(A Note from your Website guru: The following syndicated commentaries, Dr.
Bugaboo's Ramblings, by Jerome, are Copyrighted 1991, so they are a bit dated.
But, the expressions of truths that Dr. Jerome does put forth DO apply ever so
much to today's world and society that we are glad to reprint them here for your
viewing and reading consideration. We will be adding to the collection here from
Dr. Jerome's extensive archives, in the near future, and we do surely welcome
your comments thereupon and feedback as to those ideas and truths that Dr.
Jerome has expressed herein. Thank You.)
THE PSYCH/PSYCH THOUGHT POLICE?
And what IS this menacing malediction? It is you and I, America. The people
who have had their dreams of success, fulfillment and happiness, for
themselves as well as their families and others, in the sharing of what was
once known as the American Dream...exploded, and dashed, upon the shoals of
stifling governmental, business, and individual economic greed, vested
interests, corruption, and inefficiencies, bureaucratic and otherwise. It is
the each and every one of us who has failed, or fallen by the wayside, of the
rumbling economic engine that could not accommodate our particular, and
individual, talents, abilities and energies, in contribution to a better
world, of our own making.
Yet, what is it about this that makes it such a threatening malediction,
especially to the vested interests of society? Well, it is the very fact that
these fallen, wayside heroes, should have the gall to think that they can pick
themselves up and start again, on the very same path from which they have
already been so forcefully ejected, by the appropriate authorities of this
society. That such people should dare to think that by striving to overcome
adversity, either individually or by joining together, with other like-minded
souls of such social and economic retribution, OR by participating in a mass
consciousness movement (Participatory Democracy? Heaven Forbid, that we should
have another Eastern European style reform "incident"! - The Berlin Wall
having just fallen.), against the very laws, proper regulations, and economic
edicts that have led to their downfall in the first place, that they might
somehow succeed...AGAIN, in their endeavors to make a better life for
themselves and others. THAT must be the very core of the most profound mass
psychological malediction that America has ever known.
These people MUST learn the facts of life. They must learn that one does
NOT just pick oneself up and try again, when economic reality has already
attempted to teach them the lesson of conformity, and of obeisance to the
abundant, and magnificent, vested interests of this society. Surely they must
know, that the normal, expected, thing for them to do, when they have
experienced the failures of such untoward attempts at both personal and
societal fulfillment, IS to do what they should have done in the first place,
rather than wasting such valuable personal and societal time and energy on
those atrocious attempts at personal and social reformation. They should just
lay down, or, now that they have already fallen down, stand up, "take their
medicine, like a good person", and do exactly what they are told to do, for
now and forevermore, of course. If such were the response of these people, in
their failures to create a better life for themselves and others, we would
certainly have a much better society, in which, of course, all of us would be
quite comfortably the same, living every day by the same economic rules that
have been so justly given to us by our most eminent peers and authorities, and
we would definitely live happily ever after!
Oh! Where are those psych/psych Thought Police? We just have to stop these
people, before it gets out of hand!
END
TOILING THE ECONOMIC BELL
As an example, I recently took notice of a legal case winding its way
through its convolutions here in the Bay Area. It seems it was discovered that
a Doctor has been practicing his profession for some time now without
receiving ANY compensation for his professional services. It seems the poor
misguided soul felt that the giving of his professional services to those in
need thereof, without charging them for his services, was a suitably
humanitarian thing to do, as well as a proper example of a compassionate
supply/demand transaction in a democratic society.
Well, the authorities have now, upon discovering this most egregious
transgression of the societal dictum that everyone is REQUIRED to support the
economy, filed the appropriate charges against this malfeasant. But, let us
also hope that his case can be an example unto others of such stripe.
As I understand the case, for such disobedience of the laws of economic
gain and support of established economic institutions, this miscreant will be
precluded from practicing his profession (since he obviously enjoys it so
much, that he performed his services "gratis"), and, instead, is now to be
legally enjoined, and constrained, into using his energies in a
non-professional employment position (in which he will NOT enjoy his work, as
well as being well overqualified therefor) as an administrative clerk,
receiving at least the minimum wage (rather than nothing!), by which he can be
properly taxed and regulated, so that the government and society does thusly
receive its just economic compensation for the expenditure of his
energies.
