Ideology

ideology -noun, the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc. that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group. —Dictionary.com

There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
—Morpheus, The Matrix

In Spanish, there are two separate words for knowing: "saber" like to know a fact; and "conocer" like to be familiar with (especially a person). We can know intellectually what the path is without walking it, but can we be personally familiar with a path that we haven't walked? Can we walk a path that we don't know?

From a practical perspective, will we walk a path without knowing the reason? We may accept that in principle, a certain way of living is good. But will we fully embrace that way of living if we don't know why it's good or will we stray when walking the path becomes inconvenient?

Jesus of Nazareth taught his followers to turn the other cheek and time and time again, Christians have found reasons for not walking the path. Would the instructions have been adhered to more closely if Jesus had explained why it's better to turn the other cheek?

I intend not to vote for a Republican or a Democrat for president in 2008 so no third party candidate is going to spoil my vote for a Bi-Party candidate. We keep voting for the least worse, every time falling back and losing ground. Democrats run on a platform of opposing the war in Iraq then after winning they support the war and call for another war based on lies. Democrats promise to stand for our rights and freedoms then vote to relinquish them for an etherical promise of security. Democrats promise accountability in government then turn their backs as the Administration brazenly commits repeated high crimes and misdemeanors. Democrats win two elections then concede the will of the people. Democrats ban Dennis Kucinich from election debates because he doesn't support the causes of the Republican Party. All that and Democrats still claim that the difference between the two halves of the Bi-Party is like night and day. If we fail to take a stand now, then when will we?

In infancy, childhood is a step forward but to an adolescent, it would be a step backward. As childhood is a step in social growth, capitalism is a step in economic growth and no matter where we are personally, we have a tendency to identify our current state as the best.

Both big business and big government can be our greatest weakness but the government of a democratic republic can also be our greatest strength and defense from big business. It's within our reach if we care enough to take it.

Rules, regulations, laws, ordinances, and commandments, etc. provide us with order, structure, and predictability until we grow beyond their necessity (which I'm sorry but we've yet to accomplish).

A society that relies on punishment to control unwanted behavior is roughly equivalent to a driver that relies on a ball peen hammer for car repairs. By now, we should have figured out a few more creative and effective solutions.

Fascist leaders round up internal opponents employing labels intended to instill fear of the opponents, terms such as "enemy of the state" or "enemy combatant" or "terrorist". The definition always starts out narrow to manufacture consent and support. Over time, the labels are applied more broadly to the extent that people tolerate human rights violations, torture, and murder. The real strength of a nation might be measured by its ability to resist.

Some totalitarian regimes had state-run media but the U.S. has media-run state. Either way, the real power stands behind the stage and pulls the puppet's strings. Democracy, like free will, is only an illusion without the truth.

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