If the mob could see, would it shit and go blind?

 Poetic Outlaws

“The public, with its mob yearning to be instructed, edified and pulled by the nose, demands certainties; it must be told definitely and a bit raucously that this is true and that is false. But there are no certainties.”

—HL Mencken

Sloan Bashinsky

History proved over that the herd is never right. Big Brother, in various forms, is ever eager to tell people how to live and what will happen if they don't obey. I spent almost half of my life offering different solutions to people and groups. A few individuals were open to something outside the box, but the bulk, or herd, were not. I read somewhere that the status quo is a living organism that views change as a lethal threat that must be defeated by any and all means available. 

 

Clint

Sloan Bashinsky Well, Devil's Advocate says just because it is change doesn't always mean its good. The law of unintended consequence falls most swiftly and brutally on the masses.

Sloan Bashinsky

Clint Irwin Agreed, not all change is beneficial. But for change promoted by someone or someones to happen and take root, masses (herds) have to support it, don’t they? For examples, religions, ideologies, etc. 

 

For example, the change promoted by Jesus in the Gospels, he said few would accept. The Jewish leaders really didn’t care for him. His early followers were hunted down and killed by the Roman government, if they did not renounce him. That continued until a Roman emperor converted to Christianity, which became the official religion of the Roman Empire. That was when Jesus seen in the Gospels was was greatly watered down by the early church leaders, to make him more attractive to the masses, easier for them to embrace.

For example:

Matthew 3:11 “I [John the Baptist] baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

Luke 12:49 [Jesus] “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”  

John 8:31-32

So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you continue to obey my teaching, you are truly my followers. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus said: 

Many are called, but few are chosen; the road to life is difficult and the gate narrow and few enter; the work is great and the laborers are few; turn the other cheek; do good to and pray for your enemies; love your neighbor as yourself; do unto others as you would have done unto you; it is more blessed to give than to receive; take no thought for tomorrow, for each day has enough trouble of its own ...

Clint

Sloan Bashinsky The masses were simply not capable of seeing something Great coming from a commoner, so they needed to hear he was a God. "Hey, this guy was born in Nazareth, but he must have been born in Bethlehem because that is where the Messiah was supposed to be born, so let's work on that." 

 

Sloan Bashinsky

Clint I think if Jesus actually did perform the miracles told in the Gospels, the masses assumed he was a god, or the son of God, and they needed no help from the local Big Brother to flock to him, and they would do the same today, were he doing what he is said to have done back then. But could they hear him back then? Could they hear him today? Great masses certainly flocked to Donald Trump, whom they viewed as their savior, America's savior, God-sent even. But then, he told them what they wanted to hear, whereas Jesus told people what it would be like to be saved by him, which the early church quickly discarded, because that was not a good recruiting tool, it did not cause the masses to make large donations to churches. My reason for dragging Jesus in the Gospels into this was, he is a well known example of what happens to someone who challenges the status quo, and how the religion that claimed him later began to behave is a good example of just how little interest the status quo has in change. 

Another conversation under the same Poetic Outlaws post: 

Abrham

With all the accumulated knowledge/data ever expanding and we are the most insecure generation that has ever lived. The diabolical irony!

Frank

Abrham We are living in a spoiled generation as well..

Abrham

Frank that is no maybe ...

It's just an example of "double negative" (typical of relaxed colloquial / uneducated speech). Semantically, it makes more sense to say the ain't can be converted to is in the cited context

Frank

We are living in a spoiled generation as well..

Abrham 

Frank True true and i have experieced it first hand to my bitter disgust

Frank

Abrham even a doctor or lawyer will give any certainties other than taking your money with no guarantees

Sloan Bashinsky

Frank In old China, physicians treated patients, and if the patients got well, the doctors got paid. Several times doctors saved me, and often they helped me, and sometimes they were unable to help me. I did not begrudge them their fees, but sometimes I was unable to pay them and they cut their fees, Once, a hospital waived its fees, after helping save my life. Later, when I was flush, I paid the bill. They said they had written it off, and I said do for someone else what you did for me. Yet today, some hospital charges are so high as mind boggling. If I did not have Medicare, I probably wouldn't use hospitals. I'm 80, having my fair share of medical encounters.

