Even though the temperature was barely above freezing - with the streets gleaming ice - Franklin felt much warmer than usual. He'd skipped out of the office at lunchtime, knowingly breaking the rules again. He'd decided to face the shopkeeper from the junk store and fess up to his thievery. While Franklin wished that his confession was merely for the sake of clearing his karma, he also had another agenda as well. Franklin decided to also ask the shopkeeper if perhaps, Franklin and Sue might be able to meet there later that evening.
While Franklin wasn't quite sure how Haggai would react, he decided that at the very least, the turtle and 1984 would be returned to their rightful owner. He hoped, however, the keeper would be open to his proposal regarding the room, as well. Franklin had also done something this morning, he'd never done in his entire life. This morning, he removed the plastic bag from the back of his toilet that contained the illegal cash he had collected over the years. After drying the exterior of the bag, he riffled through the contents, pulling out five $20 bills, though he had no idea what the old cash was worth in today's ameros. Shoving the cash in his pocket, he hoped it was enough to rent the room at the junk shop for just one night. Similar to being caught with Orwell's book in his pocket, discovery of the cash would mean a date with a dirt nap. Franklin figured carrying the cash really didn't matter though, seeing as how if he were caught with the cash, the book would be in his coat pocket too. 'What were Security Services going to do,' he wondered, 'kill me twice?' The long lost book of treason – Orwell's 1984 – had sort of become his secret strength, traveling everywhere with him, concealed in the front inside pocket of his jacket, just over his heart.
When Franklin arrived at the alley that led to the junk shop, he quickly did an about face, just to make sure he wasn't being followed. The drones were always a risk, though there was nothing Franklin could do about them really anyway, so he decided to just pretend as if they didn't exist at all. For some reason another long-lost memory suddenly popped into Franklin's head. He remembered when he'd been visiting one of his best buddies, way back when they were both young men. Franklin's pal was married with one child, whom Franklin always took great pleasure in seeing grow over the years. With each visit the little guy seemed to get a little taller and a little smarter.
Watching the kid grow up from afar always made Franklin wish he had children of his own, but for whatever reason, things just hadn't worked out that way. Regardless, the memory now standing out in Franklin's mind was from a dinner at their cozy little house, back when the tyke was only knee high. The thing about it though, was that the little guy wasn't 'just two years old', rather, he was right smack dab in the middle of his 'terrible twos.' Husband, wife and Franklin, were sitting at the dining room table, chatting about the world over a nice post-dinner port, when suddenly a little rumble sounded from the corner of the room. The mother gasped, causing Franklin to crane his head slightly over the table, attempting to decipher what exactly what was happening. Behold! The little guy (apparently in potty training years) had decided that the plant in the corner was a spectacular place to practice. Trousers down and looking directly at his parents, the child exclaimed, "You can't see me; I'm invisible!" Franklin distinctly remembered an odd silence suddenly falling over the room, similar to the calmness in the sky, just before a tornado touches down. On this day, however, the tornado happened to be mother, who to Franklin's surprise, somehow leapt directly from her seat, over the table and maybe even another chair too, snagging the aforesaid invisible party by the elbow. After that, Franklin concluded mothers definitely have superpowers. Franklin couldn't help to laugh at the situation, though the mother and father were much less amused. Franklin figured somewhere deep down though; the parents must have seen the humor too, even if they couldn't show it.
Reflecting on the tot's brilliant statement in the middle of his dining room plant-potty extravaganza, Franklin couldn't help to identify with the little guy right now. He concluded that if Security Services arrived on the scene, he'd make sure to tell them he was invisible too. While he doubted his proclamation of invisibility would have any bearing on the outcome, at least he'd have a moment of humor, before they took him away. In the next moment, Franklin then realized that he hadn't seen, or heard from his friend in over a decade; that's just the way it was in The Corporation though…friends often lost touch.
Usually forever...