But this is just one example. These pervasive aspects of volunteerism,
do-good-ism, selflessness, "doing unto others, as one would have done unto
oneself", and such, that are spreading across the land, are just getting too
much out of hand. We didn't pay much attention, in the past, to the few
misguided malcontents who seemed to believe in such anti-economic rubbish as
"helping thy neighbor"...WHEREVER DID such a blatantly anti-American idea come
from, anyway?...But now, that such a travesty of economic justice seems to be
spreading across the land, we are just going to have to assert our natural
"right" of majority rule, in this righteous representative democracy of ours,
and legislate these destructive, and anti-American, philosophical ideas of
"helping each other", NON-ECONOMICALLY, out of existence.
Otherwise, just imagine what might happen if we were to let this continue!
Why, some day we might find ourselves working hard, every day, giving our
time, talent and energies, to others and all of society, and receiving as
well, equally, that which we do need, WITHOUT anyone getting paid for anything
that they are doing, even if they might be enjoying doing so! Why, under such
a situation, the government, the IRS, and all our duly constituted vested
interests in this great land, would NOT be receiving one red cent, in taxes or
otherwise!
Besides not economically supporting our established institutions, the
people would probably get a "feeling" that they were finally "participating"
in a participatory democracy, and then there would be NO absolute, societal
authority, to tell people what to do, and...Horror of Horrors!, they might
actually respect each other, and each other's rights, as well as helping each
other. And THAT has got to be the most subversive, anti-American, thing that
could happen. So, for these reasons alone, we have got to stop this idea of
"doing unto others", before it becomes a national calamity.
End
THE ONLY -ISM POSSIBLE!
And to top it off, they are harking back to our own frontier pioneers, as
examples of self-sufficiency and self-determinism, and as exemplars OF, what
they say, is the typical American spirit of cooperation and of helping each
other. Well, such may have been the case in the old days, but this is another
day and age, and mutual economic advantage is the only thing that can be
respected and valued in America today. With the "pulls and tears", from all
directions, that are ripping at the very fabric of society, which these people
incorrectly are attributing to the competitive environment as a causitive
factor of the disadvantages extant in society, we DO need, instead of their
"cooperative" society, MORE structuralization and economic "incentive", in
order to have people make the monetary "investment", in the economy, that is
needed to overcome these fractures, and restore an economic equilibrium. These
"coop" folks would, in lieu of monetary "incentive" and investment, have us
"invest" ourselves, instead of our money, as a more "responsible" means of
resolving the deterioration of society.
Well, such is the thinking of these pie-in-the-sky adherents. Their imagery
evokes the strains of most other of the -isms that do exist in the world
today, such as communism, socialism, totalitarianism, anarchism, and such. So,
let us realistically look at these -isms and see what the real comparisons
are.
First, communism. Well, these folks say they would have no part of it, but
just as the communist philosophy has embraced communal endeavors, the
communitarian idea of sharing is apparently alive and well, not only here but
elsewhere in the world (ranging from France, where both single and married
professionals live and dine together in their large communitarian habitats, to
the streets of our nation, where homeless people congregate at community
kitchens for food and socialization), and still has an attraction for people
so inclined. But our communitarian adherents, rejecting the -ism of communism
and its failures, would do without such absolutism in their lives, and so
would we, as true Americans, reject not only communism, but also these utopian
idealist's communitarianism.
Second, socialism. Well, the welfare state and division of the social
"pie", doesn't seem to appeal to these people as well, and who can blame them,
in their rejection of this -ism. But their appeal to the independence and
freedom of each person to individually choose to do that which they do best,
in service to others and society, certainly does have a tinge of socialism,
albeit with a great deal of respect for the individual and his/her
potentialities. But that is where they are wrong again, in that the game of
reality, in the world today, requires each one of us to strive to make sure
that all our actions, AND our monetary "agents", inure the maximum advantage
to ourselves. "Looking out for number one" insures that there will be a good
tomorrow, as Americans have always proved, contrary to these people's
"do-good-unto-each-other" so-so philosophy.
Third, totalitarianism. They reject "Big Brother", and so do we. No
argument here.
Fourth, anarchism. They reject this -ism as well, feeling that
revolutionary violence is not the path to improvement of society, and we
agree. But, their advocacy of responsible individual participation in all
issues and decisions of society, which they compare to the old New England
"town-hall" meetings of yore, ARE a "participatory" democracy that does border
on anarchy. They say a responsible, participatory democracy can, and IS,
evolving today, with humanity, individually and in groups, asserting their
rights and desires for themselves and others (as in Eastern Europe, Russia and
elsewhere in the world). Well, regardless of our colonial history and the
possibility of evolution to a form of "participatory" democracy by a consensus
of all concerned, America IS a representative democracy, and representation,
whether through our vested interests in Congress OR through the dollar bill,
is the only thing that matters.
