Chickens Running in All Directions (VI)

Since an existential crisis in a community’s and nation’s life is necessarily a moment closely tied to founding violence, or ‘re-founding violence’ as the case may be, can Latvians find the mechanism of peace in a re-founding sacrifice?  

Though the answer may be in the affirmative, before we come to it, we must see what the scapegoat mechanism with regard to Latvia may be. There are many variants as to who is the victim who will serve a community driven to the blink of an eye before it dies.

One of the mechanisms is games of chance or lottery. An old game of chance is known as King’s cake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_cake : only one of the slices of the cake will contain a bean or a piece of coal. He who gets the piece with the bean or coal is the “chosen” one. As Girard points out, games of chance are the only games specific to man, and closely related to sacred rituals. Whoever chance chooses is also the chosen reconciliator of the community, i.e., sacrifice.

Often however the reconciliator is a person already in the public’s eye, and this may be the case of Latvia, if only because the anonymous reconciliator Adolfs Buķis (d. 1993) was implicitly dismissed as a person of doubtful mental health and the media has conspired with the government to forget him. In other words, the fact that Latvia’s leaders at the time of the foundation of the nation chose a parliamentary form of government continues to dismiss the average citizen as one who may participate in determining the future course of the nation unless officially selected for some office in government by the government.

In short, the symbolic King’s cake, when ready to serve, goes to the first person in Latvia. Such a first person is of course the President of Latvia. Since July 8th of this year, the office of the President of Latvia is belongs to Andris Berzins http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/06/03/51236385.html .

Interestingly, while President Berzins has become citizen number #1, this was not clear to the rest of the world at the time of his election (June 2^nd).

When the news of Berzins elevation to the post of President of Latvia first reached foreign ears, many thought that Berzins was another Berzins http://www.diena.lv/sabiedriba/politika/ekspremjers-andris-berzins-kluvis-par-saeimas-deputatu-775757 . The mix-up occurred because Berzins the President came as if out of the woodwork. This is not to say that the man was not around, but he was never particularly noticed for either initiative or excellence. He was simply there, so to speak, waiting to serve Latvia.

How did Andris Berzins star pop up so suddenly? By all signs, he was chosen quickly and in circumstances shrouded by secrecy. In fact, those closest to Berzins and Berzins himself were not quite prepared by the honor. This was particularly noticeable during the President’s first days in office.

·        When Berzins had a photo-op with high ranked visitor from Estonia, the visitor had to indicate to President Berzins that perhaps the photo-op had lasted long enough and it was time to leave the stage.

·        The President’s common-in-law wife (until July 4^th, when a hasty marriage was arranged) was barely acquainted with the idea of her companion becoming Latvia’s next president.

·        It appears that the new president craves invisibility, what with opting not to spend his off hours at the Jurmala residence of presidents, but preferring an Old Town Riga apartment instead.

·        It is understood that the new President’s out of Riga residence on weekends will be his countryside home. Given that the new President is—among other things—a pensioner receiving Latvia’s highest pension (~ Ls 4500), one may wonder how great the number of visible and invisible police to protect him from irate pensioners who receive Ls 200 per month and less.

To discover the answer for Berzins sudden rise to power, there is an interesting, even plausible story. This writer has it from a well placed and believable source.

The story does not however begin with President Andris Berzins, but the mayor of the City of Ventspils, Aivars Lembergs, Latvia’s richest ‘oligarch’, a man enmeshed in litigation in London over the ownership of a certain number of shares in a company called Vitol.

The story tells that the bets among legal minds favor the possibility, even likelihood, that Aivars Lembers will be arrested when he appears in court in London. While preparing for this turn of events, the mayor of Ventspils took certain steps to protect himself. In effect, he put his weight behind Andris Berzins to make sure that the man from the “Valmiera bunch” (known by Latvians as the Valmiera Group) became the next President of Latvia. The story adds that Lembergs is well acquainted with people of the mentioned former group.