Entering the alley, suddenly Franklin stopped abruptly in his tracks. On one of the sealed recycling pods against the wall on his right, perched a Great Horned Owl, a real, live Great Horned Owl. Franklin had only seen this type of bird - in the flesh - once before in his life. Two and a half decades before, Franklin lived on the furthermost tip of Long Island, east of New York City. The long strip of land had disappeared under water about ten years earlier and Franklin often wondered where the owl had migrated. He had encountered the owl on a warm, luminescent summer day when the sun was shining so bright on the topside of the trees, the underbelly of the forest's canopy shimmered like a brilliant green sea. He had been standing in the wooded nature preserve behind his house, simply listening to the animate singing of birds, chirping of crickets and the subtle symphony of the thin trees rocking back and forth in the gentle wind. As Franklin breathed deeply, taking it all in, he suddenly noticed a huge owl perched on a fencepost, not more than twenty feet to his right. Franklin was awestruck at the enormous bird, which almost seemed like a bold, strong, and stoic statue at first. The owl was staring directly at Franklin, clearly with no intention of moving. Though Franklin remembered a museum trip as a child where he'd learned how large the Great Owls were, he'd never actually seen one in person. In the flesh, the Great Horned Owl was much more grandiose, standing at least two feet tall and likely weighing around thirty pounds. Suddenly, the owl swiveled its head to the left, looking somewhere deep into the woods. Then, as quickly as it had glanced away, the owl's piercing gaze turned back, locking eyes with Franklin.
Franklin hadn't ever thought of owls as overly fierce birds, but seeing the Great Horn in person, he quickly changed his mind. The owl's massive talons pierced the hard, wooden post like tent stakes into the soft earth, just after a long rain. For whatever reason though, Franklin wasn't afraid of the colossal owl either. Rather, when the bird locked eyes, Franklin felt as if it were actually trying to tell him something. Whatever it was, the message was stern, serious, and cautionary. While he could hear nothing from the owl, in terms of actual sound, Franklin's soul was able to clearly disseminate the message from the bird's eyes.
"Be ready for change," the owl said, "because the people of the world will not be."
Franklin's soul asked, "The people won't be ready for change?"
"No. The people will not change the destructive downward cycle of money, greed, and selfishness."
Feeling slow to fully digest the message, Franklin's soul asked, "I don't understand, if people are not going to change, why am I supposed to be ready for change?"
"Because the people of the world won't change, the Universe is about to."
"You mean, like the world's going to end, or something?"
"No," said the bird again, "the prophets are false; the world isn't going to end physically, but humanity is at a significant crossroads. Metaphorically speaking, the asteroid already hit the earth and the poles have already shifted. But what people do not understand is that the 'asteroid' is selfishness and the 'poles' are empathy and cruelty."
"Are you saying cruelty will replace empathy?"
"Just take a look around you... Watch the evening news and decide for yourself. Drive on the freeway for a few hours and we both know what your answer will be."
"So how do we stop it?"
"Stop blaming..."
The owl then spread its wings, which must have been five, or six feet in span. Franklin was expecting the owl to flap its wings and fly away, but it did not. Instead, with wings outspread, it simply fell forward from the fence post; Franklin gasped thinking the owl would hit the ground just a few feet below. Somehow though, instead of crashing into the earth, the owl gracefully glided out of the descent, traveling for about thirty feet straightforward, only two feet off the ground. Then suddenly, with what seemed like nothing more than a flicker of its vast wings, the owl shot straight up – vertical – into the leaves hanging high overhead. In the second it took for Franklin's eyes to adjust to the light coming through the trees, the owl had vanished like a ghost...or perhaps, an angel.
Now here, in this alley - in the dead cold of winter - stood a Great Horned Owl looking almost exactly like the one from Franklin's past. The owl staring at Franklin right now seemed to also be speaking with its eyes too. The owl's eyes said, "Hearts never lie. People lie to themselves to justify their actions – to justify their inaction in the name of fear and greed - but hearts never lie." Franklin's soul started to ask a question, but the owl's eyes cut him off. "Deep down, the wicked know they are wicked because though the pathology of man permits temporary denial, the heart of the wicked man will remind him of the truth again someday." And then the bird said something in a language that sounded like Russian, "Esli Boga net--znachit, vsio pozvoleno." The owl paused and then said, "But he does exist."
