CONTROLLED CHAOS ?

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. ~ Machiavelli

         CONTROLLED CHAOS- If you have been a reader of some of my postings on Facebook or "lucky" enough to be one of my E-mail contacts,you have seen me use this phrase before. It is not new, nor did I coin it, but during the last several years I and others feel we are victims of it.It can also be called managed misery. The term comes out of a political and social Philosophy derived from the works of a 16th century writer named,  Niccolò  Machiavelli (1469 – 1527). His book, The Prince was required reading in my High School Advanced English class, I like to read and found the book interesting and read it with an almost morbid fascination. I may be idealistic and naive but I have always believed that Man's basic nature is GOOD and I know that the ends does not always justify the means.
          It has been way to many years since I first read the book, but as I experienced life and encountered many situations I recalled many  "philosophies" from the book and became familiar with the term  Machiavellian-"the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct". All of us have and will continue to meet people who are cunning and duplicitous. I see no difference anymore between political parties or movements.
          The Tea Party Movement, Neo-conservatives , Left wing liberals, Right wing fanatics, Humanists, Socialists, Anarchists, Fascists, all are guilty in some form of using things to there own end, that is just Human nature,sadly enough. It is inevitable that we be "controlled" by some process, we all like to be individuals, masters of our own destiny etc. I for one, can at least decide to whom and what I will submit, First, I choose GOD and work daily if not minute by minute to be in submission in that area.Secondly, if I am to submit to a social and political process I want it to be one I agree with as much as possible.
          Discipline begins at home- this old add age is what is required in order to insure submission to or control by a positive force. We all ,as humans have been guilty of being self-centered at times and of being manipulative. Perhaps we should all take a Hippocratic Oath or at least the beginning- "First do NO harm...".
Be self disciplined in how we treat our families and friends, certainly we have used manipulation to manage our children and others, this has it's place when it is used to insure safety and compliance with proper behavior and accepted standards.
        I am most concerned with what those STANDARDS are and who defines them.. Some years ago Bob Dylan had a spiritual epiphany and produced an album of songs entitled "Slow Train Coming" in which there is a song entitled "Gotta serve Somebody". The next Blog will deal with how we are being controlled and where many fear we are headed.

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/gotta-serve-somebody

Part of "Gotta Serve Somebody"

Gotta Serve Somebody

"You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody "