Long before their ascension, Socrates made clear in Plato’s Republic that he did not want public health officials to rule, because such an order would encourage excessive risk-aversion and ultimately result in transforming cowardice into a virtue. We've witnessed it in real-time.
Long before their ascension, Socrates made clear in Plato’s Republic that he did not want public health officials to rule, because such an order would encourage excessive risk-aversion and ultimately result in transforming cowardice into a virtue. We've witnessed it in real-time.
This link is to book 5: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.5.five.html It has one of my go-to quotes for understanding how tyrants control their subjects. There's a long paragraph on how the tyrant does 3 things to preserve his power: "(1) he sows distrust among his subjects; (2) he takes away their power; (3) he humbles them."
And it's even worse in this case, because the 'public health' officials are simply puppets being controlled by the politicians, who use the 'expert recommendations' to do things that they could NEVER get away with otherwise.
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The greatest thing about individual freedom is that it allows every citizen to ascertain their own unique circumstances and make decisions based on that information — information nobody else in the world has. When government makes decisions, they not only lack the necessary information to make the best decision for your circumstances, in most cases they’re not even considering your circumstances at all, because political bodies make decisions for political reasons, not practical ones.
The last couple years of covid rules are perhaps the perfect example of the folly of top-down decision-making. Covid restrictions were never based on actual science or data, but (shockingly) were based on POLITICAL reasoning. When the politics demanded that New York ‘reject’ the Trump Vaccine, the politicians were adamant that’s what they would do. Now that the political winds have shifted and the Democrats are in control, the politics demands that New York mandates the vaccine for normal life, even children going to school. (You’ll note that politicians in Europe have different political pressures and come to different conclusions about jabbing the kids)
Early on they also showed the idiocy of lockdowns. If I can't go to my local mom & pop store because it's dangerous to gather, why do we have 5,000-kid schools in session? So the schools got closed to back up the narrative.
"'public health' officials are simply puppets being controlled by the politicians"
And the politicians are puppets of civil servants/intelligence agencies, who are puppets of transnational organizations, who in turn are the puppets of oligarchs. It's a pretty smart idea - it makes bringing the real culprits much harder to bring to justice: "Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive"
That's the problem isn't it. Government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people.
We need to stop thinking politicians will save us and get into politics ourselves. If it's too late for that, then the only way out is parallel societies.
I've been wondering how to move to a heavily mafia controlled area of Southern Italy. They may be nasty buggers if you cross them, but they deal a straight hand compared to our authorities. I bet life is good in those areas right now, and I bet they will continue to chug along just fine.
I've had the same thoughts about Mexico to be honest. I think one of the Mafia islands would be better than the mainland though. Maybe Sicily or Ischia.
Long before their ascension, Socrates made clear in Plato’s Republic that he did not want public health officials to rule, because such an order would encourage excessive risk-aversion and ultimately result in transforming cowardice into a virtue. We've witnessed it in real-time.
Coincidentally I posted this two days ago on Euggypius stack:
'Worthless persons appointed to have supreme control of weighty affairs do a lot of damage'
- Aristotle
Looks like Aristotle learned something similar from Plato
Aristotle's Politics is another very good guide to lockdown times.
Really? I'll have to spend some time looking at that.
Thanks for pointing that out!
This link is to book 5: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.5.five.html It has one of my go-to quotes for understanding how tyrants control their subjects. There's a long paragraph on how the tyrant does 3 things to preserve his power: "(1) he sows distrust among his subjects; (2) he takes away their power; (3) he humbles them."
Working my way through it. Excellent stuff. Thanks
Homework for tonight.
The maddening part about this last 2.5 years is that I've always been fascinated by this stuff.
https://twitter.com/EvaFoxU/status/1549102029938855937?s=20&t=VkurJweh4-PoZY2KVWqPyg
Thank you for that laugh. It's been a loooong day.
“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” - Plato
This is also a major problem.
"The majority always get what they deserve; the minority not so often." - Me
And it's even worse in this case, because the 'public health' officials are simply puppets being controlled by the politicians, who use the 'expert recommendations' to do things that they could NEVER get away with otherwise.
---------------
The greatest thing about individual freedom is that it allows every citizen to ascertain their own unique circumstances and make decisions based on that information — information nobody else in the world has. When government makes decisions, they not only lack the necessary information to make the best decision for your circumstances, in most cases they’re not even considering your circumstances at all, because political bodies make decisions for political reasons, not practical ones.
The last couple years of covid rules are perhaps the perfect example of the folly of top-down decision-making. Covid restrictions were never based on actual science or data, but (shockingly) were based on POLITICAL reasoning. When the politics demanded that New York ‘reject’ the Trump Vaccine, the politicians were adamant that’s what they would do. Now that the political winds have shifted and the Democrats are in control, the politics demands that New York mandates the vaccine for normal life, even children going to school. (You’ll note that politicians in Europe have different political pressures and come to different conclusions about jabbing the kids)
https://simulationcommander.substack.com/p/politicians-are-the-referees-of-america
And everyone is controlled by Big Pharma.
Big pharma wins.
They win for now. I think they pushed their luck this time quite honestly.
Couldn't agree more. School closures in particular were completely based on politics. They used kids as pawns.
https://euphoricrecall.substack.com/p/pandemic-school-closures-were-political
And shields!
I'm not sure there's a society that can survive who eats their own?
I think that's probably not a good idea.
Rapier wit! Love it.
Early on they also showed the idiocy of lockdowns. If I can't go to my local mom & pop store because it's dangerous to gather, why do we have 5,000-kid schools in session? So the schools got closed to back up the narrative.
"'public health' officials are simply puppets being controlled by the politicians"
And the politicians are puppets of civil servants/intelligence agencies, who are puppets of transnational organizations, who in turn are the puppets of oligarchs. It's a pretty smart idea - it makes bringing the real culprits much harder to bring to justice: "Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive"
We can make the politicians what they should be, *our* puppets.
The question always is....will we?
When do we get that shit started?
Put me in coach!
That's the problem isn't it. Government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people.
We need to stop thinking politicians will save us and get into politics ourselves. If it's too late for that, then the only way out is parallel societies.
I've been wondering how to move to a heavily mafia controlled area of Southern Italy. They may be nasty buggers if you cross them, but they deal a straight hand compared to our authorities. I bet life is good in those areas right now, and I bet they will continue to chug along just fine.
I've had the same thoughts about Mexico to be honest. I think one of the Mafia islands would be better than the mainland though. Maybe Sicily or Ischia.
It's puppets all the way down!
That makes more sense than turtles or elephants.