In the blink of an eye, the owl spread its wings once again, and shot straight up into the sky. Franklin squinted as the gray UV light tore into his vision, by the time his eyes adjusted, the owl had disappeared again. Franklin stood for a moment, quiet, warm, and unafraid, feeling an overwhelming sense of peace, all rushing over him in the same moment. Franklin arrived at the conclusion he could no longer embrace the animosity that had taken possession of the masses, nor could he propel the principals of The Corporation one second more. He felt almost hypocritical in his realization of the monster that had become humanity. Franklin knew that not only was he guilty of the same behavior in the past, but by pointing out the faults of the masses he was no further above Judgementalism than the whole. The fine line, he concluded, was that he must make an honest effort to keep his heart open to the truth, while never giving into hurt or manipulation within the larger paradigm of corporate cannibals that had somehow taken hold. He would not hate The Corporation, or those who chose to mindlessly uphold its rules. However, Franklin's decision to forgive did not mean he would simply pretend the entire paradigm of 'hurtfulness as virtue' in society didn't exist.
Unfortunately in the post millennium corporate culture, the dirtiest souls usually occupied the topmost tiers. Franklin wondered if karma really existed in the universe anymore? Letting out a deep sigh, Franklin concluded that thinking about everything – all the time - was becoming exhausting. In his heart though, he knew the public's lack of desire to think independently and deeply, had been one of the leading chariots - escorting freedom to the grave. As Franklin approached the glass door of the junk shop, he could see the old shopkeeper polishing something behind the counter. Franklin wondered how it was that even though the keeper seemed to be eternally polishing; almost everything in the junk store was covered in dust. A small set of hallow bells jingled on the glass door, as Franklin pushed it open. The shopkeeper was humming to himself as Franklin approached the counter, stopping only for a moment to raise his eyes above the rims of his glasses, before returning to the eternal dusting and polishing. As Franklin walked up to the middle of the long counter, he deciphered that the old keeper was buffing a compass inset within century-old murky brass. Even though Franklin was standing directly in front of the counter, the keeper continued to polish for three, or four more minutes, paying no attention to his visitor.
"Hello!" Franklin tried his best to sound like nothing was wrong. The shopkeeper continued softly humming and polishing, only raising his glance for a brief moment before diverting back. Just when Franklin concluded the shopkeeper was furious with him for stealing the book and that he should probably get going, the shopkeeper suddenly stopped humming and shining. "Well hello there young man, I didn't see you come in."
'Didn't see me come in?' Franklin queried in his mind, 'You looked up and said hello.'
Deciding it would better to not agitate the old guy and just try to keep the conversation friendly, Franklin replied with, "Ah…yea… Hey, that's an incredible compass you have there." Franklin meant what he said.
The keeper looked down at the compass and smiled, replying, "Why yes it is young man, yes it is."
"I... I um..." Franklin felt a bead of sweat appear on his forehead, "I took two things that weren't mine; one intentionally and the other accidentally. Regardless, I'm sorry."
Both men were silent for a moment, though, Franklin felt he needed to add something more, "I think it was just the moment and, well, I'm very sorry." He retrieved the book and turtle from his front pocket and set both on the glass counter separating the two.
"I would be happy to pay you double for both to make amends." Riffling through his trouser pockets, Franklin produced the cash he'd brought too.
"Jeepers…good old cash," the keeper said unexpectedly. Haggai picked up the book and examined the cover. Taking the turtle with his other hand, the keeper looked over his glasses at Franklin again, "I'm afraid I've already called Security Services, they're waiting for you outside."
Franklin's heart fell through his shoes, as his bladder turned over in his stomach.
"Ha!" The keeper let out a laugh, "gottcha there!" Then another laugh and, "well, now I guess we're even."
The joke wasn't funny at all, but Franklin knew he couldn't be mad; he gotten what he deserved. "Very funny, I think I just had a heart attack."
"Want an aspirin?" the keeper inquired.
"I didn't picture you as a joker," Franklin said over his own chuckling.
"Anyway, that was awfully nice of you to fess up young man, but I'm afraid we have a problem." Franklin had no clue what was coming next, "You can't pay for what I left as a gift."
"Um, what?"
