Penny Van Horn

Castles in the Sky

I respect your decision to be a Republican...

But I don't respect your decision to be an idiot.

Does this suffice? 

I was stopped the other day by a kid at the Republican recruitment table at the University of Texas "West Mall," who tried to get my attention by asking "Do you think Obama's an American citizen? Because I don't!"

REALLY DUDE

"We've got enormous challenges ahead of us," he said. "We have to make a series of very difficult decisions about how we invest in our future but also get ahold of the deficit and debt," he said. "But we're not going to be able to do it if we are distracted. We're not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other. We're not going to be able to do it if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts. We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers."

- LA TIMES 

This is probably the least important issue in the world right now.

Ambition for excessive power as a human failure.

FALL OF ATHENS

Okay, so we've read a good chunk of Thucydides at this point in my "Classical Quest for Justice" class. Athens is expanding her reach and power and the rest of the Helens are fearful of her growth and thirst for increased strength. As the book progresses, it seems Thucydides is trying to lead the reader to their own conclusion that greed and human desire for expansion is a flaw. Every instance where you are retold about an abuse of power or irrational hunger for the acquisition of power, is followed by a tragic moment in humanity, either natural or man-made. 

The human progression to become consumed with power and expansion of power over others is a tragic human flaw. When you look at some of the greatest civilizations and why they've fallen, many seem to have taken similar paths; either being destroyed by an expanding power, or self-destructing by over-extending their reach and influence.

"The cause of all these evils was the lust for power arising from green and ambition; and from these passions proceeded the violence of parties once engaged in contention."

[3.82 427]

This point is noted by historians all the time, but you would think humans would learn from their past failures. Socrates called justice "minding ones own business" in part. I wonder if that was in anyway one in the same with being content with ruling oneself properly? Life seems so simple when you have a decent big picture of harmony among creatures and Earth. Those who truly rule themselves are the only ones that are free. I wonder why people get so distorted in their minds. 

Men are easily distracted from life.