The elections over the past month have been an example of how democracy holds dictators responsible. Musharraf first had to seen his party ousted in the once supportive north western territory, and then faced a rout in the general elections, removing him from power.
This is a leap forward for the middle east. Musharraf showed time and time again his dogma of oppression, everything from assassination of opposition ministers to jailing judges for upholding the law.
Sadly the same may not happen in Zimbabwe. Mugabe looks set to tear away yet another victory from the upcoming elections on Saturday, through a series of bribes (ambulances) and corruption (extra 'ghost' voters) much as he did in the last election. If he does so, then I increasingly regret the decision of the UK not to intervene in the reign of Mugabe much earlier in his time in power, as they almost did do. Hopefully this coming election will prove me wrong and I will be referring to the new ruler of Zimbabwe as Mugabe's successor. I'm sure all can agree that he should not be left to lead his nation to stagnation as Cuba was.
On socialism and the lie of equality
This remains one of the foundations of Aneism, based on the logic of the subjective reality and the science of evolution. Naturally, humans are unique, and as unique beings, we are not the same as any other.
Socialism would have us believe that all should be placed equal in governing the nation state, that all are equally capable, and more then this, that it is part of fundamental rights.
However, perhaps the golden rule of the state is that all states tend towards Oligarchy with time, whether this be democratic or totalitarian, the 'elite' always end up above the proletariat. This inevitability is perhaps the scourge of socialism (and lead to the formation of communism, where all are equal other then the few).
Not everyone is born equal. Socialists would have us believe that every person is equal to one another, we all have faults and gains, but we all round out equal, and so equally capable. This is simply not true. There are some who are incredibly intellectual, incredibly sporty, charismatic, innovative, and some who are all of these. Equally there are those who are none of these things, the labourers of the world, the unemployed, the forgotten. All of these people are hardly comparable to doctors, scientists, lawyers and the MDs in their respective societies, and it would simply be foolish to assume the two classes (lower and middle respectively) are equally rational and capable of deciding what is good for the nation state.
As can likely be realised, I am a strong elitist and supporter of the oligarchy above socialism. There are some who, through natural variation and sexual selection, are superior to others of our species in a myriad of ways. It can hardly be expected therefore, that we should accept the rule of the many over the rule of the best, as the latter form is always going to be superior to the former, they're simply better (genetically and through their upbringing) at guiding their nation state along the best course.
All people have their rights, but there will always be leaders.
Thursday 27 March 2008
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Basra and other affairs
"Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has given Shia militants in the southern city of Basra 72 hours to lay down their arms or face "severe penalties"."
This was the headline in the BBC website in the last few hours, and with it, expectedly, comes the liberal pacifist condemnation. As The Iraqi army undergoes its first serious expedition since the end of the invasion itself, the militias which hold power have given the obvious, and faked, cries of disbelief and foul play.
This is the first trial of stability for the new pro-western government in Baghdad. Putting its foot down on the militia-backed violent factions of Basra will be a step along the road to stability for Iraq. No matter how much the critics may bemoan such a move with the threat of an outbreak into a wider conflict, forcing the Mehdi Army to lay down its arms may end an era of oppressive governing by militia-backed political parties, and lay the stones for a freer Iraq. I wish Maliki good luck.
Tibet
Possibly the most controversial dinner-time conversations of families around the world are to do with the independence of Tibet, and discussing the recent crisis is no different. China's typical "tanks then talk" policy to dissenters has seemed to pull off again, inviting minimal international response. The most other nations have done is to urge China to undergo more peaceful actions, the result being anywhere between 19 and 140 dead over the past week in Lhasa, center of the riots.
However, despite China's "tanks before talk" policy, this is the first time I have had sympathy with their reactions. With the upcoming Olympics they had attempted to subdue the monks of Tibet, unleashing a furious wave of violence across the province/nation. Tibetans assaulted innocent Han Chinese, burnt their shops and reportedly left the immigrants to die in the flames. I am all for resistance against the oppression of China, but this was not resistance, it was ethnic cleansing with a ferocity not seen outside Africa for many years. China's response, for once, was well-merited, placing stability and safety above the vengeful attacker's 'freedoms'.
I hope one day Tibet gains back its rights as a nation, but in the past week they have sunk to the lever of their opponents.
Mugabe oppression
Another example of this despot's ridiculous continued legitimate tyranny is shown as political opponents are refused to advertise their campaigns on air, practically forcing the haphazard "anti-Mugabe" coalition for the upcoming general election.
Quite frankly the AU has better duties in Zimbabwe then invading the Comoran island of Anjouan to remove a petty new ruler who refuses to step from power. At least it is a step in the right direction. Although the force presented (1,500) is easily enough to overwhelm the island's 400 militia, it is still a meager show of strength for the peace-keeping organisation. The AU, an African organisation resembling a combination between NATO's militancy and the EU's politics, has a long way to go, but is proving a far more effective agent of stability in Africa then the UN ever has been. To the woe of the inhabitants of Darfur however, it is barely enough to police the continent.
This was the headline in the BBC website in the last few hours, and with it, expectedly, comes the liberal pacifist condemnation. As The Iraqi army undergoes its first serious expedition since the end of the invasion itself, the militias which hold power have given the obvious, and faked, cries of disbelief and foul play.
This is the first trial of stability for the new pro-western government in Baghdad. Putting its foot down on the militia-backed violent factions of Basra will be a step along the road to stability for Iraq. No matter how much the critics may bemoan such a move with the threat of an outbreak into a wider conflict, forcing the Mehdi Army to lay down its arms may end an era of oppressive governing by militia-backed political parties, and lay the stones for a freer Iraq. I wish Maliki good luck.