"The book and the turtle were waiting for you. You took exactly what you were supposed to, which is good, and even better, you returned them. The first test was one of intuition, the second of character. You pass."
"I was a little surprised when you didn't mention either, but when I found the note; I figured you'd had other things on your mind. Who is she and did you read the book?"
"Yes, yes, of course, I've carried it with me every day since I left… Everywhere I go."
The shopkeeper was smiling contently as if he'd just achieved a great victory. "Well?"
Franklin wasn't quite sure what the shopkeeper wanted to hear, though suddenly the words just began to pour out of his mouth. "What happened? How did we forget, or did we ever know?!" Franklin couldn't stop to flow of questions, "Have we been sleeping? Why did this really have to happen and how was Orwell so brilliantly ahead of his time? How did The Corpora…"
The shopkeeper waved his hand in the air, signaling for Franklin to stop talking. "Young man, I'm sure you have many questions. Understandably so; waking from a haze can be confusing, to say the least." The shopkeeper paused for a moment, looking down at the compass in brass and then back up at Franklin, "Do you remember the last time when you were here, when you looked at the compass in the red box upstairs in the bedroom?"
Franklin nodded yes.
"Do you remember asking me if I was 'there,' in China?" Franklin nodded yes again, though he vaguely remembered the occurrence.
"Let me tell you a story Franklin," How did Haggai know his name? "I was in Guangzhou, China in 2008, just as the financial crisis unfolded, during the U.S. Presidential election."
Franklin wondered where all of this was going and the shopkeeper seemed to sense his uncertainty. "This will answer many of your questions; just listen for a moment."
Franklin nodded.
"When I was a young man, I was in Guangzhou working on some currency related items most of the fall in 2008, during the start of these massive events. One night, I was having dinner with a good friend Yu and his bodyguard Chung, both Chinese. At the end of dinner, I stood up and said, 'That was great guys, now if I'm not being too rude, I might excuse myself to step outside for a smoke."
The keeper paused for a moment, "Just as I was about to step away from the table, Yu said, 'You don't have to go outside, you can smoke here at the table.' I replied, 'thanks, I appreciate it, but I'm just used to smoking outside, that's how we do it in America.' Chung and Yu looked at each other in an awkward sort of way, before Yu replied, 'No really, it's okay if you smoke here. Why do you have to smoke outside in America anyway?' With pride, I stated, 'Because second hand smoke is bad, we all know it. And so smoking indoors has been made illegal; if you do, you get a ticket, or go to jail.' Yu and Chung looked at each other again, seemingly perplexed, before Yu looked back up at me and said, 'Who lives in a Communist country?'"
Franklin suddenly laughed, though he wasn't completely sure whether the story was funny, or sad.
The shopkeeper continued, "When I returned to America, I was having dinner with a very important Wall Street man and his wife. I told them about the smoking indoors conversation in China, the reply I received was something like, 'Well, second hand smoke is proven as dangerous to one's health, so the Chinese are dumb for not outlawing it.' At the time, I did not have a reply for my hosts and I'll tell you what Tiger, I felt defeated. Several days later, while I driving just outside of the old New York City, I barely missed being smashed to pieces by an out of control car careening through an intersection. The car behind me took the blow instead. I screeched to a halt, jumped out of my car and raced back to help the drivers who'd been involved. But they were both already dead. What I'm saying is this: Whether it's smoking at a bar, or driving, we risk death every day. If you smoke long enough you'll almost certainly get cancer; if you drive long enough, you'll almost certainly get in a wreck. With modern medicine, early diagnosis of cancer is often treatable; being drilled directly in the driver side door by another car at seventy miles per hour, is likely not. The point here, Franklin, has absolutely nothing to do with whether I agree, or disagree with smoking in public places. The point here is that the psychology empowering The Corporation began many years before the global financial crisis ever even began. By 2010, smoking in public was illegal virtually everywhere; bar owners couldn't even decide for themselves whether to allow it, or not. What you have to understand is The Corporation began conditioning people into freely handing over their rights - their right to choose - long before the U.S. Government even began nationalizing assets, or The Corporation swindled the people into voting out the Constitution. We all know second-hand smoke is dangerous and we'd be idiots if we credulously believed for one moment that second hand driving isn't as well. Someone talking on their phone in a 9,000 pound car driving 65 miles per hour, while eating French fries - all at the same time - is probably a greater risk to you than the guy at the end of the bar having a puff." Franklin suddenly remembered how much he had loved French fries.