And finally, capitalism. They say that a family can walk into a restaurant,
have a good meal, and just say "Thank you!", and walk out, with the restaurant
owner secure in the knowledge that all of his requirements of goods and
services are likewise 100% efficiently available with NO monetary or economic
limitations other than the laws of supply and demand, with all of society
contributing to the production of goods and services for each other, as
determined by the individual needs and contributions of each one of us,
communicating among ourselves through the total access of the worldwide
computer network (which they say is technologically possible today, given the
commitment of society and the elimination of all economic limitations). WELL,
I say that is "bunk". It takes capital and vested interest investment, with
each person getting their "cut" of the pie, in order to move anybody to do
anything in this world. Thinking that human beings can agree to commit, from
somewhere deep inside themselves, to "do unto others" rather than themselves,
is just NOT possible. So, I say, the only -ism possible is NOT
self-determinism, but good, oldfashioned CAPITALISM.
End
THE HERESIES OF SHARING
Immigrants to this country are glad to be able to shine shoes, wash dishes,
polish the boss' apple and to find their place in the multilayered structure
of the American economy. They realize that everyone is "different", and that
American society most graciously allows everyone to find their "natural" place
in it, by means of the useage of money, even if it means that a person with a
154 IQ gets to shine the shoes of a 110 IQ person. Don't these people realize
that money is the great "equalizer", and that their place and role in life HAS
BEEN achieved when they can get to shine the shoes of that 110 IQ
millionaire?
But instead, this new breed of persons is clamouring for such things as
"EFFICIENCY", "RESPONSIBILITY", "RESPECT", "ACCEPTANCE", "INDEPENDENCE" and
"DEMOCRACY". Well, we all know that such things ARE already inherent in our
society.
Just because these people can find ways to increase the quality and
EFFICIENCY of the production of goods and services by eliminating economic
limitations and considerations, does NOT say that economic
production/distribution systems are inefficient. So they can get top-quality
food, at no-cost to anyone, by sharing each other's maximum efforts, rather
than having to buy inferior quality food off-the-shelf. So what, if money is a
limiting factor in people's lives, contributing to inefficiencies in the
production of goods and services? Don't they realize that, in this society of
everyone having some degree of advantage/disadvantage relative to everyone
else, each one of us has got to get their "cut" of the pie, and that such
gainful "cuts" help to determine our "place" in the total pie of society.
Just because these people feel that taking full, 100%, RESPONSIBILITY for
their lives AND their actions, instead of letting money and the economic
system be the "agent" of responsibility for their lives and actions, is not to
say that letting money be responsible, instead of ourselves, is
irresponsibility. So what, that a recent U.S. News & World Report item
notes that mediation and cooperation, in settling disputes, is more efficient
than adversarial proceedings? So what, that the U.S. Congress, government,
businesses and individuals can get to absolve themselves of the myriad
responsibilities and "actions" that could be exerted and taken, "IF it just
wasn't for" the lack of funds and that "agent" of responsibility, financial
considerations?
Just because these people feel that human beings should RESPECT each other,
regardless of any and all differences, does NOT say that economic differences
cannot be "respected" as well. (We all realize, here in America, that there is
a "need" for economic differences, and that by "respecting" them, we can keep
our populace, and all the various "unequal" peoples thereof, in their just
"places".)
Just because these people feel that "ACCEPTANCE" of another person, again
regardless of differences, is a human attribute that should be encouraged by
society, does NOT relegate our normal American "distinctions", in recognition
of a person's socio-economic heritage and up-bringing, to the dust-heap of
society.
So they do view us all as equally "INDEPENDENT", as far as what can
individually be achieved by any one of us, given the societal opportunities to
do so. Well, money speaks as well. To every outstanding individual
contribution such heresy might produce, economic power can likewise produce
profound effects.
And just because these people feel that all members of a society should
have an equal voice, and access, in participating in a DEMOCRATIC society,
does NOT say that our representative democracy is any less responsive to the
needs, especially economic needs, of our people. In fact, just imagine what
would happen if, instead of the proper "channels" of representative
government, everyone might have access to everyone else, with access AND
responsibility, TO and FOR, the ideas, issues, decisions and actions that
affected our lives. Why, without proper "channels", ANY thing might happen, or
be accomplished, and that would certainly threaten the very vested interests
that enable this multi-layered society to exist in the first place.
We have got to protect our institutions and our vested interests. These
people and their memes cannot be allowed to infiltrate our society. Otherwise,
the economic chaos that would result would certainly bring on THAT which we
fear the most...CHANGE!!!
End
