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Where does Discordia fit in 2012?

Started by AFK, December 20, 2011, 01:37:36 PM

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AFK

ZOMG!  IT'S 2012!!!

:omg:

The country is broken thanks to a broken political system.  Well, it's working just dandy if you ARE a politician.  A bunch of us have been round these parts for a few years now.  We've only seen things get worse, not better. 

So, what can Discordia add to the mix in 2012 and going forward?  What can we do? 

My take is that we can't really do anything when it comes to the System writ large.  I think the course has been more or less set in stone and only calamity or catastrophe is going to cause a shift in direction. 

I wonder if know the shift needs to be towards "saving" as many people as we can, in our own circles.  That is, shining the light on the failures and illuminating the other paths an individual can take to protect themselves and their loved ones. 

To put it shortly, I wonder if it is time for a strategy of defense as offense. 

What do you think?  Where does Discordia fit in 2012? 
Cynicism is a blank check for failure.

LMNO

Things are going to get pretty unpredictable, locally.  While we generally agree on seeing a steady decline, once it gets to a certain point, any number of things could happen.  The probabilities get evened out, so almost anything can happen.

Where Discordia fits in with that is, we're supposed to be pretty good in dealing with random things happening.  We're supposed to embrace the apparent Disorder as well as the apparent Order.  If we cling too tightly to either, we'll be sucked under by the other.  We are supposed to have a particular talent for handling catastrophe. 

It's about time we start gearing up for that.

Scribbly

We're living in exciting times.

More and more these days, the major media machine is failing to capture the imagination. This is particularly true (in my totally biased opinion) in people between the ages of 14-28. We're not so susceptible to believing everything we see on TV, nobody I know in that age bracket buys into the idea that any political party is better than any other, or that any of them are able to help lead us to a brighter tomorrow.

There's a lot of dissatisfaction and depression regarding things as they are. This is going to get worse. The next three to five years, unless something radical happens, are going to be years characterized by a worsening economy, falling living standards, and societal unrest. It might even have some healthy doses of racism, nationalism and other flavours of extremism thrown in.

But at the same time, we've got opportunities that we just didn't have even five years ago. Independent media, particularly in video games, are becoming the mainstream. I was looking at Steam this morning and seeing that there are no less than three 'independent game' bundle packs on there; packs which are usually designated by the big publishers.

We're becoming more interconnected than ever before, and that offers us small groups more chance than ever before to get our message out. Obama campaigned on a platform of change, but I think we're only just starting to get there; the times are a'changin', and it isn't going to be easy or pretty, but it is going to be exciting. Whether you focus on your personal circles or broaden the message out there, I think there's going to be a lot of people looking for something new; and yes, something to believe in. It might be hard to spread the message that they should think for themselves and believe in themselves, but it might also be the first time a lot of people find themselves hitting the bars of their self-imposed cage, and finding they need to do that.
I had an existential crisis and all I got was this stupid gender.

Nephew Twiddleton

I've been wondering where Discordia fits right now myself. The world seems to get crazier every day. I suppose it's an escalation of disorder to match the imposition of order. I guess what I'm wondering is where and how to push most effectively (And whether that push is a push forward or a push back).
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Sentence or sentence fragment pending

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Slurrealist

With the Principia Discordia on the crest shall the wave of Higher Expectations rise above the Earth.
This is my take.
If there's too much negative chaos, let's bring positive one.

QuoteThere's a lot of dissatisfaction and depression regarding things as they are. This is going to get worse. The next three to five years, unless something radical happens, are going to be years characterized by a worsening economy, falling living standards, and societal unrest. It might even have some healthy doses of racism, nationalism and other flavours of extremism thrown in.
This is where the PD might come handy.
"You're free, and freedom is beautiful. It will take time to restore chaos...but we will..."

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

I just watched a great TED talk about politics today which drove home the point that we actually need both progressives and conservatives in order to keep our social system in balance. I should find it...

Here!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Kai

Quote from: Nigel on December 21, 2011, 02:49:40 AM
I just watched a great TED talk about politics today which drove home the point that we actually need both progressives and conservatives in order to keep our social system in balance. I should find it...

Here!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html

I listened to the whole talk, despite being turned off by the religious speech, and I agree with his conclusion. Okay, we have to step outside the moral matrix to at least identify why people do what they do. This sounds similar to the maxim that Chaos is order and disorder. To convince people, I have to at least know why they do what they do.

But should I then accept so called moral authority, purity and ingroup as good, then? So, I know the argument. At the end of the day the majority of the worlds problems are caused by these things, so why shouldn't I still treat them as repugnant? This speaker mentioned briefly and then glossed over subjugation/elimination of people due to conservative morality. The Dalai Lama is often pointed out as a beacon of moral authority, but I've heard Cain talking about him being no more than a exiled theocratic dictator. While I think he made the case of stepping outside the moral matrix, I don't think he made the case for the necessity of conservatism.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. --Loren Eisley, The Immense Journey

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: 'Kai' ZLB, M.S. on December 21, 2011, 05:25:50 AM
Quote from: Nigel on December 21, 2011, 02:49:40 AM
I just watched a great TED talk about politics today which drove home the point that we actually need both progressives and conservatives in order to keep our social system in balance. I should find it...

Here!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html

I listened to the whole talk, despite being turned off by the religious speech, and I agree with his conclusion. Okay, we have to step outside the moral matrix to at least identify why people do what they do. This sounds similar to the maxim that Chaos is order and disorder. To convince people, I have to at least know why they do what they do.

