h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know if anyone will actually read this - and I imagine I can safely assume that the politicians who actually make the decisions *won't*, but I thought I shouldn't keep it to myself.

I, too, had that thought: however many turned up, many millions more didn't, and we are but a small minority after all. But then I thought: show me the millions willing to march in favour of war; show me the protest spanning from Edinburgh to Antarctica, and from the newborn to the elderly, of those demanding an immediate and unqualified invasion; show me that, and I will admit defeat.

We may have got it wrong - there may be no better way - but anyone who ignores us now surrenders their right to the name "democrat" forever more.

[IMSoP]

I agree with you so much - but we live in a post-democratic age, alas.

Ben

Can you imagine a pro-war parade? That would probably be seen as a political ploy, and no one in power would ever respond to it favorably

Or maybe that was the Republican convention.

Said the republican...

Hmmm... "post-democratic" - I like that. The system has been built round an ideal, but it's such a big system that the ideal is all but gone, and only the system can be seen. The UK is no longer a monarchy, but nor is it a democracy: it's a bureaucracy.

Even those that truly believe in change soon find that the cogs of their society, and of the huge society/system/organism that is the human world, are so deeply enmeshed that to do more than apply a slight gear shift here, or a minor adjustment there, it is necessary to destroy the whole system. And then you have a broken society, and after the revolution, someone must take responsibility for building a new system - but what chance have they of getting it right, when everywhere, everyone else will be building their own systems, in their own ways, for their own ends...





Sorry, I got a bit carried away there, didn't I? I do quite like that metaphor, though...

One of the best ways of getting through the interesting times in which we live is an insatiable curiosity. Richard Feneymann told the anesthetist to wake him up if he was going to die in surgery - he wanted to observe the process of dying, and took the view that he was only going to get one chance to do so. The times we live in may be frightening, and brutal, and frustrating, and belittling, but they sure as hell are interesting.

I personally think we live in an age of plutocracy - or possibly corpocracy, if one is willing to mix Latin and Greek. Rule by corporations, rule by those who lobby. Lobocracy? It is reminiscant of Lobotomy, which is pleasing.

Hmm.

Thanks for posting.

B

"post-democratic age"... possibly. Call me an optimist, but I still believe that the world can pull back from the sharp edge of disaster upon which we walk. I fear that Bush will force us into an armed conflict and there will be a long period of retaliation with the physical and emotional damage that will bring. Even if "We the people" can remove the thugs that are now running our government I fear that irreparable harm has been done to our reputation and our standing in the world community. The United States of America is rapidly becoming a rogue state. Being an atheist I can't even say "God help us." I think we may have to adopt the theme of the Jewish peace movement, "Not in my name."

Yes - I think the US *is* a rogue state, and to be honest that it has been a rogue state for some time; I also think that Blair is pulling the UK in the same direction.

I was given a link to a site of various bumper stickers - there is a site dedicated to masturbating for peace. The one which I liked the most reads "My Bush doesn't declare war" - a twist on 'Not in my name' which amused me.

B