Saturday, July 24, 2010

A Missing Link In Normative "Government"



F
or many, the term "normative" may be foreign, yet they almost certainly know that to which it refers.  When we speak normatively, we speak of what we believe ought to be, usually in terms of some ideal we employ as a standard of judgment.  "People ought not murder each other" is a normative statement.  In contrast, a positive statement is one of pure observation of what is.  "People sometimes murder each other" is one example of such a statement.

When we speak normatively about "government", we are asserting our opinions about how it ought to be in terms of its structure, granted powers, and the behavior of those holding governmental positions, particularly where elected officials are concerned.  There has been much written about this over the centuries, some of which has been very insightful.  Despite the volume of work that has been produced on theories of government, governmental designs, and the large body of commentary on official behavior handed down to us through the ages, humanity has done an appallingly poor job of learning from the mistakes it has made in specifying those designs and responding to the endless litanies of documented governmental failure and abuse that almost universally characterizes the behavior of government officials in the modern nation-state.  A significant error of these architects and chroniclers has largely lain in their substantial failure to establish complete and correct normative models and standards by which governments should be designed and implemented, and the behaviors of their operating officials judged and punished where appropriate.

For the past several centuries the various forms and instances of human government of the type we currently refer to as "the state" have proven themselves failures without notable exception.  Here, the term "state" is effectively synonymous with "empire" in the sense that, as was the case in the days of antiquity, governance is based upon the threat and application of force to compel behavior.  The main difference between then and more modern times (say, the past 500 years) is that the concepts of individual human rights had not yet been well developed and widely accepted, the only moral precept of those times being "might makes right".  Therefore, there was no formal, objective standard by which rulers could have been widely judged as having acted beyond morally justifiable limits.  In some sense it could be argued that this lack of knowledge excuses the rulers of old, for they often knew nothing else but the standard of absolute authority and in most cases, tyranny, that the presumption of divine authority conferred, fostered, and served to reinforce.   For all practical purposes, it was nothing better than Lord of the Flies.

The advent of the penning of documents such as the Magna Carta, as well as the advent of the European Renaissance with the attendant rise of "science" and the manifold revolutions in human thought brought an end to the era of excusable ignorance by rulers, not to mention the raw idiocy of "divine right", at least on that continent and later in the New World.  Despite this, the everyday reality of the governed man changed with deplorable paucity.  The single and relatively shining exception to this general condition lay in the establishment of the United States of America, where the form of governance that was established signified a quantum departure from all previous forms, wherein the fundamental assumptions laid in diametric opposition to those of the governments of virtually every other nation-state on the planet at the time. But even that significant alteration in the design of human governance has proven inadequate to the task to which it had been set, as borne out by the dolorous devolution that has occurred since the Founding.  The Constitution of the United States, a work of significant creative genius, suffers nonetheless from a litany of readily discernible flaws, some of which fall into the category of those discussed here.

Two complementary characteristics which governments of "state" commonly share are the grossly inadequate specification of proper sanctions to be imposed upon those officials who wantonly or negligently violate the rights of others in the discharge of their official duties, and their enforcement.  This discussion shall deal with the former only, the latter being left perhaps for another day.  

By the close of the eighteenth century, human history had provided oceans of examples of the endlessly recurring problems relating to the behavior of those who had assumed mantles of power over the people of nations throughout the ages. As bright and presumably forthright as the Founders were, and as great a feat of creative genius as was their new Constitution, replete with its revolutionary view of governance and the primacy of the individual over "the state", they nevertheless failed to sufficiently take heed of the lessons of history when considering the normative basis for designing their new confederation.  Some may balk at this assertion or even take offense at it, but the outcome of their efforts as embodied in the manifold troubles the nation now faces, establishes the assertion as a truth that is in large part attributable to their architectural shortcomings and missteps.

Modern state governments, regardless of their particular form, all share certain characteristics to a greater or lesser degree.  Before going any further, we should become clear on what "government" is, that we may continue on with clarity and precision, which are the necessary elements required for a sufficient and proper understanding of the concept.  "Government" is nothing more than a set of conceptual conventions that are either agreed upon by a group of individuals, are forced by one group upon another, or a combination of the two.  "Government" is quite literally a script - a stage play - replete with roles, dialog, storylines, etc.  There is no material reality to "government", just as in the case with "the state".  There are only those individuals who work alone or in concert with others to operate according to the dictates of the script as they exist on paper (usually expressed as "law"), and often to the degree and manner to which they can get away with interpreting or otherwise ignoring those dictates to suit their personal and group objectives, even when the actions taken pursuant to those interpretations violate the spirit of the law and, more importantly, the rights of the individual.  This is a fundamental aspect of government that must be paid its due respect and be fully grasped by anyone interested in the truth about "states", their attendant "governments", and the consequences of failing to properly address these modes of official individual and group behavior.

