Introductions.

The purpose of this space is to discuss that which is overlooked, and that which is lurking under the surface. This is as much because that which you don't know can indeed kill you, as it is because the stone that the builders refused will become the head corner stone. It is also for that which is too inconvenient to discuss in politically correct modern society. In fact, it will be made clear in successive conversations that the issues most talked about and most contended are far less important than what they are being used to cover for. 

This is because just as dysfunctional families triangulate away their greatest problems, so too do troubled societies substitute that which does not mater for that which does to ease the discomfort. That being said, do not assume there will be any Tea partying going on, and don’t expect to be welcomed if you preach conspiracy theories. 

The leaning here is not Right or Left. Neither is it Libertarian or Anarchist. Rather, what we will discus here is fear and courage, shame and wisdom, chaos and order, and how these influence and underpin all that we do or fail to do in the public world. Despite our claims to rational thinking and behavior, faith is as much a part of the modern secular world as ever it was in more religious times past. Logic is used post facto to rationalize what were always emotional decisions because all that we do is influenced thus. 

This does not mean though that there is not free will. There would be little point in debating what is best if we did not expect we could positively act on it. All action requires will to one extent or the other. The questions then will circulate around to what degree emotion will master us or if we will master them to be the horse we ride upon to a greater good. 

There is an old story about how the city of Athens got its name that goes as follows. One day, the people of the City saw in the middle of the Agora a spring of fresh water and an olive tree where before there had been neither. Now, these were taken to be auspicious signs and were thus brought to an oracle for interpretation. The oracle declared that the these could be taken as gifts from either Poseidon or Athena and that a vote should be taken to determine which of the two the City would be named after. In those days it was the custom that both the men and the women would vote on public issues and it so happened that when the vote had been taken, the women outnumbered the men by one, and all of them had voted that Athena be the namesake of the City. Poseidon was so enraged at this that he caused a tidal wave to inundate the whole area and killed many. When the waters had subsided, the men of the city came together and decided that the women must be punished for what had happened in order to supplicate the angry god. Thus, from that day on it was decided that women would never be allowed to be full citizens ever again, nor would they be allowed to call their children by their own names ever again, nor would they be allowed to vote ever again. In so doing, the men of the City proved themselves more fearful of the chaos of Poseidon's waves than the reason and justice of Athena's weapons. An ancient story as this is, it is a metaphor for the world we live in now. All too often we find ourselves swayed by fear and chaos rather than guided by wisdom and influenced by courage.

So what are you more afraid of? Poseidon's waves, or Athena's weapons?