Loyalty

 Loyalty

   In our society today we see loyalty as a great guiding force.  We see it as a dominant force in our government, in our religions, in family, in our morality, in our dress codes, in our conspicuous consumption.  As a society it guides our basic values.  It shades our point of view.  Most would contend that this is a good thing.  I would say that it is a fatal flaw.

   As I listen to the news each morning I get to witness government malfunction.  We are presently awaiting a government shutdown brought about by the government itself.  Why would a government choose to do itself and those it is trusted to govern harm?  The answer is ignorance in the name of Party Loyalty.  Your chosen representatives don’t vote their individual mind or morality, they loyally vote with their party.  Those who see themselves as independent are seen as a problem.  They often choose not to fall in line. 

   When there are rules in our government which cause it not to function … change and improve the rules.  Don’t go into our “That’s the way it is” mode.  Five to fifteen MAGA House members are presently pulling the strings of their majority leader to shut down the government.  They would not have this irrational power if not for the fact that the entire body votes for the leader of the Majority and the Minority Leader.  Why should a Democrat vote to select the Republican Leader and why should a Republican vote in the selection of the Democratic Leader?  It is the direct cause of requiring 15 votes called for of the House to elect a Republican leader and the direct cause of his giving up the direction of his leadership.  It is a leader agreeing not to lead.  If you are going to have a Minority and Majority leader (which itself is not a good idea) then Democrats should be the only ones voting for the Democratic Leader and Republicans the only ones voting for the Republican Leader.  The result would have been that Kevin McCarthy would have been elected on the first ballot and our government would not be closed for business on this Monday.  This is America today, Loyalty over Logic.  Other examples of the problem would be: one senator holding up over three hundred military promotions, a nation calling for effective gun legislation and a government not responding, Freedom of Choice vs. Right to Life being converted from a moral issue to a political issue, climate change problems taken from science to politics and giving a majority leader the sole power to determine what legislation will be discussed and voted on.  None of these problems being politicized leads to their cure.  A government that doesn’t reliably function needs to take a look at its rules of operation.

   We bring loyalty into our churches and our homes.  I have heard “marry and socialize with your own kind” both from a priest and a rabbi.  I have heard “marry your own kind” from my parents.  Loyalty (in the form of prejudice) is applied to our moral rudder.  We will put on a uniform and shoot a stranger with a different uniform in the name of loyalty.  Wars are often entered for the benefit of capital, not conscience.  “I’m a Democrat.”  “I’m a Republican.”  “I’m a Christian.”  “I’m a Jew.”  “I’m an Atheist.”  “I’m White.”  “I’m Black.”  “I’m American.”  “I’m Canadian.”  “I’m a man.”  “I’m a woman.”  “I’m a human.”  “They are only plants or animals.”  “I’m a Smith.”  “I’m a Thomasson.”  How much does each of these loyalties shape your world view?  Might it be a good thing to see yourself as a part of the All?

Cheers, Old Buz          9/30/2023

Iambloggerbuz.blogspot.com

“The loyalists follow the under tail scent of the lemmings in front of them.”                     – Old Buz

"Up to Your Ass in Aphorisms"

 

“It is far easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.”     

     - Mark Twain

  

  Bible History

“My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.” – John Dominic Crossan, New Testament Scholar & Former Catholic Priest                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

(Your) “Life is what you think” – J.R. Pirtle

 

Purpose of Life:

“Your life is a university for the wisdom of your eternal soul.” - Old Buz (If you are but a high school graduate, substitute the words high school for the word university.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

 Biblical Wisdom

 “Live by the foma* that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.” – The Book of Bokonon I:5 – Translation by Kurt Vonnegut

*foma = harmless untruths

 

Awareness Guide:

“See what is plain to see.  Doubt if you don’t.” – Daniel Sobel

 

“You cannot change a person’s position with reason … if they did not reach it through reason.” - Anon                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

“What others think of me is none of my business.” – Anon

 

“There is nothing stranger than a stranger …

     But realize … that stranger is you.” – Old Buz

 

“Only the actions of Donald Trump could have enabled Americans to look back  and have respect for Richard Nixon" - Old Buz                                                                                                                                                                                

 

“Lofty goals are far easier to achieve from the pulpit than from the pews.” – Old Buz                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

“The Wisdom of The Aged … the words wisdom and aged are as much an oxymoron as the words biblical and history.” – Old Buz (82 years of age)

 

“A single life is but a page in the education of eternal soul.” – Old Buz

 

“If you find little or no humor in life … you are missing most of it.” – Old Buz

 

The Present Motto of the Republican Party:

“Yes … Donald Trump is a lying, moronic lunatic,

                        but

he is OUR lying, moronic lunatic.”

