Friday, February 27, 2015

A Nation is just an 'abstract political entity' that must exist.

A Nation is an abstraction; its an abstract 'political entity' that must exist. It must exist because it has within its geographical boundaries, many Individuals, or, stated differently, many human beings who exist 'naturally'. Nations are 'power points' on the surface of the World. They embrace a geographical area that has acquired a 'Political Identity', and henceforth, become a Nation. Nevertheless, they are mere 'linguistic abstractions' that have a political Identity and hence, have an 'attribution' of Power. All Nations have Power. However, Political Power is not a Power that should be used to destroy the 'individual' human condition, or the human condition in its 'condition of political togetherness'. Humans are real; Nations are abstractions. To be sure, they are necessary abstractions, but they were established by human beings, and not, the reverse. Nations have a tremendous duty to their own People, as well as to the other Nations, which also have the same duty. Of course, duty to ones own People is 'domestic politics' while, duty to other Nations, is International Politics. In either case, the human condition exists as a 'real condition', while the Political entities exist, as 'necessary political abstractions' with Power. On the International sphere, Individuals do not interact with each Other. Only Nations interact with Other Nations. Nations are the entities that can cause War, not Individuals. Yet, Individuals can cause 'revolutions' within their own 'political areas'. But, these 'revolutions' should not 'spill over' into the International domain. If they do, they're not Revolutions; its the destruction of the human condition, or, 'pure violence'. How sad; instead of coming together, human beings destroy each other.

Monday, February 23, 2015

A Democracy must have 'Law and Order', but not 'all' Law and Order is acceptable.

A Democracy must have Law and Order; of course, not just 'any kind' of Law, nor just 'any kind' of Order. The Law and Order must apply to the Individuals situated at the Bottom of the Democracy. The Top of Government always has Power and hence, can impose Order in a Social. Of course, the Law must also apply to the 'social and economic' institutions, as well as the 'interactions' between Individuals. Nevertheless, the Law and the Order imposed cannot limit the 'Freedom and Equality' of the Individual. To do so, is to limit the very essence of Democracy. Individuals must live in a 'condition of togetherness'. They cannot survive alone. But, to live 'together' does not require that they give up their individual 'freedom and equality'. The human condition creates Government: Government does not create the human condition. Hence, on a 'scale of Equalities', all Governments must know that the human condition is 'more important' than any form of Governmental Institution. Government is a 'necessary Institution', but its 'value' as a necessary Institution does not equate to the value of human life. Of course, Government must have Power, but, the power to Govern is not the power to 'destroy' or 'abuse' the human condition. Human Life is sacred, unfortunately, not all human beings respect the Freedom and Equality of their political 'brothers and sisters' or their political 'neighbors'. Hence, not all human beings are qualified to serve as Leaders in their own Government. How sad, 'Governments' abuse their power, and human beings cannot 'handle' the power 'granted them' by their own political institution.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Capitalism without constraints leads to Plutocracy

Capitalism without constraints leads to Plutocracy. Plutocracy; a Government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich, is not Democratic. At best, its a Government that uses the People, at the Bottom of Government, to make more profits, but the profits benefit 'a few', and never the Population as a 'whole'. Plutocracy results from the concentration of profits, money, or property, at the Top, or the 1%. Some will say that Capitalists work hard and hence, are entitled to the benefits of their labor. That, may be true, but don't kid yourself, the basic reason Capitalism works, is because the 'corporate structure' is protected by the Constitution. Without Constitutional protection, the corporation would not survive. The corporation is considered 'a person' by the Constitution. Of course, everybody knows that a corporation is not a 'person'. A corporation is just an Article of Incorporation issued by a Government. Its no wonder, they are 'too big to fail'; they're not real, you can't put it in jail. But, that, in itself, is not the problem. The problem is that they have been given a 'fictional nature', and also the potential for a huge, incomparable, 'economic grasp'. But, that's O.K.. The problem is, they have not been given 'democratic duties'. It seems fair that in exchange for having been given such a big advantage in economic activity, that they would also have 'democratic duties'. As it is, they are completely motivated by the profit instinct. Their sole goal is 'to have a good year', and the People be damned. Government needs more control over its 'fictional population'. The Government, literally, created them, so why not control them.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

'Political values' are essential to the 'strength' of a Nation.

'Political values' are essential to the 'strength' of a Nation. Political values are the values that help 'structure' and 'hold' together the polity. A 'Polity', or, a Nation, must have 'cohesive principles' that mold the 'integrity', or, stated differently, the 'integrated nature' of the Polity. Those principles are commonly called 'political values'. They differ from 'economic values' and 'moral values'. Economic values apply to the economy. Moral values apply to the Individuals within the Polity and the economy. As essential as economic and moral values are, to the human condition, they cannot be inter-mixed with the political values. The reason for that is that political values apply to the Nation, 'as a whole', or, as a 'political entity'. The Polity or Nation must hold together 'as a Polity'. Of course, many issues are involved in the integrity of a Nation, but, the essential one is the manner in which it holds together the 'condition of togetherness' of its own People. Without People of a 'similar disposition' towards the Polity, it cannot hold together. Hence the importance of the 'mode of governing'. To 'govern' is to 'hold together', without adverse effect towards the 'individuals' in the polity. A Government can be 'weak' on a National basis (because it doesn't treat its People right) and, of course, still be strong on the International scene, because every Nation, as an established Nation, has Power on the International scene. On the International scene, Power is a 'given'. Nevertheless, the Human being is the most essential aspect of both the National, as well as the International scene. The human race will always exist; political entities or Nations, may not.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

'Political' Freedom and 'Universal' Equality should be the essential elements of a Nation.