One of the universally present characteristics of modern government is the establishment of at least two classes of citizen: civilians and governors, which in practice readily translates directly into "slaves and masters" of various types and degrees, all idealistic language of rights and righteousness to the contrary notwithstanding. This stratification establishes those who are in charge and those who are to toe their lines and plough their fields.  While the lines in question are often seemingly reasonable in theory, in practice they are usually expressions of pure barbarism and tyranny.  Respect for the rights of the individual exists mainly on paper and in practice only where it is either convenient to the masters, or where the slaves actively wield sufficient power to force the issue in their rightful favor.

There is, however, a circumstance relating to the structure of such governments that stands out most prominently, yet receives next to no sensible attention by those who would implement a new government or by those over whom such governments ostensibly preside, the greater truth being that in reality they rule.  This circumstance centers upon the most notable absence of the lack of meaningful designs, implementations, and enforcements of a body of well-structured and complete specifications of standards of behavior of government officials and, most importantly, the suitable forms and degrees of punishment for those who fail to uphold those standards, either through intent, incompetence, or negligence. 

Part of the reason for this appears to stem from the basic set of perceptions that most people seem to hold with respect to "government".  One of the false presumptions is that government actually exists in and of itself, a belief that is objectively false.  What this presumption serves to do is create a false sense of substance in the mind of the individual.  Note that such an individual need not necessarily like it or agree with it, but most often regards it as an immutable fact to which one must resign himself because there is no getting around it.  You can't fight City Hall.  How ironic it is to find that in such cases the jailer need build no prisons, for each inmate has done it for him, the work being of the utmost quality.

With such a false presumption underpinning the perceptions and belief systems of the individual, the power of those assuming authority over him is enhanced immeasurably and made nearly easy.  The set of false inferences and conclusions that follow from the acceptance of, and belief in this single, innocuous looking, yet devastatingly powerful psychological device is large, somewhat varying between individuals, yet almost universally debilitating.  For example, accepting "the state" and "the government" as actual, extant entities with material realities of their own lends a credibility to these grand lies in precisely the manner of Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is the message", only in this case there isn't even a real medium, but only vapors and shades.  The significance of this cannot be overstated, nor can the importance of dispelling these lies and bringing the light of truth to those who suffer from this particularly destructive form of psychological derangement.  That we give credibility at all to "the government" as anything other than a group (or mob) of individuals acting in accord with some interpretation of a set of what are probably arbitrarily enacted dictates, is tantamount to pulling the trigger of a gun pointed at our own heads.  We doom ourselves by this method on the belief that there is no choice because "government" is insurmountable and therefore cannot be defeated.

If we dispense with the belief in the material reality of government and state, what remains?  Groups of people telling other groups of people what to do or not do, most often based on the arbitrarily constructed mandates enacted by some other group of individuals and for which the executives reserve the right to violate the natural rights of the individual up to and including taking his life away through acts of brutal violence.

Dispensing with these false beliefs alters one's apprehension of the truth dramatically and in so doing many new truths follow most naturally.  The relevance here is that one of the truths which becomes evident is the centrally important need for a set of cleary specified, complete, and correct rules that define the standards of behavior for individual public officials in their capacities as agents of  governance (vis-à-vis "government"), and the penalties for failing to comply with them in full measure.  When one realizes that all government officials are nothing more than ordinary people discharging ordinary duties in service to their fellow citizens, the tacit mystique of the super-human "state" and unquesstionable "governmental authority" instantly dissipates into the aether, revealing itself as pure nonsense.  Being so freed, one is then able to properly regard such people and their roles - to see and understand that such people have been vested in the sacred trust of their fellows, and that violation of that trust constitutes the paramount of all possible criminal acts above and beyond even that of wanton and calculated murder.

That being the case, reason then demands that such people be held to a higher standard of comportment in the discharge of those duties, and that when one violates the trust, the penalties must therefore be harsh and without mercy or pity such that all other agents of the "public good" are given the most stern warning against trespassing upon the rights of their fellows, either through intent, by negligence, or simple ineptitude.  More than any other citizen, the feet of the government official must be held to the fire fueled by the standards of behavior in order that they should quake with fear at the prospect of willfully, negligently, or idiotically causing harm to those to whom they swear an oath to those whose rights they promise to protect at all cost, up to and including their own lives.

