09 May 2008

Schmitt and the Realists

Here's a paper I just had to write for 506. Check it out if your interested in the problems of a universal declaration of human rights and an end to wars of aggression as mandated by a multi-national world authority. the formatting is weird cause i don't quite know how to use the wisc webspace yet, but im working on it...

http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/jtmorrison/web/506.2.5.txt

ps, besides all of the problems accompanying this line of universalist thought, i can't stand for simply for its universality. Universal is the lack of individuality and freedom, no matter the subject, and this is a door I will never support opening. A moral hegemony is the most frightening entity I can think of in the public sphere.

JTspruce

08 May 2008

I'm a Man, man

Got to love the Navy's (or the Armed Forces' in general) recruitment tactics. Recieved a call from our favorite recruiter, just doin his job, trying to get me to commit immediately to the Navy. To do so, however, would be to pass up the opportunity to go to Europe next year, something I'm not willing to do. He called into question if i was truly commited to doing it. I understand that he has to do that; he doesn't know me well enough to know I have made a commitment to myself to do this, and only an act of God will get in the way of it. So I can't really blame him. Which brings me to the point of today...

Here's an idea about being a great man.
The difference between a good man and a great man cannot be determined by accomplishments. Many good men are considered great because of their circumstances only. The great must know they are great on the inside, know without a doubt who they are. I do not mean to imply anything here, I can only one day hope to be a great man. Regardless, my definition of greatness has nothing to do with accomplishments. Importance and Greatness are not similies. Greatness relies on an inner peace, an absoluteness about who you are and what you are doing in this world. It is a realization of ability and a challenge to fufill yourself to your greatest potential. Constant redefinition of this is also part of it. It is a wonderful duality. The certainty of the necessity of change. Knowing that you are doing your best to be who you are and at the same time realizing the need to change that person for the better. In a way, it relates to the concept of Christian humility. Regardless of how hard you try, you will sin. It is a certainty. You can be the best and still have room for improvement. Humanity is flawed from the start, and yet there is hope. You can find strength, and there is hope for the future. It is def. something to aspire to.
Some day...
sweet.


post script.
Snack pack. what a find. my favorite.
the end.

06 May 2008

Post Script

http://freedom.indiemaps.com/

frickin sweet. awsome map, gets you thinking about how they come up with these numbers...

No Drama in the Somma

It is summer. Almost. Just barely. Almost. School likes to tease us by giving us nice days during which we must study study study. Oh well. Good thing I am practiced at telling school to go fuck off...

Which brings me to my point. Liberalism vs. Realism. A world state vs. Realism. I can't get the images of Firefly out of my head when we deal with issues like these in class and in readings. The image of the total state doesn't scare me so much as disgust me. If we can't trust our governments currently, how on earth can we trust the moral loftiness of a world state. The end of war doesn't jibe well with my view on power structure. There will always be something worth fighting for. There SHOULD always be something worth fighting for. If you can't find anything, you don't yet know how they are abusing you using a power structure to mask their intentions and actions. We have been warned, from the depths of history, to guard against those who would make us passive by showing us the "good life", by those who will redefine honor, duty, and virtue to suit their needs. Pleanexia or Sophrosyne? The Protestant Ethic or The Hive of Bees? The World State or the pit fight for your own view of truth. Kant or Schmitt? It is not a relative matter. Power structures must be kept local to minimize the damage done by their misuse. They will never cease to be misused. Ethics will shift with time, in no uncertain terms. What we agree as right today will not be so to our children's children. To codify them is to ban gay marriage in the state constitution. Utterly ridiculous. The choice is easy. At least for me.

Peace for now.