The story then takes another interesting twist. It appears that if the court in London orders the arrest of the mayor of Ventspils, he may be released from jail in London for a jail in the country of his origin, Latvia. Mayor Lembergs’ release to Latvia at a time his man is the President of Latvia means that the mayor escapes the worst of the law, and goes pretty much free. Of course, a story is but a story. Nevertheless, along with deniability as to its veracity, it also is not without certain credibility.

If President Berzins is suspected of being in office as a result of a deal with mayor of Ventspils, in other words, if the story above has veracity, who of the two—Berzins or Lembergs--becomes the scapegoat?

As in a sacred game of chance, we can toss the coin. Call your choice: heads or tails. On the other hand, we may remember that Latvia is lacking a re-founding sacrifice ever since President Karlis Ulmanis failed to make it in 1939 when Latvia was overrun by the Soviet Union.

Does the President of Latvia Andris Berzins have cause to remember President Ulmanis failure, or does he rather remember the why and wherefore he came into office?

Chickens Running in All Directions (III)

While the Referendum to dismiss the Latvian Saeima, initiated by the former President of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers, was successful and the numbers of voters participating was respectable (688,246 or 44.62% of eligible voters participated; 94,3% voted for dismissal, while 5,49% voted against), the net result in this writer’s opinion signals “more of the same”. That is to say, the immediate past is likely to continue in the immediate future even as social disintegration picks up speed.

Reason for expecting no more than “more of the same” is the Referendum initiator’s (Zatlers) subsequent failure to agitate on behalf of his initiation at the populist* level. Such an agitation would likely have increased voter participation. If participation had reached past the 50% level, say 60%+, it could have become an expression of popular demand, rather than but a popular opinion, which is where matters stand now.

*[Former president Zatlers made a personal gesture toward the unorganized populist citizenry by saying (to paraphrase) that he had finally had enough of the Saeima and that his innards had revolted and had pressed him to publicly suggest its dismissal http://www.apollo.lv/portal/news/articles/244659 . However, the gesture was weak; it had no follow-through.]

While social disintegration in Latvia is the result of corruption, greed, and blatant dishonesty among the Latvian ruling elite, the worst of it, a lack of public trust in government (now a hot potato in the new President Andris Berzins hands), will continue to worm its way through the remains of society*, delivering, in the end, a sterilized wreck at a hospital named “Brussels”.

*[Society: in the sense it was perceived by Robert Owen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen , in the words of Karl Polanyi: “He was deeply aware of the distinction between society and state…. emphatically (he did) not (believe the state ought to perform) the organizing of society.”]

While the Latvian Kulturas Ministry may play Brussels’ bureaucrats Copland’s ‘Fanfare For the Common Man’ as they reverently celebrate the funeral of Latvian society http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzf0rvQa4Mc , the Ministry’s complicity in the loss of cultural bearings by Latvians is significant.

I have previously noted the eradication of former cultural orientations such as by Bishop Alberts Crusade, by the Herrnhuters, followed by the Lutherans (and other neo-Christian sects), followed by nationalist founding violence, followed by True Believers (Dievturi), followed by the Soviet occupation, followed by occupation of liberal capitalist banks, followed by the unread, followed by Pop ‘culture’, followed by a dominance of views as expressed by a corrupt Saeima. And this is not to say that there are no other cross-cultural currents at numerous intersections of what once was mainstream or proto-Latvian. The collective brain of Latvians quite simply has been overcome by the overload of disintegrations, and has now broken down and died.

Of course, one may wish to think that the listed series of cultural stages makes for an inheritance the size of the Ganges River. However, the actual result is a history of serial marriages suffering from forgetfulness of previous relationships, which has in effect led to near total loss of memory of history among Latvians.

Any effort by patriots to connect the present to the past is imagined by zealous supporters of liberal individualism as certain deviants sneaking off to the woods to have sex with fascists. And who can deny that following a system’s lockup everything outside the system becomes heretical and sinful? Institutional bureaucracy, having by now come up with its own recipe for ‘society’ and keeping the lid on the kettle to over cook it (to rid it of any vitality), does not remember ever having had an orgasm except perhaps at the time of the nation’s long ago founding. That event, however, has become abstracted and is no longer part of active collective memory.