But should I then accept so called moral authority, purity and ingroup as good, then? So, I know the argument. At the end of the day the majority of the worlds problems are caused by these things, so why shouldn't I still treat them as repugnant? This speaker mentioned briefly and then glossed over subjugation/elimination of people due to conservative morality. The Dalai Lama is often pointed out as a beacon of moral authority, but I've heard Cain talking about him being no more than a exiled theocratic dictator. While I think he made the case of stepping outside the moral matrix, I don't think he made the case for the necessity of conservatism.

I don't think he made the case for the necessity of oppressive conservatism. However, especially as an openly progressive scientist, neither did he argue against it in a sociological sense as a necessity of human society, for which I admire his scientific commitment. I don't think he was arguing in any way against opposing the moral authority in terms of their repugnance as a force of oppression against societal minorities, but rather arguing for their place in maintaining an important place in maintaining the significant push-pull between the naturally rule-based vs. the naturally permissive in society.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


AFK

Quote from: Nph. Twid. on December 20, 2011, 02:08:22 PM
I've been wondering where Discordia fits right now myself. The world seems to get crazier every day. I suppose it's an escalation of disorder to match the imposition of order. I guess what I'm wondering is where and how to push most effectively (And whether that push is a push forward or a push back).

I personally think it begins in our own backyard. 

Where can we have the most impact? 

We, Discordians, not being organized and such, we can have little to no impact when it comes to policy and policy making.  I mean, yeah, individually we can write letters, send e-mails, etc.  But all of the TeaBag idiots and hopeless Liberals are doing the same thing.  There's too much noise for us to cut through.

But, we have family, we all have friends, we all have colleagues, we all have mailmen,....

This stuff has to start at home, I think it is the only place where we can have any impact, even if that impact is limited to raising awareness. 
Cynicism is a blank check for failure.

Placid Dingo

Were very good at responding as individuals to random or evolving situations.

At jailbreaking.

At developing creative projects or situations.

To see 'discordian' become synonymous with a person that can add that kind of value to someone's life is a major part of where I can see Discordia going in 2012. Personally I think the types of links we have inside of a stick apart culture are the most valuable resources we have.

I can't remember who it was but I think Cain linked me, there was a blogger who had huge list of advice, and two stuck with me.

Create situations that cannot be controlled.

And more importantly.

Become a beacon of crazy hope.
Haven't paid rent since 2014 with ONE WEIRD TRICK.

MMIX

Sadly it looks like Discordia is already dead, guys. Which is a pity, because it looks like it might have had some interesting ideas going on:-

http://www.discordia.us/scoop/
"The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something we make and could just as easily make differently" David Graeber

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Slurrealist on December 20, 2011, 10:08:42 PM
If there's too much negative chaos, let's bring positive one.

There is no "negative" or "positive" chaos.  There is only order and disorder, which make up chaos.  Some of the order and some of the disorder are considered undesirable by domesticated primates, but this is not the same as "negative" and "positive".
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 20, 2011, 01:44:53 PM
Things are going to get pretty unpredictable, locally.  While we generally agree on seeing a steady decline, once it gets to a certain point, any number of things could happen.  The probabilities get evened out, so almost anything can happen.

Where Discordia fits in with that is, we're supposed to be pretty good in dealing with random things happening.  We're supposed to embrace the apparent Disorder as well as the apparent Order.  If we cling too tightly to either, we'll be sucked under by the other.  We are supposed to have a particular talent for handling catastrophe. 

It's about time we start gearing up for that.

Indeed.  This is a time to be prepared, to be up for any program.  There's entirely too much imposition of order in America - for example - today, and that of course means that the level of disorder is squishing out the sides and getting on everyone's pants.  We must, as good malcontents, join this great squishing, and thus stain the pants of the masses.  After all, the masses are ultimately responsible for all of this shit, it's only fair that they get stuck with the dry cleaning bill.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Dysfunctional Cunt

I wonder if part of the reason the order/disorder cycle is so out of whack is because we've become a world of packages.  Everything is pre-planned and pre-packaged all nice and neat for us.  You want to take a vacation?  Which package would you prefer?

Fun used to be messy.  A lot of it had a bit of risk associated with it.  Some of it was just plain dumb, but in the end, a good time was had by all.  Nothing was planned, there wasn't a Saturday night package you could purchase and sit back and experience.  You went out and did it.

How often to we break our daily schedules to just do something?  Anything?  We plan everything down to the tiniest detail it's like a see the world in 7 days tour.  Every microsecond is delegated and you don't want to break the schedule because you know it will wreak havoc with the rest of your day.

Maybe we need to get out and wreak a little havoc.  Get out and do something that is completely the opposite of what you normally do.  Live a little and yeah, maybe walk the edge or down the middle if you choose of the wild side.  Take a few risks, try some new things.  Just take a day or an afternoon or hell your lunch hour and do something completely different from what you had "scheduled".


The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Khara on December 21, 2011, 03:21:40 PM
Fun used to be messy.  A lot of it had a bit of risk associated with it.  Some of it was just plain dumb, but in the end, a good time was had by all.  Nothing was planned, there wasn't a Saturday night package you could purchase and sit back and experience.  You went out and did it.

It's still that way.  You just have to work at it a little harder.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.