The keeper continued, "Here's the thing though, it was 'socially trendy' to give up the right to choose whether one wanted to patronize an establishment allowing smoking. It's true smoking is bad for your health, but you should be able to choose to do it, or not. If an establishment allows smoking and you don't like it, you can choose to visit another place that doesn't allow it. In addition, the owner of an establishment should have the right to chose what happens within his or her business. Giving up the 'right to choose' in terms of socially trendy movements, really meant the individual was allowing others to take control of their lives and freewill. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the right to choose. The slippery slope of conceding rights (and eventually your freewill) is that once you start, there's no turning back. All of the people who voted to take away the right for a public establishment to choose whether it would permit smoking, or not, soon found they had no rights whatsoever. Like those anti-smoking people who cared less about whether another wanted to preserve their right to choose to open a smoking, or non-smoking restaurant, the Government cared less about nationalizing the country's assets into 2008. In short, the Government blessed itself as the only entity that could save the economy and people, and thus gave itself the right to seize businesses, assets and in the end, your freedom. I'll tell you one thing, those anti-smoking people did not have a leg to stand when the Government took their rights and their assets, because at the core of the issue, they already willingly started handing over their freedom anyway. Now, keep in mind, this is just one example, really though, there are many. Like the Government took on too much debt, the plan backfired and the U.S. crumbled.
Similar to how the anti-smoking people willfully fought to concede the rights of others, their plan backfired too, as their attempt to save humanity really only helped open the door to the further appropriation of rights, and in the end: Tyranny. No matter how many statistics those anti-smoking people came up with, the point wasn't really about health, it was about individual rights, liberty, and freedom. It’s a really hard argument, because we all know smoking is bad, you'd be just plain dumb not to believe it. But with freewill, comes the right to choose, even if sometimes the choice isn't exactly rosy. If you take away the right to choose, you are really taking away freewill.
Tyranny decides for people; liberty allows people to choose for themselves. Again Franklin, I am not advocating smoking.
What is crucial to understand though - is that the absolution of personal rights and freedom in a society begins within quiet 'socially trendy' circles (camouflaged as progressive thinking), where people gladly strip away their own freedom, or attempt to steal another's freedom (using greater good argument) because doing so is not only accepted by their peers, but encouraged as well. When the Government begins deciding that it knows better for you than you, liberty has already begun to decay.
See, part of the downfall was that people elected to give up their rights, give up the right to smoke, versus making their own decisions to frequent an establishment where smoking is allowed. When human beings begin to think and feel that they know what is better for other human beings, without allowing the freedom of choice, they must accept their personal responsibility for helping open the door to the abolition of their liberty and rights. The gunsmith has no right to cry - even for a second - if his father were to be shot dead by another. Whether it was one of the gunsmith's weapons, or not; the tools he created were destined for the larger business of taking lives. Let me rephrase that… When any single one of us begins to think we should protect people from themselves, no longer allowing them to make their own decisions, we are personally and individually responsible for the destruction of freedom. It doesn't matter how you spin it, all hearts comprehend that stripping people of their rights and then justifying the action with rhetoric that you know what is 'better for them in the long run' is not a principal of liberty and freedom. I call it 'Tyranny-Lite', a low-carb aperitif of oppression.
Orwell saw it and I believe you see it too. Riotousness only knows conformity and control. Liberty only knows freewill and independence."
Franklin thought about his guilty moments smoking the contraband cigarettes in his apartment; how he had to hide his criminal action; how free he felt with his own destiny in his own hands. "Let me continue for a moment Franklin," The shopkeeper continued, almost as if he were afraid Franklin had missed the point.
