Philosophy Now Forum

first we had better work out what "ad hoc" actually means...

In wiki...
Ad hoc: ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'.
In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose,
problem or task, rather than a generalized solution adaptable to
collateral instances......

...Ad hoc can also be an adjective describing the temporary,
provisional, or improvised methods to deal with a particular problem...

Now we have a sense of what we are talking about... our lives is
"ad hoc" in terms of our solutions to our problems, both
individually and collectively....(one working definition of human
beings... a problem solving species) we have a problem and in solving
that problem we engage in ''ad hoc'' solutions, temporary, provisional,
improvised solutions....instead of more permanent, viable solutions.....
for example, for example, in Minneapolis Minnesota, a few years ago,
a bridge over the Mississippi River, collapsed... killing quite a few people,
and my brother would have been on that bridge that day except he
was working from home...anyway, the first reaction to this disaster,
was an "ad hoc" solution.. why did this bridge collapse, what happened
to this specific bridge to cause it to collapse? Committees were formed,
petitions were signed, a day of mourning declared...but was a overarching
solution ever found? It isn't just about this one bridge, but it is about
our entire infrastructure, bridges included...

(the sign of civilization is the infrastructure of that civilization...
That is what made civilizations like Rome the greatest on earth,
it was the infrastructure of Rome that made it the great...
and all great civilizations have the best infrastructure going at the time..
its about the infrastructure stupid and that's what made America great,
its infrastructure)

so instead of an "ad hoc" solution to this problem, we should have
addressed it from an overall, overarching solution that involves
all aspects of infrastructure, not just the bridges, but all aspects....
if you want to make America great again, rebuild and refocus on
the American infrastructure.. that is the surest path to greatness I
know.....

so we face our own personal problems, which among them,
how do I increase my income to pay my bills, like food, shelter,
material possessions... but the real question is not about some
specific way to increase our own personal wealth, no, the real question is
why, why is this system of capitalism, the one we operate under....
what other economic system/s can we use that equally allows
us to meet our needs, both our physical and psychological needs...

the overarching question we need to deal with is, which economic
system can we use that better works with our needs and wants,
instead of capitalism? not how do we increase our own personal
wealth to gain some false belief that it is only in gaining wealth that
we can be happy... that our own wellbeing is only engaged in
seeking the baubles of existence....in seeking wealth, fame, titles,
power and material possessions...I hold that much of our dissatisfaction,
both individually and collectively, stem from our seeking out
the failed baubles of existence...

I hold seeking wealth and fame and titles and material possessions,
are in fact, "ad hoc" positions...that they do not have the value we think
they do...and I hold that we can be much happier, if that is indeed the goal,
if we forsake capitalism and work out another economic system......

but this is just one example of us thinking about existence in larger
terms than just temporary solutions, or ''Ad hoc" solutions we create for
ourselves, both individually and collectively....

so what are some ways in which we can think about existence within
larger solutions, not just "ad hoc solutions"

what does it mean to be human? does it really mean we ought to
seek out the baubles of existence? I have said on many occasions,
that seeking out such things as wealth and fame and titles, are not
in fact, permanent or lasting... wealth comes and go as does
fame and titles and material possessions.. all equally temporary,
of the moment, ad hoc....

and our solutions to the problems of existence are equally "ad hoc",
of the moment... so how could we gain a more permanent and lasting
solution to the problems of existence?

by changing the very nature of what it means to be human....
we should engage with a value or values, a value like love, peace, charity,
knowledge, integrity, creativity, and live our lives based on this value..
instead of defining life in terms of how much money we make, or how
many houses we own, we define our existence and live out our
lives based on the chosen value...

in instead of defining live in terms of how much money I make or
what titles I have reached, I define existence in terms of the chosen
value... I see things and I engage with my chosen value...