 

“To the common folk, religion is truth.

To the wise, religion is false.

To the leaders, religion is useful.”

- Seneca the Younger (4 BC – 68 AD)

 

“I no longer exercise.  I don’t wish to bury a perfectly good body.”

- The Wisdom of The Aged

 

“When The Lord God sent Noah in his ark out to sea, He gave Adolf Hitler a hard act to follow.” – Old Buz                                                                                                                                              

 

Freedom in the time of pandemic:

“I’m going to attend crowded events.  I’m FREE.

“I’m not going to wear a mask.  I’m FREE.

I’m not getting vaccinated.  I’m FREE.

Why hasn’t President Biden stopped the spread of Corvid?” – Old Buz

 

The Last Word:

“I don’t listen to the experts.  I listen to my gut.”

- Donald J. Trump, 45^th President of the United States of America

 

 

True Believers:

“When Greeks speak of Gods fathering human children, we call it Greek Mythology.  When we speak of it, we call it Religion.” – Old Buz                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

“Born an agnostic and with the help of GOD* will remain one.” – Old Buz

*GOD – an acronym (G.O.D.) for Grand Omnipotent DNA – The system (or systems) guiding the Universe as studied by science. 

 

The Solutions:

“There are no perfect solutions to the problems of our imperfect world.”

(But, it is nice to keep searching.) – Old Buz

 

“All living beings base their conscious actions on their knowledge.  The difference in the effectiveness of their actions is the quality of their knowledge and their skill.”  – Old Buz

 

The essence of knowledge:

“The essence of knowledge is having it to use it.” – Confucius

“The essence of knowledge is recollection.” – Plato

“The essence of knowledge is a search for accurate awareness.” – Old Buz

 

“The end does not justify the means.  We die in the end and live in the means.”

   - Old Buz

 

“Place your dumb head on MY PILLOW.” – thank”Q”forsharing.com

 

“The pioneers take the arrows.” – Anon

 

Remember:

“One cannot fool all of the people all of the time … and that is why we have two political parties.” -Anon                                                                                                                                                     

 

“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” – George Bernard Shaw

                                                                                                                                          

“A liberal is a person whose interests aren’t at stake at the moment.”                        - Willis Player

“A conservative is a person who does not think anything should be done for the first time.” – Frank Vanderlip

 

“There are some things only intellectuals are crazy enough to believe.”                      - George Orwell (best present example: The Big Bang Theory)

 

“Medicine is the orderly arrangement of what at the moment, seem to be facts.”   – Anon

 

“Economics: the science that tells you what you already know in words you don’t understand.” – Dr. Grubbs, U of Colorado Professor of Economics

“Our quaint optimistic aphorisms, offered in an hour of anguish, are like playthings by the bedside of a deathly sick child.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

“I think; therefore I am.” – Rene’ Descartes (original quote)

“I think; therefore I think I am.” – Ambrose Bierce (a much needed clarification)

(Your) “Life is what you think.” – J.R. Pirtle (accurate conclusion)

 

“Psychiatry: enables us to correct our faults by confessing our parents’ shortcomings.” - Laurence J. Peter

 

“The essence of a quotation is often lost in translation.” – Jesus of Nazareth (spoken in Hebrew)

 

“With deeper understanding comes simplicity.” – Old Buz

 

“Trump Republicans: The party of the 5^th Amendment.” – Old Buz

 

“Somewhere back in infinity … it All began with a plop.” – Divine Revelation

 

“There is a willful blindness that marches alongside loyalty.” – Old Buz

 

“Beware of corporations bearing gifts.” – Tros, the Founder of Troy, 3,000 BC

 

“There are some things that only The Faithful are crazy enough to believe.” – Old Buz (example: God created the universe about 6.000 years ago … in six days.)

 

“Suicide is the only arguably, morally justifiable use of a deadly weapon.” – Old Buz (Morals, shmorals … it’s a messy method.)