"The Greek philosophers knew the cycle about three thousand years before the U.S. fell and The Corporation took power. See, the masses are inherently blind and greedy, both of which fuel fear. And fear is the cement locking most empires into the cycle of Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy (where Judgementalism manifests) and then Tyranny. (I'm leaving out the first stage of Aristocracy, by the way, because it is unrealistic.) Anyway, as you might remember from your school days, Timocracy is a Government ruled by the people, where honor is one of the main qualifiers of the rulers. However, honor can quickly become confused with wealth and thus, the meaning of 'honorable' begins to morph into 'wealthy.' When wealth is considered a trait of honor, the instrumental tipping point - an identifiable division of wealth in society - has ensued and the door to Oligarchy is open… The Oligarchy appears when the honorably wealthy," the shopkeeper paused chuckling, "...obtain power."
Haggai cleared his throat and began again, "Governments that distinguish royalty, riches, family name, religious hegemony, and/or military might as almighty virtue, generally fit the mold of an Oligarchy. But as is the downfall of most civilizations, the poor get tired of being bullied by the rich and eventually decide to revolt, or break away. This is where the power truly begins to shift and we see the door open to Democracy. Those who broke away long ago to establish America - are a perfect example. In the beginning, everything goes well, as most everyone is fighting/working towards the same cause. However, as the division between wealth and poverty continues to grow again (socio-economic gaps widen yet another time), whereby we see a division of (applying Plato's logic) the dominating class, Capitalists and commoners. From my perspective, Judgementalism plays a part too. This time though, thinking they are protecting their freedom, the commoners take sides with the dominating class, putting all of their faith and support behind one ruler, who (like all men), falls victim to the taste of power, and then falls lockstep into Tyranny." Haggai wasn't sure if Franklin had expected all of this, "What everything really boils down to Franklin, is Justice and the question of 'What is Justice?' in the context of men." Franklin raised his brow.
"Justice, Franklin, or let me rephrase that, the most 'Just' man to rule, is the man who steps aside. See, those who seek power for the sake of power; for their own economic well-being, are not 'Just', their ego has convinced them that they are 'Just.'" Suddenly Franklin looked as if he was following again, so Haggai piped in, "True Justice is the man who believes his fellow neighbor should have the right to choose for himself and at the same time he does not see race, creed, or color, affiliation, or otherwise. True justice is man who is willing to step aside for the care of others, so long as he can help work towards making all their worlds a better place. I am not talking about Communism here, as The Corporation's manipulation would have you believe. I'm talking about pure Capitalism where one has all ability to build business, but also understands from a rational perspective that excess and greed cannot be left unchecked. We're talking about Capitalism with a solid understanding of personal responsibility and moderation. Politicians who want to be politicians for the sake of power, do not understand the concept I just mentioned, they just want 'control' and 'power' for the sake of control and power. You will always know who the 'unjust' dirty rotten power-pigs of the world are, as they will have some sort of argument 'justifying' their creation of, or adherence to hurtful 'policy.' It just is what it is. The most Just men understand that Democracy, Capitalism and true Justice must be handled with individual responsibility, human kindness, and care. The 'Just' know that gluttony in Capitalism will eventually invoke Socialist anger and the forced reallocation of wealth and the appropriation of rights. Thus, the 'Just' Capitalist knows that when he has eaten his fill, he should leave food at the table for the next. And he does so not because someone has asked, or forced him to, but because he is Just. He also knows that by doing so, the collectivists (Tyranny in disguise, really) will never be able to gain the authority to force the food at the table to be distributed, if the people just do it themselves, on their own accord. The only reason the collectivists ever even show up on the scene in the first place, is because a few piggy's horded all the food and the rest of the peeps are irked. It's too bad, because in the end, it's the gluttonous pig's own greed that sent it to the slaughterhouse. All that was required was to simply leave some food on the table for others, and everything would have been okay. True Capitalism is a place where one knows the difference between success and glut. True Justice never hurts another, or dwells in excess. In a micro level, those who allow Corporate policy (usually in name of revenue) to supersede human kindness and care are no better than a person who stands by watching assault, or burglary and do nothing to help. Weak little pigs turn their heads at unnecessary corporate policy, or hurtful legislation, saying they cannot do anything about 'it', citing 'the company's policy,' or deferring to 'it's just the rules.' Really, what it comes down to is the weak little corporate sloths are cowards, or corrupt… One of the two.
