It's all about CONTROL (#1)

I began this post in January, 2007, and procrastinatingly, have only reviewed it a few times since then. Pathetic.
I finally decided today, as I was reminded of the Tiananmen Square Uprising, that I'll just throw it out there, as unfinished as anything I've done, just to get the ball rolling. Anyway, as most bloggers seem to do brief but frequent updates (almost like sticking Post-It Notes on your screen) about what's only topical that day, even the very hour of posting, I'll have this foundational piece from which to build, as topical events warrant. There's always something occuring that resonates with this battle over control, and boy-oh-boy we've seen our fill of that lately, have we not?



***This is the 1st stab at a Hydra-like subject (and I ain't Hercules!) that I'll revisit and expand on periodically, with NO preplanning about subject order, frequency, or duration. I'm too impatient to wait for all that.***


This post's heading could well be the title of a book somebody should write.
The premise being thus: throughout history, the battles for human freedom have seen two basic philosophies (world views) pitted against each other- "I want to control you" vs. "Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone"
Often, at least for generations of modern times, the battles are so subtle (or mischaracterized) that they are hardly detected, and sometimes the combatants are almost indistinguishable.

To begin with, a common assumption about conflicts between peoples, when taking a long backwards glance at history, is that people are always fighting to control each other. Ancient battles pitting one kingdom against another or country vs. country seem to be turf-wars over land and power, entered into mutually; "to the victor goes the spoils", and the winner gets to "lord it over" the losers (if there are any survivors). The truth is that almost every single war ever waged has been initiated by a greedy, unrighteous aggressor, desiring to control or even vanquish it's victims. The decision on the part of the aggressor to attack another (whether the victim be a nation, kingdom, or individual) can accurately be characterized as the embodiment of all of the Seven Deadly Sins.

The aggressor greedily lusts after and has envy for another's status or posessions. A prideful conceit convinces him that he deserves to posess (and better utilize) that which another owns. This unsatisfied desire grows into a wrath unleashed upon it's victim. And all because the slothful sinner was too lazy to acquire that which he desired through righteous industry, and gluttony blinded him from being satisfied with what he already had.

Following is a list of some of the original topics I thought I'd be reflecting on in this CONTROL thread. I added the last one today.

welfare, 1st amendmant issues, environmentalism, free-markets vs. regulations, abortion?, shared-space, health issues, nutrition vs. freedom-to-eat-whatever-I-want, universal healthcare, terrorism-threat response, progressive (punitive) taxation, property rights and abuse of the "takings clause", the "Fairness Doctrine", campaign finance "reform" that inhibits free speech action. Government takeover of Too-Big-To-Fail companies


Well, now that this old post is finally published (and I FINALLY published anything!), I can hopefully revisit this frequently, with the battles raging over which direction this great nation will go. My apologies for once again being so absent.