In Response to Mike

(In response to Mike. In comments.)

Well, duh.

More importantly, if you haven't yet, get her latest book "Sarah Palin: Faith, Family, Country." There are things in my life I call "priors." These are the fundamental beliefs that I hold, and believe that most people will discover over time, that lend credence to the idea that the United States of America is the most gifted nation in the world.

We begin the establishment of our country with the recognition of Natural Law. What is true is true because it is true. That there is, within the process of reduction, no further reduction possible. I think, therefore, I am. I cannot be unfaithful to myself. To do so would be madness. If I see a thing, no a thing to be real, and someone suggests that what I see, feel, experience, know is false, I must refute it. Thusly.

People don't need perfection. They are perfect. Yes, a certain segment of the universe of "people" make mistakes, some of them serially. (We usually call these serial abusers "criminals.") Government, "elitist" types view ordinary people as rather pedantic, if they regard them at all. Elitism is a curse of the educated class. Elitism teaches our children that if they adopt certain views, then they will be successful. This as counterpoint to the view that if you are faithful to yourself, and to your beliefs and ideas, you will be happy.

When I look at the founding documents of our Nation, I don't stop at Madison. The year of the Renaissance wasn't 1776. But, the Renaissance was the end of the tyranny of force. The lessons learned from the Renaissance Movement were spurious attempts to defend a secret of humanity; those who attempt to tell you that they deserve your feasance are probably the worst malefactors against the human condition.

There is a reason why I've been successful in my endeavours while others, engaged in the same industry, have failed. The attributes with which I comport myself are simple: be honest; be as intellectually rigorous as is necessary to bring to my clients a robust solution to their problems; to agree that I am not the expert in any situation, since it isn't my money I end up dealing with.

I'm a consultant. With a degree and everything. Year of experience. My oldest son has been told, when I lose my grip on my gifts, well...it's okay to think about pulling the plug. Serially. I don't want to be a doddering relic. It would be time to retire.

That point is far, from my way of thinking, away. But my understanding of human beings hasn't changed in 46 years. I was ten years old when I recognized that there is a serious imbalance between popular opinion and thoughtful inquiry. (My fault lies in my inability to understand that other ten year-olds wouldn't have the same world view that I held. I've learned a lot about projection since then. Scroll down to "Freudian Projection.)

I know that there are among you who repudiate Freud, so, I offer you a Jungian interpretation.

Wanted to be a hero, found out you were a goat?

There. Even Joe Campbell would be pleased with the realization that word don't always convey the meaning we wish others to hear or interpret correctly. All that I can tell you is, if you project upon others your interpretation of what they should think, should feel, should value, should understand, then you're an idiot.

Imagine, tomorrow, waking up and finding that you're a goat, or a fish, or a cockroach. Interpretations of how others would find you, relate to you, accept you, even recognize your existence might be laden with expectations of how you expect to be found, related, etc. It wouldn't alter the fact that those who ran across you would find themselves, at the least, puzzled by your appearance. And for those we don't understand--apparently--we find ourselves guessing about how to deal with what is apparent. Our expectations aren't being met. It's frustrating. We get angry. And fearful.

I'm making grade-school spaghetti tonight. I made taco meat last night, and tonight I've mixed the excess taco meat with marinara. (What I hated most about "institutional" spaghetti wasn't the sauce, it was the noodles.) I have a certain expectation about the flavour, consistency and enjoyment I'm going to receive in fifteen to twenty minutes. If I don't hit that level of expectation, I'm going to be a little disappointed with myself.

My oldest sister believes in the Goddess Gaea. She views herself as an "White Witch." She and I don't talk. I call her on her birthday each year. I get electronic cards for seasonal events. The key is, she won't pick up her phone. She doesn't want to talk with me. What can one say about expectations? I, her only brother, represents to her a white/male/patriarchy that she has repudiated. As a Jungian analyst, she has a practise set up in Lake Oswego. She has repudiated the lessons of Freud as a necessary pre-cursor to her "Jungian Analysis." She believes that Capitalism is the tool of white male domination. It is the edifice of a Patriarchy. Her hatred of things that make sense is based upon a certain group-think that attempts to repudiate common sense in order to create an appreciation for a new set of values; values that contemplate a certain realization of the Feminine. Feminine, I ask, as opposed to what, human?

The "Feminine" is an occult branch of Jungian "psychology." If you have read C.G., you'd realise that he hadn't intended his works to become cultish. He was simply trying to help people understand, in a different way, the frustrations that occur under his teacher's tutelage, that of Freud. The best example of this, in my opinion, are the writings of Erich Fromm. Which ties back, almost directly, to Freud's views. Expectations of others beliefs, actions, heartfelt wishes are simply our own projections of what you or I believe to be the necessary outcomes of a certain train of thought. However well I express myself, I know that given to a general audience, most of what I say, believe or write will be missed. Most readers read for their own reasons. Most writers--such as I--write for our own reasons. I remember my favourite writing coach, Dr. Steve Curray saying, you write for our audience. Your success as a writer depends upon your recognition of your audience. And if your writing has wide appeal, you will be noted as a successful author.

I have no such vanity here. I write for myself, for you, and a select handful of others. Same with Sarah Palin. "America By Heart."

It's the book I'm reading now.

Sarah is writing about her priors. Those beliefs that she holds as central, critical, to her beliefs about you, me, and the guy who lives next door. Regardless if he is an angel or a crack-dealer. Because we start with the same, natural, origin, it is critical that we adopt an agenda--such as that adopted by our Founding Fathers--that reflects our understanding of our nature and origins. Who we are in a State of Nature. Without the oppression of the other. How would you be, and would expect others to be, without government?

Sarah's willingness to admit to the goodness of her fellow man is revealing to me. It is what I would expect from someone who has truly looked into, not only her own heart, but the heart of those she loves, to see the commonality of those she, you and I, live among. We will find ourselves let down by our expectations, from time-to-time. She admits this. I admit this. But she is unwilling to give up on how wonderful free men are. We care about each other. We are patient. We are industrious. We are human.

We are not perfect when it comes to meeting of exceeding the expectations of others, at all times. But I would assert to you, that the fault lies not in your imperfection, but in my expectation that you would choose to do that which I wish you would do, when I wish it.

That, my friend, is vanity. Tolerance, on the other hand, allows you to choose a path that I choose not to take. Tolerance allows me to question my own, closely held, beliefs. Tolerance allows me to ask questions that I feel must be asked. How much money do we need to spend on Green Technology before we ask the question, is there going to be a return on investment? How much money must we give people who choose not to work, before we begin to realise that these people choose not to work? How much can we cut budgets for art, before art disappears?

So, yes, Mike, I like her, too. She's hot.