Strong, robust men and women who are 'truly Just,' believe in human kindness and care, even if it means bucking the common trend of mindlessness, political trendiness, Corporatism, and security. True justice is similar to Plato's The Form of the Good.
If The Form of the Good were a fairytale, I can assure you, politicians, creditors, overly greedy corporate executives and lobbyists in the years before the fall of the U.S. - were the evil trolls who wanted to eat the people." Franklin was breathing deeply and the shopkeeper realized he was getting it. "So what you're saying is The Form of the Good was lost many years ago when all of the people – the Capitalists, the dominating class and the commoners began to allow money; materialism and socio-economic status dominate their sense of right and wrong and the way they treated one another?"
"Right-o," Haggai exclaimed, "Franklin, I think you're getting it. Please continue..."
"Okay, let's see… The Form of the Good began dissipating when the people of the world started justify their greed, cruelty, lack of grace and desire for power, even though their hearts knew another truth. The sun is honorable, shining day after day, asking nothing of humanity in return - at all - except that it simply exists."
"Good show!" Haggai exclaimed again.
Franklin still looked a little perplexed though, "Well, that's a boatload to digest... It seems so overwhelming and it also seems like there is no way to fix it…"
The keeper sighed, "The answer Franklin is not pretty..."
Haggai spoke quieter, "The answer is this… Things aren't going to change anytime soon. When the men and the women of the world finally realize that every single person - all of us - helped create, or at least fuel the larger problem at hand, the world will change. When individuals stop allowing politics, greed, dogma, creed, culture, race, affiliation and corporate policy to supersede human kindness and care, that's when things will change. But it starts with each individual; people can't wait for 'the other guy' to become a better person first. Again, the change won't come until individuals begin to accept that no one religion is more righteous than another, that God (in whatever name, form, or structure you feel the need to label), who made the sun, gives life without demand, to all people everywhere.
When humanity realizes that God created the earth and the sun and the moon and the planets…and that the sun no more favors you from the guy you are standing next too, regardless of whether he's Christian, Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, Buddhist, or the mailman…whatever, perhaps that's when the world will become a better place. When people understand and also embrace that fact that goodness gives life equally and asks for nothing in return - that is when the world will change.
What I'm saying is this... Individuals will have to accept personal responsibility for their own behavior, while affirming to live and let live, before a wave of change truly begins. But people would rather demand others change first, before changing themselves, so really, the process of creating a revolution of empathy is slow and arduous. When all individuals live like the sun (shining every day - without discretion or manipulation or riotousness), asking for nothing more than to live harmoniously with their neighbor…that is when the world will change. The empathy revolution I've just mentioned is the only way to stop Armageddon.
When humanity finally realizes that the sun - one of the most obvious creations of God that we can see and feel - could care less about money, power, or religion, and never attempts to righteously control the people of the earth, that's when things will change. Again, the sun does not see race, gender, creed, culture, sexual affiliation, socio-economic status, nationality, whatever; the sun shines on all - equally. No man can EVER accumulate all of the sunshine, but he can enjoy it equally with his fellow man."
Franklin looked down for a moment, he was ashamed at his own actions and realized that even in his previous hatred of The Corporation, he had unknowingly helped fuel everything that had become the world today. In his heart he said it again, "I don't hate The Corporation, or even those who blindly embrace its principals. I don't want to be part of it, but while I'm here, I will try to help others wherever I am. I will attempt to be The Form of the Good. If the gifts of Democracy and Capitalism ever return, I will treat them responsibly, knowing that when I have eaten my fill, I will leave food on the table and help others… Because it is the right thing to do, not because the collective is forcing me too." Looking back at the shopkeeper, Franklin was speechless...
The shopkeeper suddenly jumped in, "So tell me about this beautiful girl...
Quote from Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky - Though there is much debate about the true origin of the quote. Upon searching the actual text of The Brothers Karamazov and the quote is not in the manuscript. Regardless of the source, the point is the same.
http://www.kiosek.com/dostoevsky/quotations.html
- or -
http://rastaban.livejournal.com/315483.html
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