 

Humanist: “Morality without Mythology”

 

“If you take great pride in the color of your skin, you have little to be proud of.”  -Old Buz

 

“Rarely is the last word the wisest word spoken.” – Old Buz

 

“If you are starting to use emoji to express your thoughts … remember your mother’s good advice: Use your words darling.” – Your Mother

 

“The word Freedom is fast becoming a synonym for the word Stupidity.” – Thank Q

 

“Political Polarity: Where one person’s truth is another’s nonsense.” – Old Buz (Not a very good formula for cooperation and progress.)

 

Religion: “Currently, the longest running successful experiment in human gullibility.” – Old Buz

Society: “Camel riders on route to attempt passage through the eye of a needle.” – Old Buz

 

“Predator or President, we love him either way.” – The RNC

 

“Willful ignorance is nine tenths of the Trump Republican.” – Old Buz (With respect to political correctness and effective communication, I gave them an unearned one tenth.)

 

“Don’t rock the trough.” – Motto of the United States Government

 

“Ignorance about your enemy is not a position of power.” – Old Buz

 

“Follow a voice that reminds you of Home, leaf in the wind that you make as you follow.” – Daniel Sobel

 

THE OBVIOUS:

“All living things base their conscious actions on their knowledge*. The difference in their effectiveness is the quality of their knowledge and their skill.” – Old Buz

* ”The essence of knowledge is an ongoing search for accurate awareness”

 

“Enjoy your awareness.  It is definitely a choice and possibly a gift.” – Old Buz

 

“Everything that you are presently aware of existed before you were aware of it.” – Old Buz”

 

“God doesn’t know a weed from a flower and that is why Donald Trump lives.” – Old Buz

 

“Kevin, we are not going to turn over the control of our nation to Marjory Taylor Green of QAnon, simply so that you can maintain your position as House Majority Leader.” – President Joe Biden (spoken if this were the best of all possible worlds)

 

“In the best of all possible worlds Donald Trump would not exist, so where the hell are we?” – Gottfried Leibniz

 

“The loyalist follows the under tail scent of the lemming in front of him.” – Old Buz

 

“Illusion x Majority Opinion = Truth & Knowledge” – Old Buz

 

“HONK if you love Jesus.

TEXT if you’d like to meet Him.”  - American Foundation for Truth in Bumper Stickers

 

“Ponder your awareness.  But remember, faith is an obstacle.” – Old Buz

Cheers, Old Buz           06.13.2023

iambloggerbuz.blogspot.com

Old Buz (Pompous Ass)

 

“If I’m not driving, I’m not riding.” – Old Buz (Pompous Ass)

   The above quote is a fair description of this blog and its author.  I clearly discovered this about myself during a high school field trip to snowy Lake Arrowhead, from the valley of west Los Angeles.  Upon arrival I was offered a seat on a toboggan for a ride down a ski slope.  I was not going to be the driver, but a passenger.  My answer was “Thanks, but no thanks.”  The snow covered run was straight down the mountain, with a fir tree right in the middle, about 150 yards down the slope.  Down went my friends, without varying one inch and slamming into that tree.  Our head cheerleader, a sled passenger, was given an ambulance ride back down to the valley to have her broken leg set and put into a cast.  Luckily, no one was killed.  I was in student government at the time and learned the term, “simple majority.”  I love those words because they represent a good portion of my world view.

   Believing in a proposition because most folks do, has no appeal to me.  So, I don’t join a religion, don’t join a fraternity, am a patriot of the planet (not the nation), don’t join a political party, don’t see family or friends as always right.  This world view makes me (a “pompous ass) not always politically correct.  I flinch when I see the words, “United We Stand.”  These words are the foundation of willful blindness.  Willful blindness is not a description of the other’s point of view, but a trait we humans share.  It is rooting for the home team.  When hunting mastodons, this team effort was a requirement.  When fighting a war in Vietnam or Iraq, perhaps logic and morality of the individual needs to be applied.  When watching buildings fall on 9/11, can you see the signature of demolition?  When our children are being shot to death in school and the majority would like to see more effective gun regulation, while their representatives in D.C. turn a blind eye, perhaps the simple majority should be heard.  When representatives do not represent their voters, representing 1% of their voters (the money source) instead, we have no democracy.  But, don’t follow the herd.  Let reason, logic, history and morality be your individual guide.      

Cheers, Old Buz, a pompous ass                          2/28/2023

Iambloggerbuz.blogspot.com

“There is a willful blindness that marches alongside loyalty.” – Old Buz