Making Man a God

I’m tired! I’m tired of the status quo. I’m tired of widgits. I’m tired of the first question people ask being, “what do you do.” What piece of work is man; so noble in stature, so majestic in character; that he should turn aside dreams for ambition, love for money, life for desires. How like a god is a man, that he should recreate the world to take the shape that he desires, instead of living in harmony with all the creatures therein. But oh if a god, surely he would have the wisdom to trump intelligence, to say when its time comes, “You shall proceed this far, and no further, for this is all that is necessary!”

How is it that we have ascended so high into the heavens, that we forget that there is a divide?  Nietzsche said, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.”  I would add to that “God created man in his own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor.” — Rousseau.  All of the obsessions of modern man, can be an expression of this.  We have built towers to the sky, just as in Babel, but we are no nearer to knowing how to make them stand in perpetuity.  We hinge our future not on connection with the source of being, but on futures and annuities.  And worse yet, these “securities” are built upon the labors of great men who dared to dream; who dared to develop technologies that could benefit the world but instead fatten the pockets and portfolios of a chosen few while the lion’s share of people are without most of the technologies designed to benefit them.

In “modern” nations, we flush our effluent with drinking water, while in undeveloped areas there is not enough clean water to sift from the waste.  How does this idiocy continue?  Meanwhile, socialistic thoughts–while true enough in concept–disrupt the “natural” order of the world which dictates that some will have much while many will have not enough.

I don’t think the answer is through forced distribution.  I do think the answer can be arrived at by many pulling their heads out of their tucheses long enough to see that it is not all about them.  In fact, most of us could probably benefit from that.

Now, benefits have been cut for veterans, while the president flies off to vacation in Hawaii on taxpayer dollars.   Meanwhile, politicians still get full benefits for life after retirement.  Why?  What in the hell makes them so special?  They are the ones with the educations, after all, to pursue business lives after office.

And while we are on the subject, why is the National defense budget 52% of the total national budget?  Who are we defending ourselves against?  Our great enemy Canada?!  As was said by an Israeli in an episode of The Simpsons, “Try living next to Syria for a month!”  Can’t we funnel manpower and funds into the rest of the economy that is not dependent upon the war machine?  I’m for a strong military, and I thank soldiers for their service quite often, but when is enough enough?

But then I suppose we wouldn’t have all the control over oil, and the rest of the nations in the world would dislike us because we’d seem weak and scattered.  Wait a minute…they already do!

Sorry for the scattered rant there, I was just rolling with it.

Getting back to the first topic: don’t tell me what you do, tell me what you “is.”  I’m a whole lot more interested in what makes a person tick than I am with what a person ticks for.  I’m interested in the essence, the nitty gritty.  Don’t define yourself by your occupation, occupy your definition of yourself.  Shave expenses, read a book, take a walk, dream a little dream.  Take a ride in the car.  Take a stay-cation.  Enjoy life, because as far as we know, you only get one.  Use occupation as the tool that it is, instead of turning yourself into a tool.  When what is most important is the superficial, a god is created, an idol is worshipped.  Don’t turn man, money, religion, hardship, success, work, politicians or dissenters into idols.  Don’t classify people by education, occupation, transportation, habitation, or sanitation.  I promise you, none of these things last…unless you’re a politician, that is.