Anarchy

I've always struggled to classify myself according to any of the political ideologies that I've examined in any semblance of a serious way. But that was before I examined anarchism in a semblance of a serious way, and now I think I'd be pretty comfortable labeling myself an anarchist, where anarchism is loosely defined as a philosophy that all human interaction should be voluntary and thus rejects permanent authority. I tend to see anarchy as the fullest realization of human freedom.

I anticipate that a common response to advocacy for anarchism is that government is here to stay and thus anarchy is unrealistic. It is probably true that the institution of the state isn't going away any time soon, but that doesn't mean that anarchist philosophy has nothing to offer. In an essay from 1970 titled "Language and Freedom," published in Chomsky On Anarchism, the brilliant linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky writes that "social action must be animated by a vision of a future society, and by explicit judgments of value concerning the character of this future society." One who finds the vision of an anarchist society attractive can then engage in social action inspired by that vision, and guided by anarchist principles.

Chomsky goes on:

A vision of a future social order is in turn based on a concept of human nature. If in fact man is an indefinitely malleable, completely plastic being, with no innate structures of mind and no intrinsic needs of a cultural or social character, then he is a fit subject for the "shaping of behavior" by the state authority, the corporate manager, the technocrat, or the central committee. Those with some confidence in the human species will hope this is no so and will try to determine the intrinsic human characteristics that provide the framework for intellectual development, the growth of moral consciousness, cultural achievement, and participation in a free community.

Needless to say I am one of those who hopes man is not a blank slate, and I think scientific inquiry in the nearly 38 years since that essay was originally presented has brightened this hope.

Chomsky concludes:

I like to believe that the intensive study of one aspect of human psychology - human language - may contribute to a humanistic social science that will serve, as well, as an instrument for social action. It must, needless to say, be stressed that social action cannot await a firmly established theory of man and society, nor can the validity of the latter be determined by our hopes and moral judgments. The two - speculation and action - must progress as best they can, looking forward to the day when theoretical inquiry will provide a firm guide to the unending, often grim, but never hopeless struggle for freedom and social justice.

Just like I was an atheist before I realized it, I was an anarchist before my recent investigation of the subject, and I think that my personal statement attached to my graduate school applications (I might publish part or all of it in a future post) essentially identified a similar thought progression as a primary reason that I want to study psychology (though probably not language specifically). Understanding the nature of humanity can help create a better social structure, and regular readers certainly know what little regard I have for the current social structure.

back to it

It is growing more and more clear to me how totally insane the world is and at the same time less and less clear how to feel about it. As for the other question - what to do about it - I'm as convinced as anything by the 'stop traffic' approach, though the idea that anyone can do anything seems rather ridiculous.

xmas trip recap

Well we're back from our whirlwind tour of Maryland. We put 1600 miles on the car (I'm thinking about buying carbon offsets - any suggestions anyone?), slept in 8 different places (some more comfortable than others), had some good meals and some bad ones, had some good times and some bad ones, and despite enjoying our trip, we're both quite glad to be home.

As for possible topics for blogging in the near future:

• I read a lot of Chomsky on the trip, and imagine I'll be blogging about it. I also landed a handful of books as gifts, and they'll be showing up too.
• I won my fantasy football league, which was worth $320. Perhaps I'll share my secrets to paying a month's rent with your fantasy sports prowess. (Teaser: Step One is to move to rural Ohio.)
• We encountered all kinds of family drama, which at first I thought I shouldn't really write about. But then I realized that I'm only aware of one family member reading my blog with any regularity, so what's the difference right? And in a way that inattention is related to the drama, so there's all kinds of opportunity for the self-conscious meta-analysis on which this blog was founded.
• The cats traveled with us, and spent an exciting evening with an energetic 8 week old mini-beagle. An overload of cuteness was the inevitable outcome. Also, the puppy pooped in the litter box.
• We saw I Am Legend and The Golden Compass. I'd cautiously recommend both and might elaborate in a future post.
• I've submitted 3 of the 4 grad school applications I'll be completing (the last is due by January 15), and might share some thoughts on that subject.
• My friends are really starting to reproduce. I hung out with two infants and a pregnant woman. This feels like some kind of life passage. (I myself have no plans for reproduction in my near future. Maybe if we get one part-time job between the two of us...)

That's all I got for now. If you're part of my immense audience the is here for the kinds of powerful political insights I usually generously provide, I'd suggest clicking on some of the blog articles linked to in my sidebar or here.

adspar disappears for newtonmas

Not that I ever blog any more, but I'll be home for the holidays from tomorrow to some time late in the month, and so I won't be posting for a while probably. I'll make it up to you guys, I promise!

This post makes way more sense than post are usually allowed to make

Before I get back to my latest stray cat rescue attempt, here are these things.

1.) Courtesy of Glenn Greenwald, here is Noam Chomsky making way more sense than people are usually allowed to make.



2.) Courtesy of Walt, here is Santa Claus making way more sense than people are usually allowed to make.



