Monday, November 21, 2016
1 and 2 but not 3
Half-baked thought.
The following three statements are nearly identical. The first two are mainly true, the third is false. Why?
(1) Successful religions start as rebellions
(2) Successful products start as rebellions
(3) Successful countries start as rebellions
(1) The major western religions all started as rebellions against previous religions. Moses was a Baalite who rebelled against Baal. Jesus was a Jew who rebelled against Moses. Mohammed was a Christian who rebelled against Jesus. Later versions of Christianity were rebellions against Rome, or against Calvin, or against the theology of the current pastor at Spruce Avenue Pentecostal, or against the congregation who rebelled against Spruce Avenue, literally ad infinitum. Each new religion forms its theology as an argument. Nobody even tries to start fresh, using our innate natural understanding of god as a basis for theology.
(2) The first version of a new invention rarely succeeds. The second version is able to pivot against the first version, thus locating what people REALLY want.
(3) Revolutions always make things worse. At best a revolution fails quickly, letting the former EXPERIMENTALLY TESTED government return. At worst (eg USA, USSR) the revolution leads to decades or centuries of tyranny and corruption.
What's the important variable here? I dunno, but it's worth thinking about.
Later thought.... My definition of successful is Populist in flavor. Success = serving the needs and desires of the people who use the item. The usual definition is Globalist: Success = spreading or expanding usage and influence.
For religions and products, these two definitions correlate positively. A religion or product that serves its users will spread and expand naturally when others see the improved lives of the users.
For nations these definitions are opposite. A nation spreads its influence by war and blackmail. The inhabitants must sacrifice their comfort and lives to support imperial expansion. Revolutions are always expansionary. The new utopian ideology MUST be imposed on the world. One measly little nation is never enough for a utopian.
(1) Successful religions start as rebellions
(2) Successful products start as rebellions
(3) Successful countries start as rebellions
(1) The major western religions all started as rebellions against previous religions. Moses was a Baalite who rebelled against Baal. Jesus was a Jew who rebelled against Moses. Mohammed was a Christian who rebelled against Jesus. Later versions of Christianity were rebellions against Rome, or against Calvin, or against the theology of the current pastor at Spruce Avenue Pentecostal, or against the congregation who rebelled against Spruce Avenue, literally ad infinitum. Each new religion forms its theology as an argument. Nobody even tries to start fresh, using our innate natural understanding of god as a basis for theology.
(2) The first version of a new invention rarely succeeds. The second version is able to pivot against the first version, thus locating what people REALLY want.
(3) Revolutions always make things worse. At best a revolution fails quickly, letting the former EXPERIMENTALLY TESTED government return. At worst (eg USA, USSR) the revolution leads to decades or centuries of tyranny and corruption.
What's the important variable here? I dunno, but it's worth thinking about.
Later thought.... My definition of successful is Populist in flavor. Success = serving the needs and desires of the people who use the item. The usual definition is Globalist: Success = spreading or expanding usage and influence.
For religions and products, these two definitions correlate positively. A religion or product that serves its users will spread and expand naturally when others see the improved lives of the users.
For nations these definitions are opposite. A nation spreads its influence by war and blackmail. The inhabitants must sacrifice their comfort and lives to support imperial expansion. Revolutions are always expansionary. The new utopian ideology MUST be imposed on the world. One measly little nation is never enough for a utopian.Labels: Asked and answered
¶ 1:21 AM
