Comments on: Between Scylla and Charybdis http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:58:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Aloysius Wald http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-54078 Aloysius Wald Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:51:02 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-54078 I, too, went through a bout of depression after watching the Moyers/Scahill interview. Where, I asked myself, is the morality to make decisions that are both reasoned and humane. I puzzled over this question, and the larger implication that the American institutions of power have, quite literally, gone mad. One of the touchstones in my life has long been Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo. I won't go into all the reasons why this is so, but it has always been there to provide a literary wisdom. I am currently reading the Penguin Classics edition, translated by Robin Buss. And, again, I found wisdom within the pages. Institutional morality is in reality, nonexistant. The only true morality exists in each individual. Every person develops and carries their own morality. Institutional morality is the sum total of the morality of the individuals that make up the institution. Organizations like Blackwater can only exist when people who are morally lacking, or, who are amoral, create and foster the organization. Persons who choose to belong to such an organization and who promote its tenets are individually, morally, deranged. Only by teaching humanity and reasoning can individuals find their own moral compass and make decisions that reject the immoral chaos of organizations like Blackwater. That teaching comes from caring, wise parents and teachers. And that means that there must be involvement, not absentee parenting. In regards to education, too much investment in foolishness like the "No Child Left Behind" legislation and the loss of school communities, leave the creation of humane and moral direction to politicians (with their vested interests). After six years of a neo Dark Age, we could certainly do with the return of a New Renaissance. I hope, that with some effort, we will see this come to pass. I, too, went through a bout of depression after watching the Moyers/Scahill interview. Where, I asked myself, is the morality to make decisions that are both reasoned and humane. I puzzled over this question, and the larger implication that the American institutions of power have, quite literally, gone mad.
One of the touchstones in my life has long been Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo. I won’t go into all the reasons why this is so, but it has always been there to provide a literary wisdom. I am currently reading the Penguin Classics edition, translated by Robin Buss. And, again, I found wisdom within the pages.
Institutional morality is in reality, nonexistant. The only true morality exists in each individual. Every person develops and carries their own morality. Institutional morality is the sum total of the morality of the individuals that make up the institution. Organizations like Blackwater can only exist when people who are morally lacking, or, who are amoral, create and foster the organization. Persons who choose to belong to such an organization and who promote its tenets are individually, morally, deranged.
Only by teaching humanity and reasoning can individuals find their own moral compass and make decisions that reject the immoral chaos of organizations like Blackwater. That teaching comes from caring, wise parents and teachers. And that means that there must be involvement, not absentee parenting. In regards to education, too much investment in foolishness like the “No Child Left Behind” legislation and the loss of school communities, leave the creation of humane and moral direction to politicians (with their vested interests).
After six years of a neo Dark Age, we could certainly do with the return of a New Renaissance. I hope, that with some effort, we will see this come to pass.

]]> By: » Mirrors in the Privatization Revolution Tending the Kinder-Garden http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-53892 » Mirrors in the Privatization Revolution Tending the Kinder-Garden Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:41:23 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-53892 [...] clean my entire house before I could determine whether or not it was prudent for me to comment on Doug’s powerful blog, “Between Scylla and Charybdis“. Prudent because I’m a military spouse, living on a military post, supportive of my [...] [...] clean my entire house before I could determine whether or not it was prudent for me to comment on Doug’s powerful blog, “Between Scylla and Charybdis“. Prudent because I’m a military spouse, living on a military post, supportive of my [...]

]]> By: a. woody delauder http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-53878 a. woody delauder Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:13:01 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/10/20/between-scylla-and-charybdis/#comment-53878 I believe that this is definately an appropriate subject to be talking about. We need to get a handle on these companies that have billion dollar contracts in Iraq. These companies are there for reasons ranging from security of military officials to performing background checks of captured Iraqi's. Shouldn't our military be performing these functions. I have a friend that is in Iraq at the moment, not in the military, but working for a private contractor. He works 6 months on and 6 months off. He will bring home over $150,000 this year tax free. He sits in an office on a secured base and does background checks for 6 hours a day. This company must have an incredible amount of money flowing in... I wonder where this money comes from? The facts are disturbing... I just wish they were all made available to us so we knew the complete truth. Thanks for the post! I believe that this is definately an appropriate subject to be talking about. We need to get a handle on these companies that have billion dollar contracts in Iraq. These companies are there for reasons ranging from security of military officials to performing background checks of captured Iraqi’s. Shouldn’t our military be performing these functions.

I have a friend that is in Iraq at the moment, not in the military, but working for a private contractor. He works 6 months on and 6 months off. He will bring home over $150,000 this year tax free. He sits in an office on a secured base and does background checks for 6 hours a day. This company must have an incredible amount of money flowing in… I wonder where this money comes from?

The facts are disturbing… I just wish they were all made available to us so we knew the complete truth. Thanks for the post!

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