3.) Nancy Pelosi fails the Jason Bourne Test and so she must go down. The Jason Bourne Test makes way more sense than tests are usually allowed to make.

hope for the fraidy cats

The cute little guy who was hanging around our door has been living in our bathroom for the last 24 hours. We got him in the house, and he hated it at first, but he's made huge progress. He went from being terrified of us to seeking out and loving our affection. We have a vet appointment for him tomorrow to make sure he's healthy and free of diseases and parasites, and we'll get him fixed soon too. We're still not sure if we want to keep him or just socialize him and then find another home for him. He's not going to be interacting directly with our cats until we know it is safe.

Meanwhile the shelter I built intended for him has another occupant, and two other interested parties. There have been some fights over the rights to sleep in it. So we built another one that isn't quite as good, and we're not sure if anyone is taking that one or not. One of those three cats, the dominant one, seems extremely friendly to humans, so we're definitely planning to take him to the shelter.

In regards to the shelter, we've learned that the two adult female cats we've taken there have both been adopted, and the baby kitten is still too young to give out, but he's likely to be adopted as well. So we're getting pretty confident that any friendly cat we take there will end up in a home. We're just reluctant to take in a cat that is scared of people, but the guy in the bathroom is teaching us that there's hope even for the fraidy cats.

I feel pretty good about helping these poor things. It is damn cold out there. As long as there are friendly ones on the stoop, we'll be trying to get them into a better situation.

RIP Chip Reese

One of the greatest poker players of all time, Chip Reese, dead at 56.

more stray cats

It has started to get very cold here, and a few nights ago a tiny kitten and his mother showed up on our doorstep. We put out one of our cat carriers with a warm blanket in it, and they slept there. The next morning we took both of them to the shelter.

I'm reluctant to take an animal from its home area and put it in a cage somewhere, especially at a shelter that does kill some of its animals, but in their case I think it made sense. The kitten was still young and cute and could likely still get used to people, so he seems very likely to be adopted. The mother is healthy-looking and attractive, and she was somewhat open to human touch. Plus she looked like she might be pregnant again. The shelter says they have a very good adoption rate, so I think it was the right thing to do in their case.

Now there's another cat outside our door. We had seen it hanging around with those other two, and we suspect it is an older kitten from the same mother. This guy is somewhat afraid of people, and does not like being inside at all. I don't quite know what to do with him (or her), because his extra wildness seems to make it less adoptable and thus more likely to get killed. But it is getting really cold outside, and he clearly wants something from us. He looks well-fed, so he must be getting food from somewhere.

My best idea is maybe to put together some kind of more permanent shelter for him, but I don't really want to start feeding him. I'd kind of like to get him fixed and immunized too. But I'm kind of averse to spending so much time and money on this guy, for fear that soon I'd be doing it for more of them.

Ugh.

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Steve Francis

Abbott on Stevie Franchise:

After playing a key role in a big win for the first time in a long time, Steve Francis was hilarious in the post-game TV interview last night. Arm draped casually around the interviewer's shoulder, joke at the ready, and clearly in no hurry ... he was like Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard: ready for his closeup. Jason Friedman of the Houston Press reflects on his two good games: "Francis is like that loveable kid in your class with a knack for saying or doing the wrong things at the wrong time. As much as you like the guy, you can't stop wondering what he could accomplish if he just buckled down and applied himself. Sometimes, he gets kicked out of class, after which he always comes back contrite and respectful. But the moment he starts feeling comfortable again, the shenanigans return. So you have to ask yourself: Will this time be any different? The thing is, the Rockets don't need Stevie to be the Franchise of old. They'd happily settle for Manu Ginobili-Lite; someone who can come off the bench, fill-up the stat sheet, and provide a spark with his energy, offense and derring-do. That's exactly what Francis has done the last two games. Both resulted in Rockets wins. So know this: The class is watching you, Stevie. They're also pulling for you. What will you do next?"

This seems about right to me. Francis was one-and-done at Maryland my freshman year, and I've always had conflicted feelings about him. He does seem like a very nice and likeable guy, from limited firsthand experience and from various stories I've heard. As a pro he's been rather petulant at times, but that seems more because he wears his heart on his sleeve and is maybe a bit immature than because he's some kind of chronic malcontent.

Aside from the personal level, I both love and hate his game. He's an amazing athlete and can been very fun to watch, but he tends to take bad shots and play selfishly. But he's been a great rebounder and good assist man, and does seem like he wants to get his teammates involved and win. I always wished that he'd be able to channel his talent in a positive, team-friendly way. I can't help but thinking that coaching has failed him a bit, though I'm sure he bears significant responsibility as well. He should really be used as a shooting guard, rather than at point, and maybe a bench role would work best at this point in his career. Iverson has shown us that its hard to build an elite team around an undersized shooting guard with a poor field goal percentage. Steve can't really be The Franchise any more, but maybe that Ginobili-lite role would be a good one.