The Lion Gate

A sophism is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching aretê — excellence, — to wealthy young statesmen and nobility. The practice of charging money for education led to the condemnations made by Plato (through Socrates in his dialogues).

These are the days when the birds come back. A very few, a bird or two, a backward look to take. These are the days when skies resume the old, old sophistries of June, a blue and gold mistake.

Doesn't bring anything to mind? Oh yes, the teachers! Whereas, supposedly, any ethical teacher would be forced to refuse the hugely obscene wads of cash to be made in the commercial realization and exploitation of the Great American public education racket.

While nobody who is in the thrall of contemptible business principals like the privatization of previously public assets, is not in their right minds, anymore to be trusted with the public interest than any other hostage taker set upon making their ransom demands. Kidnapping is a federal offense, or, in this case, the new class of well-heeled politicians lead by pleading the poverty of the state in crisis which they've bled white by six decades of skimming off the top by the top one percent in incomes.

They should be driven from office, like swine, and herded back into the free market they so claim to cherish.  They don't need a government, so let them do without it. Criticism is easier than statesmanship. Who was minding the fuckin' store while these lousy bums rushed off to Springfield, or Washington, D.C. to make bad laws, and rape the underage pages to their heart's content, and at the taxpayers expense?

Or do I overstate the case?

Making common cause with the wealthiest passengers on the train at the expense of the boilers is no way to run a railroad, a let alone government. It is necessarily the work of the permanent government to conserve the people's treasure intact for future generations, not to give it away free to their political cronies, and campaign financiers. "When there is an income tax," wrote Plato, "the just man will pay more and the villain less on the same income." 

Such overweening wealth, power, and political influence breeds only greed, laziness, and nihilism in the children of the privileged class. While the impoverishment of the vast majorities breeds anger, discontent, and meanness of spirit, deeper, and in far greater numbers, you'll see. Oligarchy, then is government temporally resting itself upon the thick foundation of wealth they have expropriated from the workers, taxpayers, and the children by covert ways and means most foul, subversive and seditious.

We know who they are, where they are, and what they're really up to; so inevitably, when they lose the argument, and they resort to force, which is the quicksand upon which all sand castles are made, we will submit at first, because our strength is not yet adequate to resist, but in our hearts we do not submit. They can run, but they cannot hide. We shall soon return, and reclaim what has been stolen from us, by those who have failed so miserably in performing their sworn duty to serve and protect everyone equally, under the law, and insure that they pay the penalty proscribed for such failures.  

The direction of public education will determine our future as a democracy, if any. We who of old left the booming surge of the Pacific, and live here in the mid-plain of North America, say farewell to California once our country, Los Angeles, goodbye, nigh onto Catalina, farewell, where our flying fishes flew, renew, dear old salty sea.