Remains

[DesDownunder]

Remains

? 2010

by DesDownUnder

In this new age,

That harbours its tyrannies,

With minds in a rage,

Against human liberties

To limit knowledge,

and freedom's ideas,

With world war waged,

To protect their fears,

Comes tyranny's refuge,

From freewill's tears.

So they came for the Net,

They wished had never been,

They came for knowledge,

They wanted unknown,

They came for love's intent,

They wanted unseen,

For power they fought

And starved information of reason,

But worse, they taught,

Prejudice and fear is reason enough,

To make our lives worth nought.

And all that remained was their fear and loathing,

And our slavery.

Inspired by

this post

at The Age on an Internet 'Kill' Switch.

[Cole Parker]

"And all that remained was their fear and loathing,

And our slavery." - DDU

That is assuming, of course, their victory.

History has shown the near impossibility of restricting knowledge. The Catholic church certainly gave that end their all, back when they may have been the most powerful central power in the world, and failed miserably. The Chinese government has done all it can to insure all knowledge is channeled through their own filters, and is failing. Knowledge and truth seem to find their way to sunlight.

I'm not pessimistic enough to think the bad guys will win this battle.

C

[DesDownunder]

"And all that remained was their fear and loathing,

And our slavery." - DDU

That is assuming, of course, their victory.

History has shown the near impossibility of restricting knowledge. The Catholic church certainly gave that end their all, back when they may have been the most powerful central power in the world, and failed miserably. The Chinese government has done all it can to insure all knowledge is channeled through their own filters, and is failing. Knowledge and truth seem to find their way to sunlight.

I'm not pessimistic enough to think the bad guys will win this battle.

C

But this poem is not meant to be a call to arms, I merely wanted to express the helplessness so many of us feel with each new report of restrictions upon the distribution of information on the Net.

It does happen to be of concern that such freedom to access the Net is under attack. But that is a subject we might consider in another forum.

[Merkin]

Your poem is moving and chillingly apt, Des.

I clicked the link and read the article.

This proposal to give the U.S. chief executive a "kill switch" allowing him to disable the (world-wide) internet in response to a perceived case of 'cyber 9/11' demonstrates, among other wrongheadedness, the sad paranoia rife among our legislators and the bellicose thinking available to knee-jerk proponents of an imperial Fortress America. One is led to imagine two figures walking a few steps behind the U.S. president: the U.S. Air Force colonel who carries padlocked to his wrist the attache case containing the nuclear keyset, and another, somewhat less imposing personage slouching along in tattered corderoy trousers and wearing a pizza-stained Mickey Mouse hoodie. It is the official Nerd, bearing a backpack stuffed with the Deathstar Killswitch Modem.

James

[DesDownunder]

Thanks James,

Your "Official nerd" is a scary image in itself. I wonder how long before we see him in a political thriller from Hollywood?

[Cole Parker]

But this poem is not meant to be a call to arms, I merely wanted to express the helplessness so many of us feel with each new report of restrictions upon the distribution of information on the Net.

It does happen to be of concern that such freedom to access the Net is under attack. But that is a subject we might consider in another forum.

I didn't take it as a call to arms. It read, to me, as a despondent, helpless acceptance of the powers that be having the ability to--and exercising it--control the Internet and dissemination of knowledge.

I agree that this is something we have to be vigilant about. But I read the poem as saying we're powerless to stop it. And I don't agree with that.

I never meant to suggest it wasn't a great poem.

C

[DesDownunder]

I didn't take it as a call to arms. It read, to me, as a despondent, helpless acceptance of the powers that be having the ability to--and exercising it--control the Internet and dissemination of knowledge.

I agree that this is something we have to be vigilant about. But I read the poem as saying we're powerless to stop it. And I don't agree with that.

I never meant to suggest it wasn't a great poem.

C

Thanks Cole, I wasn't thinking you were condemning the poem. Indeed I took your post as a compliment as I do your reply here.

The poem may seem despondent but as we can (at present) see it on the Net, we are, ironically perhaps, not yet helpless.

I had meant the poem as a dour satirical protest, not an acceptance, but I guess it might seem somewhat gloomy in its sullen past tense form.

And it's nice to discuss these points, I enjoy that.

[TracyMN]

Gripping piece Des, and I appreciate it as well as your ongoing desire to inform those such as myself who may be less able to soldier through the daily news quagmire. It's not that I don't want to know, or that I do not want to participate, it is more an issue of temperament, and though I do not expect "protection" and consideration for what may be a weakness of character, I most certainly recognize and am grateful if that is what I attain by the actions of others.

Your piece speaks to the heart of the matter, from both sides, naming the enemy by the nature of it's gain and the victims by the consequences of the loss. IMHO, that is the only road to understanding that might one day produce solutions that WORK. If Utopia is a fool's dream, a closer approximation is as logically possible as the world we see before us, born of intention as would any other.

The mention of Obama in the heading is the type of inflammatory "padding" of an arguement I can understand as a tactic, but view as too dangerous an indulgence, and it angers and saddens me regardless of my position on any particular issue. But however it is worded, this is information I would want to be made aware of, and your poem lends it a perspective that I assure you is helpful and useful; as much as I would like to be otherwise, I am by nature inclined to reaction, and distraction often prevents the deeper analysis that might make it productive.

So, my sincere and muli-leveled thanks to you, for your work which is always that and more.

Tracy

[DesDownunder]

Thank you for your comments Tracy, I appreciate them even if blushingly so.

I am pleased you noticed the horrid manipulation of using Obama's name in the headline of the linked article.

It is fairly obvious that News.com is owned by Murdoch.

I like to think that we can all 'protect' each other, in some way. Temperament is not necessarily a weakness of character, just a different way of doing what we each are capable of contributing to that 'Utopia' you mention; remembering that when good people do nothing, evil has the opportunity to become reality.

And sometimes goodness within people, has no recourse other than to try to express itself as all it can do, as best as we can.

I like to think that when we speak out, help is on the way.

[TracyMN]

I like to think that when we speak out, help is on the way.

That is a beautifully encouraging thought, Des, and destined to become part of my own prized collection, gathered from a thousand voices over a lifetime, aid amidst a troubling landscape.

So in that it would seem to work both ways.

Tracy

[Spaz-tic]

They came for knowledge,

They wanted unknown,

They came for love's intent,

They wanted unseen,

For power they fought

And starved information of reason,

But worse, they taught,

Prejudice and fear is reason enough,

To make our lives worth nought.

I thought the poem, mostly this line though, could have been applied to the christian pilgrims taking the land from Native Americans and teaching the "Savages" the proper christian way. A very interesting read though, and a great message. I swear, with each decade we move forward it's like we're slowly heading into the pages of "1984."

[DesDownunder]

I thought the poem, mostly this line though, could have been applied to the christian pilgrims taking the land from Native Americans and teaching the "Savages" the proper christian way. A very interesting read though, and a great message. I swear, with each decade we move forward it's like we're slowly heading into the pages of "1984."

I have to say I think we have well and truly gone beyond the pages of 1984 in that there are a large number of people who have submitted to ignorance, or betrayed questioning reason for a belief.