyone thought that way .. just think about Jesus .. .. do you honestly believe someone always needs to watch over you to stop you from tearing your neighbor apart .. like lions tearing into smaller prey?
.. if a person is nothing more than that .. then frankly, I have no interest in them .. .. what actually interests me is what emerges after you're gone ..
.. see .. I know stories that explain the freedom of the HIV virus .. the "freedom" of Jewish people in concentration camps .. and the freedom Hitler had while he destroyed them .. .. and I'm not talking about the freedom of good versus evil .. or love versus hate .. this isn't about human morality or the mercy of gods .. it's more like the freedom of rain .. which simply falls .. whenever the conditions are right and nothing stands in its way ..
.. but humans are different .. humans alone are something .. a Russian once said, and it carries a hell of a weight ..
.. forget it .. anarchy is all there is left .. nobody knows anything .. except me .. .. well, since I do know ..
.. a neighborhood is an organism .. like a living creature .. and a person is a cell .. they make up that organism .. countless little cells ..
.. a person can't imagine that the organism would ever turn against its own cells .. .. but .. damn it .. it can happen .. a diseased cell appears that needs to be kicked out .. and it’s only logical for the organism to turn against those specific cells .. that's how it protects itself .. and you .. you are the healthy cells ..
.. cancer happens .. that’s our next example .. .. and when those cells start spreading .. like how some local mayor expands urban sprawl after buying up land from farmers for pennies .. .. cancer .. once it spreads .. it loses perspective .. it can't see .. the big picture .. and so it happens .. it crushes other cells and starts tightening the organism's chest .. making it hard to breathe ..
.. so .. where the hell is the anarchy in all this? .. in this mess .. where are we even headed ..
.. at one point .. a cell realizes .. the beast is screwed .. that the politicians are just cartoon characters .. and that isn't even anarchy yet .. .. at a second point .. a cell thinks .. what if we .. formed a united front .. against the prison .. against all those psychological and physical elements .. that block .. hinder .. and disrupt .. the normal flow of things .. and shouts .. tighten your belts .. and then the cell settles down .. it feels it has done enough .. for the good of the beast .. and a bright future for us all .. through its prophetic uprising .. and that still isn't anarchy .. .. at a third point a cell realizes .. the beast is doomed and impossible to defend .. that the other cells .. are cancer-prone .. but there are so many of them .. that fighting becomes .. nearly impossible .. and that’s when the first sparks of anarchy begin to flash .. .. only in the fourth stage do the true anarchists emerge .. people who realize the beast is lost .. who know the other cells are garbage .. and these people give up .. they say .. go to hell, both you and your politics .. they abandon .. all efforts .. all intentions .. they stop trying to scatter their will .. like a pack of rats .. all over the neighborhood .. they walk away .. and those are the anarchists .. the real ones .. just giving examples here .. Happy Easter .. .. these anarchists .. try to gather .. at the top of their own heads .. so they can move .. from there .. into the heavens .. damn it .. that is anarchy ..
.. No... forget it... that part about wanting freedom... I wasn't the one who said that...
fadedbison17 was the one... .. But... saying you want freedom when you don't actually want it... that’s nonsense... just a bunch of empty words... nothing at all... .. The very fact that you desire something proves you don't have it... and anything can stand in your way—even a person... You could reach freedom through any means imaginable... even murder... .. It's much like how Marx thought the proletariat would achieve freedom through revolution... by slaughtering the bourgeoisie... and he thinks he'll pull it off... once he grows up a bit...
.. I'm just agreeing that what was said regarding freedom was clever...
.. Just as it would be "clever" to say you want God... .. Or like that thing someone said... a piece of heaven...
.. This is all very profound... but practically useless... .. And philosophically thin... .. Because if you sprint toward the finish line... you end up leaving your poor self behind at the starting blocks...
.. Well... damn... .. There's some grim news coming... .. Humans won't be able to find happiness as humans anymore—good Lord... is that even possible...
.. Yes... it is... we are going to become anarchists... just like Jesus Christ... who was also an anarchist...
.. Damn it... what even is a conversation? A conversation is worthless... you jump straight to the end... and stories lose their point... .. Because if you're a person who needs everyone around you—every jerk and every bastard—then why bother bothering them? Why wouldn't you... stand before the altar of that great pile of crap called God... cross yourself, get baptized, worship him, sing his praises day and night, and fall to your knees...
.. Much like the old folks... standing before that other god during the apocalypse...
.. forget it .. you're just making it about him ..
What you’re actually after is freedom ... your own freedom. That means having the agency to do whatever makes you happy. ... So, what actually makes you happy? ... Well, that’s really the whole point of anarchy.
.. he needs it ..
"give me a crust of bread, a yard of sky, and a hat full of dreams..."
.. and I guess that’s less .. than that freedom of yours .. less .. forget it .. in the sense that it's harder to take from him .. yet easier to achieve ..
.. and why on earth does it matter if everyone else needs it too .. .. damn it .. that's anarchy .. .. once you're able to have .. your own desires ..
.. forget it .. this habit of setting things up .. as being "for" or "against" .. it's a smart way to start ..
.. when you see this .. for .. when you realize what you actually need .. .. you'll try to ruin a perfectly good discussion .. by deciding .. well, damn it, you already have .. .. you'll choose a piece of heaven .. choosing sex over war .. choosing love .. and freedom .. .. and I'll be left holding the bag .. because my love for a good argument will be completely destroyed ..
.. for those who stick around .. the question remains .. and it will always be .. what the hell do you actually want ..
.. and then we'll remember God ..
.. tell me, Lord, for heaven's sake .. .. how much will my life be worth at my final judgment .. .. when I die, coming to you free .. .. am I dying .. God .. in vain ..
.. that's how Bob Dylan sang it .. that kid from the Midwest .. a legend .. .. beautiful song .. pure anarchy ..