Tibet
Possibly the most controversial dinner-time conversations of families around the world are to do with the independence of Tibet, and discussing the recent crisis is no different. China's typical "tanks then talk" policy to dissenters has seemed to pull off again, inviting minimal international response. The most other nations have done is to urge China to undergo more peaceful actions, the result being anywhere between 19 and 140 dead over the past week in Lhasa, center of the riots.
However, despite China's "tanks before talk" policy, this is the first time I have had sympathy with their reactions. With the upcoming Olympics they had attempted to subdue the monks of Tibet, unleashing a furious wave of violence across the province/nation. Tibetans assaulted innocent Han Chinese, burnt their shops and reportedly left the immigrants to die in the flames. I am all for resistance against the oppression of China, but this was not resistance, it was ethnic cleansing with a ferocity not seen outside Africa for many years. China's response, for once, was well-merited, placing stability and safety above the vengeful attacker's 'freedoms'.
I hope one day Tibet gains back its rights as a nation, but in the past week they have sunk to the lever of their opponents.
Mugabe oppression
Another example of this despot's ridiculous continued legitimate tyranny is shown as political opponents are refused to advertise their campaigns on air, practically forcing the haphazard "anti-Mugabe" coalition for the upcoming general election.
Quite frankly the AU has better duties in Zimbabwe then invading the Comoran island of Anjouan to remove a petty new ruler who refuses to step from power. At least it is a step in the right direction. Although the force presented (1,500) is easily enough to overwhelm the island's 400 militia, it is still a meager show of strength for the peace-keeping organisation. The AU, an African organisation resembling a combination between NATO's militancy and the EU's politics, has a long way to go, but is proving a far more effective agent of stability in Africa then the UN ever has been. To the woe of the inhabitants of Darfur however, it is barely enough to police the continent.
Aneism
Contents
Summary
Origins of the Name
Aneist Principles
- On God
- On reasonable doubt
- On subjective reality
- On reasonable Nihilism
- On ultimate selfishness
Summary
Its chief foundation is the rejection of religious views and superstitions of all kinds as impossible to truly base them in reality without great assumptions. This is in accordance with an extreme empiricist viewpoint in which almost everything is in doubt, leading to Nihilism, dampened by subjective reality viewpoint.
Origins of the Name
The original form of the name was formed as a combination of the basics of Aneism, Atheism, Nihilism and Empiricism.
Aneist Principles
On God
Aneism holds a very firm Atheistic viewpoint in terms of Gods. It sees the only justification for God to be as a creator (and hence holds some sympathy for the Deist viewpoint) but also rejects the idea of using a “God of gaps” to fill wholes in science, such as creation. The Aneist viewpoint is that religion was simply a tool for basic man to fill gaps in understanding, including the basics of life. As science and knowledge developed this need has been reduced, and Aneism places absolute emphasis that supernatural elements should not be used as a placeholder until empirical evidence fills the gaps in our knowledge, lest we rely on this placeholder and loose faith in knowledge.
On reasonable doubt
Reasonable doubt stems from the extreme empiricism (emphasising the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory perception, in the formation of ideas, whilst discounting the notion of innate ideas). However, due to the impossibility to prove the reliability of one’s senses, everything is then put in doubt. The one exception to this is the existence of a self, as an extension of Descartes’ “I think therefore I am”. The basic belief is that in order to experience perceptions there must be a self to analyse them, even if the analysis is false. This leads to the basis of subjective reality. However, Aneism also emphasises that to live in a state of absolute doubt is an impossible situation for a human being, and that to live within the subjective reality requires the assumption that it exists, hence only reasonable doubt is utilised in analysis of the subjective reality.
On subjective reality
The Aneist principle of reasonable doubt rejects all objectivity, claiming that being able to see reality from a viewpoint other then that of the self is impossible. This results in an absolutely subjective reality, in which the world only exists as a merit of the observer’s perception. Anything beyond this perception can be doubted, as it cannot be ultimately proven to exist. However, reasonable doubt dictates that this must be assumed to exist for the sanity of the individual and capability to survive on a metapersonal scale.
On reasonable Nihilism
Aneism rejects Judaeo-Christian egoism, having their God centred upon the Earth and caring for each and every one of them personally. Aneism claims this to be a creation of the human urge for importance and a creation of subjective reality, being only aware of what the person can perceive naturally causes subjective thinking, and thus centred on the self. Rejection of this admits purposelessness, and the ultimately useless position of the self. Emphasis is placed that even if our universe removed, let alone its tiny fragments of our galaxy, our solar system, Earth, Humans and ultimately the self, would not affect reality as a whole, which would continue regardless. This results in the embracing of Nihilistic positions that the self is without objective meaning or essential value. However, much in the same way as reasonable doubt, Aneism maintains that this is not a reasonable way to think in life, and that this logic must be dampened by the reasonable. In this way, although ultimately the life of the self has no meaning or value, as everything in centred on the self due to the subjective reality, such ideas cannot be ultimately held without loosing touch with the subjective reality, and so succumbing to insanity. As such things must be reduced to a subjective scale. Although the self is valueless in terms of the possibly non-self viewpoint, from the subjective view it is the most important aspect of perception, so leading to ultimate selfishness.
On ultimate selfishness
It is the Aneist perspective that, as all reality is based on the subjective perception, that selfishness is the only possible human position. Such actions which appear selfless are in fact as much for the self as for any other individuals. Charity, for example, helps other human beings, but is only done for the sense of good-will and happiness experienced by the self when doing so. If this after-effect were not present, then the self would not undergo such an action. The same is true of religious charity and self-reduction undergone by monks and nuns of various religious orders. Although this at first appears a selfless action purely produced by religion, it is in fact only due to the good-will felt by complete subjugation to a religious authority, and the rewards promised for such action.
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