Does this action or endeavor create wealth for me?
That is the old way of thinking, the new way of thinking is
how can I increase the love in this thing or in this action...
If I choose love, than I see everything through love and how
much love can I bring into existence or this action....

if I choose justice, then I see existence through the act of justice,
is this action or thing, just, and what will it take to make this action
or thing, just or bringing about justice in that action or thing...

and not how much money can I make, but how much justice
can I bring into this specific action or into the world in general....
we see the world through the lens of our chosen value, not
in money or in gaining titles or what fame it may give me, but
in the increase in that value that we have chosen....

is that person a good person or a bad person? I would answer that
question by asking how much justice has that person brought into
the world? or how much love that person has brought into the world....
that becomes how we define ourselves and each other... by the
amount of the value that person brings into the world....
be it justice or love or knowledge or charity....

we judge people on the values that they hold, not by the money
they have or the material possessions they have..
is Bill Gates a "good person?" if we were to judge that on
wealth or material possessions, yes, but if we were to judge
Bill Gates on a given value like justice or love, then the answer
is no.....

we define our lives based on the amount of our chosen value
we bring into the world...and we see existence based on that
chosen value.. did we bring into the world more justice today?
if we can say yes, then we had a very good day today...
and if we say no? It won't matter if we increase the national
GDP or buy another house for ourselves, we would have failed if
we don't increase the amount of our chosen value into the world....

the real choice we make in life is what value or values are we
going to operate under, what values are we trying to increase
in the world, are we successful in increasing love or justice in
our lifetime? Than our life was a success.. it doesn't matter
how much money we make or how many homes we buy or
what titles we might have, but how much justice have
we brought into the world, that is the true definition of success,
the true definition of being human....and the true meaning of life....

Kropotkin

in looking at America, one can see the terrible
effects of its main religion, which is capitalism.....
worshiping mammon is our national obsession...

the worship of money lies at the heart of the American experience...
all other values are secondary....but we can see what this worshiping
has done to the people... it has allowed such things as the MAGA movement,
mass murders in our schools, people dying of such drugs as fentanyl
and opioids... ask yourself, why are so many Americans so angry
at the world, the government, the institutions, and why are so many
Americans so in love with guns, guns are about violence, not about
protection....

Americans are mad because the current status quo has not only
failed to meet their expectations, but the current world isn't even
achieving the basic goal of meeting their needs.. both physical,
emotional and psychological needs... needs like food and education,
the bodily needs, but needs like love, safety/security, esteem,
and a sense of belonging.... do you feel like you belong? a large
percentage of Americans would say no, and the proof is in the
amount of violence and guns and drugs killing people and the
incredible malaise that lays over this country like a thick fox...
and this is not a right/left wing problem, it is far deeper than that....

the feeling is our very institutions and values are rotten to the
core... and within America, there is but one religion and one
faith to hold... that is in money...all other values are neglected
and ignored...our systems are corrupt, unethical and dishonest....
and why? because the only value we hold true is the value
of money and that religion is called Capitalism....it has infected
our political, social, economic and philosophical systems within America...

our lives and meaning of our lives is devalued within the failed
religion of capitalism....

or said another way, we are searching for the wrong thing...
and that wrong search has led us to being angry, hostile,
bitter, violent, cold and antagonistic towards all positive values
of love and peace and authenticity autonomy, beauty, compassion,
fairness just to name a few values viewed with hate and suspicion....
and why the vitriol over these positive values?
Because these values cannot be monetized and turned into money,
fame, titles, or material possessions... In our twisted world,
values that cannot be turned into the baubles of existence,
are hated and reviled... I note that Fox news never praises such
things as love or peace or kindness or beauty... because where is
the money in such things?

we are unable to met our needs and thus we are unfulfilled,
unhappy, depressed and miserable... and we turn to drugs or booze
or violence to seek out the meaning we can't find in our political or
economic system...

the meaning of existence isn't found in seeking out the baubles
of existence... we have tried that for the last century and what
do we have today? a nation incapable of action and unable to see
itself clear of the crises of our modern world...