Where are these standards to be found?  In the United States Code? If they are there, they are not made in any way apparent to the "ordinary" citizen, either in the letter and spirit of the law, or in its application against those who trespass upon their fellows.   Yet when the "civilian" so trespasses, he is most often called rapidly to account for his actions and, barring sufficient defense, made to pay the price in prison.  How is it that we allow the likes of the police to brutalize us with impunity?  We are assaulted in the media with an endless barrage of tales of government officials committing the most heinous crimes against us while rarely being called upon to account for their actions, and even more rarely being made to atone with long prison time and economic restitution.  If this situation does not merit close attention and a demand for substantive correction, then which one does?

The normative specification of governmental structure and function needs to be perfected by adding the full set of strict rules defining proper action as well as that for rightly punishing those who violate the rights of peaceable citizens who act within the boundaries of their prerogatives as Freemen.  If the role of governance is to serve "the people", then why is it then that the agents thereof most often trespass upon us?  Why are they not placed and kept on severely foreshortened leashes such that anyone acting in the capacity of a government official will not be even remotely amenable to paying the price of violating their fellows?  This is the normative mode of thinking that must be established in the minds of men such that tolerance of what has proven to be the typically hubris-laden and contempt-logged behavior of government officials effectively vanishes.  All violations of one's rights by others must be viewed and dealt with in such a manner and degree that people, regardless of their stations in life, will be utterly dissuaded from considering such acts as even the most remote possibility.  And when this comes to pass, non-governmental people will also come to respect their public servants more fully.  On the balance, the results will produce a condition far closer to freedom, and greater prosperity for all.

Until next time, please accept my best wishes.

Friday, July 23, 2010



T
his a response I gave to the statement someone posted on another site:

"Once again the state reveals its true nature."


No. Individuals reveal their true nature when empowered by the fictional entity called "the state" to which most people surrender their sovereignty, freedom, and rights. There is no such thing as "the state", for it has no material reality of its own. "The state" is nothing more than an idea, the lines of which most people toe in mindless obedience and which are nothing greater than the machinations of other individuals, whether working alone or in concert to attain some goal at the expense of others.

"The state" is the King's new clothes. That's right kiddies, the king is naked as a buck and has been from day one. There has never once existed any naturally inherent and self-extant authority in the hands of any king or "state". The only authority that has ever existed is that to which the mindless, unthinking mass of ignorant and lazy humanity has acceded or that the swords of those calling themselves "the state" have taken by brute and criminal force. It is all a shell game - a great steaming pile of festering lies and outright threats against your very lives.

What if "the state" were replaced by the old Italian Mafia? What would be different? Nothing but the label - but were it the Mafia, people would be more likely to identify it for what it is: a mob of thugs assuming power and authority by the threat and application of force against the rest pursuant to whatever goals might be at hand. So why, then, are so many people so utterly and terminally blind that they cannot come to the same realization when "Mafia" is erased and "the state" written in its place?

"The state" is the modern replacement and equivalent of "god" from the days when that mob calling itself "the church" ruled men. As unavoidable change made itself felt in the world such that even the repressive hand of the nearly omnipotent church could not prevent it - as "science" and invention revealed even unto the ignorant certain readily demonstrable truths that brought the unquestionable into question, those in power were  threatened with the loss of position and therefore needed a new gimmick - a new lie that, just as "god" had served them for so long, would also serve. The main requirement would be that it possess the character of being unquestionable, thereby rendering it practically unassailable. "The state" became that lie and for the past 500 +/- years it has increasingly done just that. "The state" became the new "god", only far more impregnable, far more credible, and the people fell for it, hook line, and sinker as they continue to do to this very day.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "THE STATE" save that which floats about within the confines of peoples' skulls. If you doubt this, then prove me wrong. Demonstrate the existence of "the state". Show that upon which a man may place his hand and say "this is the state, yes". Try it. I dare each and every one of you to try. If I had any money, I would post a reward - a large one too - for anyone demonstrating the material reality of "the state".

Better start harvesting the clues quickly folks, because time is now pretty short and it is precisely in these small and most often overlooked details that the greater truths slip past us. We are now at a threshold and once crossed, chances are next to zero that we will be able to make it back in our lifetime. Think about that awhile - do you really want to spend the rest of your life in a world even Orwell couldn't have dreamt up? That is precisely where we are heading - we're, in fact, at the doorstep, knocking to be let in. Consider all this carefully before deciding what you will do or not do.

If you want liberty, you have to get your heads out of your shorts and get back to the very bottom-most basics of sense and sensibility. Without that, you are all wasting your time. Drop the bad habits and start thinking for once about what it is you are really saying. Question your most basic assumptions and modes of expression. Chances are you will find plenty to correct if your intent and analytical abilities are there. Otherwise, fess up and stop wasting your time so you can return to the important things in life, like net.porn, the toot, and fast foods. Life is short.