I once practiced law, and can attest that lawyers very much want to be paid for representing clients, but some lawyers work on a get paid if they win basis, but they are suing for large sums of money, while some cases allow imposition of an attorney fee for the work done. The practice of law today seems far more capitalistic that when I practiced. Yet, lawyers sometimes really help people. I had clients tell me I saved their lives. I had other clients who didn't like me at all. Sometimes clients were real pains in the ass, and I wished I had not taken them as clients. Sometimes I screwed up a case, or did not get the result hoped for. I felt awful, but if I was getting paid for the job, I got paid. Otherwise, not. It's not entirely black and white, but $$$ have become a lot more important.

Frank

Sloan Bashinsky I as well now pushing 81 and I’m with you about Medicare and I also carry a supplement policy.. I was in the hospital lately for 7 days and walked out only having to pay a few bucks out of pocket.. like you say from a law practice each case is different and all lawyers practice in different ways.. All doctors and lawyers aren’t competent plus clients and patients can be a pain in the behind.. keep on keeping .. Pro Bono sounds good.. take care

Sloan Bashinsky

Frank Many lawyers do some pro bono work, as volunteers. All lawyers do some pro bono work, because either a client can't pay, or the client stiffs the lawyer. 

My law license is active, but I don't have any clients. I don't have a legal secretary, or paralegal it's called today. I have been so long out of the practice that anything I attempted might be malpractice. Nor do I have the office machinery - copier, scanner, FAX machine, printer- to get out paper documents. 

For some years, I advised people about approaching legal conflict as a metaphor for something unresolved elsewhere in their lives. I wrote a couple of books about that, which are no longer in print. I tried charging money, or asking for donations, but it didn't feel right, so I went to doing it for free. I thought back then that I had found my life's work. Little did I know what lay ahead. Little did I know.

Frank

Sloan Bashinsky you appear to be a good man .. after majoring in football and partying I opened a private club and found out I’m not a businessman what I didn’t give away the rest was stolen from the business but it lasted about 5 years. Thanks for sharing ! It feels good not to get jumped on !

Sloan Bashinsky

Frank I've done plenty of jumping on during various phases of my so-called adult life. Laying low often is more appropriate. I seem to be blocked from making money off my own efforts. In the past, I gave away a lot of money, which I had inherited, thinking it somehow would all work out, and then I slept on the ground, in vehicles, in other people's homes and in shelters for several years. While that was eye-opening, I hope it didn't happen for you.

Frank 

Sloan Bashinsky personal demons almost got me for real in 1991 I attempted suicide and being in medical health as a patient was interesting being apart of so many different spirits.. some was playing crazy to get a crazy check..I believe most of the caregivers was crazy including the doctors in that field.. I didn’t do well in groups there was a lot of craps in those barrels and didn’t do well in church because I didn’t drink the cool-aid. Other than that life Is good for now , we never know what’s coming next.. I try not to do the math at 80…

Sloan Bashinsky

Frank I visited some Hotel Californias myself and came away with much the same sentiments. I was fortunate not to become chemically dependent on booze or street drugs, nor tobacco. I endured a black night of the soul for 16 months, which was far worse than a 4-year-dark night some years prior. Every day of the black night, for 4 hours after waking, I plotted my escape from this life, which would happen the next day. That allowed me to relax until the next day. The escape plan was the same every day. Finally, some things happened, I made a life change, and the black night began to lift, but it was months before all the chemicals left my system. They said the chemicals were not addictive, but they had not taken the chemicals and then tried to get off them. I concluded they all should take a full course of chemicals they prescribed, then see how the side effects are and what the withdrawal is like. I'm a mystic. It was a God thing, the dark night and the black night. But that didn't make it any easier. Glad you seem to be doing much better.

sloanbashinsky@yahoo.com