'Freedom' of the Individual, in a 'condition of togetherness', is a 'political value'. But, 'Equality' of the Individual is a Universal value. It has no political boundaries. The 'Many Individuals', living in a 'condition of togetherness', need political values that help hold the Nation together. Nevertheless, the Individual in the 'political state' of 'togetherness', is a Universal element, i.e. the human condition, as such, is the same everywhere. Human beings are human beings, and as such, are Equal, within any, and all, political entities. This fact, already makes the human condition of Equality, a Universal value. The end result of this attitude towards the human condition is that, no Nation can restrict or restrain the expression of humanity to some limiting political standard or political value. The values of a 'Political entity' are different from the values of the 'human condition', and, to be sure, and to put it very generally, politics cannot limit the expressions of Humanity. To do so, is to place political values on a higher level than human values. Of course, political values are absolutely necessary, because we all live in a 'condition of togetherness'. By the same token, all Individuals have 'political preferences'. But, if the Individual cannot tolerate, the guy next to him, or his 'neighbor', as being Free and Equal as s/he is, s/he cannot help to 'establish' or 'structure' a political entity. It is a 'twisted' form of politics, to claim to be 'revolutionary', when in fact, the motivations for a 'revolt' are simply acts of violence against the human condition. That, would be, plain and simple, Terrorism.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A Real Revolution must have National principles that serve to Unify a Nation.

A Real Revolution must have National principles that serve to unify a Nation. A 'revolt' cannot be a Revolution if it does not purport to replace certain 'principles' with other more 'National' principles. Its relatively easy to be against 'something' without having 'something else' to replace it. That kind of activity 'reduces down' to a mere activity without underlying principles. The principles that justify a real revolution must be 'Political' in nature or 'National'. They cannot be 'religious' because religion is not a 'political principle'. Religion is a Universal Principle and cannot serve to Unify a Nation, because a Nation is a Political entity. Of course, a Nation can have a 'Religious preference', but that is entirely different from trying to unify a Nation with Religious Principles. That 'mistake' can be justifiably viewed as a return to the 'Divine Right of Kings' concept of Government. It didn't work in the past, and it cannot work in the future. If that 'mistake' also involves the destruction of the human condition, it can never be a real revolution because the 'human condition' is the very basis of a National Identity. A National Identity should be characterized by National principles that also characterize the Individuals living within that Nation. All Individuals are Free and Equal and are free to 'grant Power' to their National identity. The bottom line is that no Nation can hold together without its People. To destroy 'a People', any People, is to 'destroy' a Nation. A real revolution needs 'National principles' and 'humane principles' that 'help' hold a Nation together. At best an 'unreal Revolution' is just a 'small War' and no number of Individuals have the 'Power' to declare War.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Nations have Power, because they 'must'!

Nations have Power, because they must have Power. Obviously, a Nation 'without Power' is non-existent, and cannot exist as a political entity. Power is commensurable with Nation-hood. But, no Nation comes into existence from some 'invisible source', or 'place' that grants it Power. No! Every nation has a history. Every nation evolved into a political 'posture' that attributed power to the Top of the political organization. In order to determine from where any one Nation gets its power, it is sufficient to determine a 'certain point' in its historical past. That particular past will reflect that 'inexorable relation' called a 'political relation', or, that 'ancient relation' of the One and the Many. The Many, or, the multitudes, will become the Bottom of the relation and the Top of the relation will become the Nation or Government. But, it is important to understand that the 'occupants' at the Top of the relation are 'the same', or as 'Equal', as the 'occupants' at the Bottom, or, the multitudes, of the relation. All Individuals, or stated differently, all human beings, regardless their 'seeming differences', are Free, in nature, and particularly, within any political entity, and, in the same manner, all are 'Equally human'. National histories reflect the point where a Nation 'gets' its power. Democracies should reflect, in their history, where the 'People' grants power to the Top. Non-democracies should wonder and ponder, why they never got a 'grant of power' from the People they purport to govern. Nations cannot exist without political power, and they can't get power from some 'invisible source'; hence, real Power, only exists, where the Peoples of the World, have granted it.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Nations have Power; but they also have People, and People have Freedom and Equality.

All Nations have Power, because its an essential element of the 'condition of togetherness'. But, the individual who exists in the 'condition of togetherness' has Freedom and Equality. Of course, Power can be misused by a Nation, as can Freedom and Equality by the Individual. Hence, we must make a distinction between the 'exercise of Power' and the 'act of governing'. Power; 'demands', it compels; it orders; it Rules. Governing; arranges with Law; it structures 'relations'; it educates; it provides for the general Welfare of the Individual, as well as the economic well-being of the Individual. In other words, Governing 'serves' the People, while Power rules 'arbitrarily'. To be more specific, democratic government 'serves' those who created Democratic Government and those who elected the leaders into a 'place' of 'leadership and Power'. Non-Democratic Governments rule the people. Nevertheless, all 'Peoples' have the Right to 'Revolution'. In Non-Democratic Governments, revolts can occur because the People feel abused or want new Leadership. In Democratic Governments, Revolution is a 'Right' that is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The 'Right of assembly' and the 'Right to petition for redress of grievances' are Constitutionally protected. Hence, the structure of Democratic Government renders possible, a harmonizing of the 'Power at the Top' and the 'Rights at the Bottom'. But, this cannot be accomplished, without the 'cooperation' of the People; those at the Top, and those, at the Bottom. We need more Statesmen, and less 'unhappy' People, at the 'helms', and at the 'Bottoms' of Government. GHU.(God Help Us)
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Democracy For The Bottom by Gilbert Gonzalez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.