Classic Quotes

“Students don't ask that orders make sense. They've given up expecting things to make sense long before they leave elementary school. Things are true because the teacher says they're true. At a very early age we all learn to accept "two truths," as did certain medieval churchmen. Outside class, things are true to your tongue, your fingers, your stomach, your heart. Inside class things are true by reason of authority. And that's just fine because you don't care anyway. Miss Wiedemeyer tells you a noun is a person, place or thing. So let it be. You don't give a rat's ass; she doesn't give a rat's ass.” ~Jerry Farber, 1969

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"Upon suffering beyond suffering; the Red Nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for a sick world. A world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations. A world longing for light again. I see a time of seven generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again. In that day there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom. I salute the light within your eyes where the whole universe dwells. For when you are at that center within you and I am that place within me, we shall be as one." -Crazy Horse

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"Peter Kropotkin, in his Mutual Aid, explains that although Darwin wrote about survival of the fittest, in the same book he wrote about mutual aid amongst animal groups, even predators. That conclusion, as Kropotkin pointed out, but didn't live long enough to see in what ways, failed to emphasize what he and other naturalist, philosophers and scientists recorded for themselves in the years following Darwin's epiphany for science. That cooperation and mutual aid was way more prevalent and significant in the perpetuation and survival of all species than was survival of the fittest. And yet, scientists, newly emerging sociologists and psychologists clung to this newly discovered model of each for hisself.

And yes, it was framed in the masculine, and white by default. This was finally the proof that was needed to show that white superiority, and the rugged individualist against the world, were the wheels that propelled humans into their superior species role. Yet, keen as Kropotkin and his counter observations were, both were still looking at behavior and biology while ignoring the real problem, the psychological existentialism. 

In that state of existence, there is a place deep inside of everyone with many motivators positive and negative. One of these is fear, and a subset of fear is fear of the other. This fear, while maybe useful in a literal jungle, serves no such usefulness in a civilized society.

Now we could argue all night about the basic tenets of that meaning, civilized society. And yes for many eons tribes of neighboring regions fought for shared resources, more so while there were many, while when they were low tribes tended to act in mutual aid and share more willingly for mutual aid and probably from compassion. Yet the need to be fearful of anyone of the same species is largely irrational now and outdated if not for one problem. Too many survive based on Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. Those that do, cannot trust, cannot help but feel that everyone should. They cannot help but think if I don't get mine someone else will. And that those who don't think the same will simply be left behind." ~Clint Densberger 

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