give peace a chance because we have tried war and violence
and what have we gotten for our efforts? an unhappy and
violent United States... let us give love a chance, for we have
tried hate and anger and lust and Jealousy... for we have tried
capitalism for over a century and we have nothing to show for it,
but an unhappy and discontented population... whose recourse
has been school massacres and death by opioids/fentanyl..
drugs meant to hide and cover our pain and sorrow.....
if we suffer, then how are we to cure it? by walking away
from the system that have created that suffering, capitalism....

you say I am wrong... great, but please explain why America is so
filled with misanthrope/miserable/angry/hateful people who
find escape in violence and drugs... we are disconnected from
each other and disconnected from our state and society...
and the cause is what? I say capitalism is a primary factor....
because our souls are not and cannot be filled by the search
for money, fame, titles, power and material possessions...
but we can find peace and friendship and love and unity
and reconciliation with values that aren't connected to
the nihilistic values of capitalism

we are searching for the wrong thing in the wrong places..
and what will it take for you to see this?

are you happy or do you even see happy people around you?
I don't... and the daily news backs me up, every single broadcast...
if we want our lives to be filled with love and laughter and peace,
we have to search for love and laughter and peace...
and the search for money, titles, fame, power and material possessions
doesn't give us any lasting values like love or peace or laughter...

the search for the baubles of existence is a search with only dead ends,
with no clear path to love or peace or even contentment...

Kropotkin

"which economic
system can we use that better works with our needs and wants,
instead of capitalism?"

good stuff keter. here's the question. say u put economic system X in place (say it's a genuine marxist state with all the details), let it run for fifty years, and noticed a dramatic decrease in all manner of social problems. less suicides, less crime, less homelessness, less debt, smaller prison populations, lower unemployment rates, less pollution, etc.

we could say that more people are more happy now, but at what cost? are there privileges that produce a special kind of happiness that can't be experienced now becuz system X is in place?

if so i can't imagine that being anything more than the privilege to own a whole bunch of shit... which is the only apparant difference in praxis. capitalism lets a certain kind of happiness exist for a minority of people, and that happiness is derived entirely from property accumulation.

what else could it be? certainly not freedom of movement becuz, if anything, system X encourages freedom of movement.

siriusly dude, take the toga off for a second and think about your day to day. we're not doing philosophy here. now tell me wtf would be different in your day to day such that system X certainly and necessarily sucks.

u can't do it. and that's becuz u are not alexander the great. not u keter i mean us in general. I'm speaking to humanity here: u are an ordinary guy with a job and a family who, if ever didn't own three corvettes and a small island, wouldn't be any less of a person becuz u are already a putz.

"What's wrong with you today Rup?! I thought I told you get Jerry to my office at 9:00 AM sharp! Where the hell is he?! Your performance has been dismal the past few weeks! Dismal!" (Patterson looking at the third person in the room) Who's this?" "I'm Jerry Mr. Patterson. Mr. Rup informed me to be here at 9:00 AM. He said it was urgent", replied Jerry. "But, but, you're not the Jerry I met last time!" exlacimed Patterson. "A namesake, not to worry Mr. Patterson, we're from the same company." "Well then, your diesel generator's not workin'! The lights, we can barely see each other, forget about doing anything else!!" Jerry smiled, he addressed both Patterson and Rup, "It's our company policy to always recommend the best option to our customers and Elektra Electricals made it a point to convey to your office that one ... what on earth?!!" It was pitch black in an instant. "Blackout?!" "Yes, Mr. Patterson, a blackout!"

Twork

sell your self
sell your soul
lose your self
be limp
a corporate imp
find a job
pound for a dollar
twat with a collar
label a slob
a paid slave
a share to shave
you when you're done
the pretentious fun
in your spare time
you'll come undone
and along the way
you should reap the hay
hey hey it's Joe!
does he give a fuck
no.

Wow! Locke, Kant, Russell, eat your hearts out...