zonth_zonth, September 7 at 1:04 am

I appreciate the follow up and the associated work. I confess to having found this author a rather hard sledding and as contrary to my optimism as one may find.

I read, as did we all I surmise, “Zarathustra” and his compilation, “Untimely Meditations”, but found his later works, especially “Good and Evil” and “On Morality” to be far too dissimilar to my own experiences and closely held beliefs.

A petty person might ascribe his jaundiced views to the Syphilus which eventually took his life, but I refrain from doing so here. I do understand how folks, when experiencing our current difficulties with our governance, can sympathize with that author in his extreme pessimism and ,ultimately, lack of faith in all that man builds.

On the other hand, that’s all we got after all, aint it? So why not work to make it as palatable as possible? Maybe even stumble upon perfection while not even seeking such….

well Ardee,
this wasnt easy, but as you took an interest in it;  and it is a very interesting listen, I have researched it again.  My simplified quote comes from a philosopy blog called “The Partially Examined Life”.  It comes from ‘‘episode 11 Neitzche’s immoralism, what is ethics anyway?’‘...The texts quoted are—Geneology of morals—and—Beyond Good and Evil—.

The exact quote is…
As a community grows in power it ceases to take the events of the individual as seriously, because they are not as destabilizing.  Penal law becomes more lenient as the community grows in power and confidence.  It is not unthinkable that a society might obtain a consciousness of power that would allow itself the noblest luxury possible, letting those who harm it go unpunished.
“what are my parasites to me?”  It might say.  “May they live and prosper.  I am strong enough for that.”
A strength of a society may be measured by how many parasites it can stand.

Laboring to keep from ripping out my testicles and vomiting all over them.

ummm… when I vote???

It’s not easy folks.

Laboring to keep from ripping out my testicles and vomiting all over them.

It’s not easy folks.

zonth_zonth, September 5 at 1:32 pm Link to this comment

@Ardee
Corruption and lack of virtue is seen at all levels.  There are virtuous characters who need help to get back on their feet and there are plenty more despicable petulant characters who do not wish to get back on their feet and indeed think they are more clever than you the taxpayer.  This is their American Individualism.  They learn it from corporate behavior.

Please excuse me if I find your position statement riddled with Tea Party like excess. You claim inside knowledge of the workings of tens of thousands, no, hundreds of thousands, of people you have never met yet claim to know all too well.

There are quite a few reasons why so many live on the dole, satisfaction with such subsistence living is probably pretty low on that list.

I am unfamiliar with the ‘Nieztche’ reference, can you cite an example of such thinking from his work?

@Ardee
Corruption and lack of virtue is seen at all levels.  There are virtuous characters who need help to get back on their feet and there are plenty more despicable petulant characters who do not wish to get back on their feet and indeed think they are more clever than you the taxpayer.  This is their American Individualism.  They learn it from corporate behavior.

The American Individualism philosopy of J Dewey says
we live under economic forces determining the fate of indidviduals.  Value is measured by the ability to get ahead in a pecuniary race.  The struggle for existance is won by the most economically fit. Who would want to live within such a system (on such merit) governed by despicable liars? This is the US system of value.

Who would want to live in a nationalistic system that in Neitzche’s assessment is measured in strength by how many of its “parasites” it can handle?”  The corrupt corporate US government tolerates its corrupt parasites.

zonth_zonth, September 5 at 12:39 am

Care to elaborate, or are you simply a mouth breathing right winger repeating memorized mantras?

“Laboring to get me on the dole” “Laboring to get me on disability” “Laboring to get whats owed to me” “Laboring to be clever and work the system”

WE, THE SHEEPLE

RD: ... screwed by the very politicians we vote into office to represent OUR interests

So why did WE vote them into office?

Wakey, wakey. You get the governance for which you voted ... or, rather, the one for which you did NOT vote at all.

Fifty-two percent of American voters stayed away from the mid-term elections. The Tea-Partiers were installed by a minority of American voters.

And they think they have a “mandate” to stonewall all legislation that would increase taxes and spend money on creating jobs? And we should reduce “entitlements” that had been hard fought by previous generations?

That is the sad situation to which what our democracy has come. And we let it happen ...

Yep, we the sheeple.

We are getting screwed, screwed by our government, screwed by our largest businesses, screwed by the very politicians we vote into office to represent OUR interests.

Instead, due to several factors, not the least of which is the cost of running for office, once elected our leaders are beholden to those who can afford the large campaign checks necessary to stay in office.

It does not have to be this way, and I know it will not stay this way. The only question is whether the change will come peacefully or otherwise.