Whatever the sorrows of those who support the rule of society over the rule of individualism, the leaders of Latvian society today act as if they are chickens entrusted with globalization. The fattest chickens are, naturally, strutting as if they were ‘oligarchs’, while the most henpecked chickens, the poor and mothers with children, are left to create the foundations of Latvian ‘society’ with a language few understand as having roots other than in the naked present.

Is there then a chance of survival for Latvian ‘society’ (whatever it may be like at this point) at this time of sacrificial crisis http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/pmahon/Girard.html short of renewed founding sacrifice? In this writer’s opinion—not.

Some form of founding or re-founding sacrifice has to take place. While many, perhaps fearing the attractions of a fascist orgasm, are likely to object (especially those for whom ‘human rights’ have become a religion), the attractions of society when society is breaking down are likely to override the objections.

What then might ‘founding sacrifice’ be like in our day—if it takes place outside of what formerly was—most of the time—known as  ‘founding war’ or scapegoating of an innocent? To find the answer, we must look at several authorities concerned with this question.

This blogger will continue develop this theme in the upcoming next several blogs.

This blog may also be found at http://the4thawakening.blogspot.com/

Ding dong!

Who is there?

Ditch Zatlers!

Dill blossoms.

For the most part, there are two ways of playing “ding dong ditch”.

One of the ways is to ring the door bell and run. When the homeowner opens the door and sees no one, perhaps even walks around the house to make sure, the kids break out in loud laughter and run like hell to wherever they came from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVjIRHlobFw&feature=related .

The other way is to ring the bell, and when the owner opens the door, he finds himself facing Ra-gana, the old Halloween witch, who screams: “Trick or treat!” The word “trick”, if taken serious, means: “If you don’t give me candy, I will whack you with my broomstick” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSY2f2Wt9BU&feature=related .



More dill blossoms.



There is also the Zatlers’ way. You go to the door, ring the bell, and when the homeowner opens the door, he, Zatlers, surprises me and says (not really, but in my/ our imagination): “I suggest that the time has come do dismiss the Senate. On the 23^rd of July, there will be a Referendum, when you can vote and tell me and everybody whether you agree with me and everybody or no.”

When the ding dong (me and you) heard Zatlers message, he-she yelled “Līgo! Līgo! I love you, Zatler. Right on! Out with the crooks! Līgo!”

“Good,” says Zatlers and closes the door.

The ding dong then says to him-herself: “This is wonderful! Those lawmakers have been stealing and selling Latvia off bit by bit to foreign banks. Here, I am near telling Latvians to lease Riga to China, so that after selling off Latvia, we are not asked to yet thank them. At least if China leases Riga, say, for a century, Latvians will be debt free and start a new life. In return for our liberty, we are ready to start out with a straw roof in a forest home, and nothing much more than a coconut or two to chew on. ”

However, your thrill quickly evaporates.



At the edge.



After knocking on every door on your street and telling every homeowner what you have just been told, the whols street awakens and whoops it up, or as the Latvians are wont to say "go Līgo".

However, after closing the door, Zatlers goes eats his supper, and goes to sleep. In the morning, after he wakes up, Zatlers has breakfast, speaks with his press secretary, who then goes out on the front porch of Zatlers apartment. Thence she announces to reporters standing around in the yard waiting for Zatlers to make some further thrilling announcement.

Zatlers’ Press Secretary announces that Zatlers is forming “The Zatlers’ Reform Party” (ZRP) http://www.apollo.lv/portal/news/articles/243786?ref=theme. “Zatlers is the first and until now only Latvian politician since Latvia renewed its independence, who has decided to take such a radical step by opportuning the people to activate themselves and not permit [the Saeima] to repeat earlier mistakes.”

Zatlers Press Secretary goes back into the apartment and finds the former president is fast asleep on the couch. She awakens him and asks: “Anything else, sir?”

“No. Thank you. That was great. We are on the roll now.”

“Yes, sir, I understand. However, should we not now get together a band and march down the streets of Riga and byways of Latvia and trumped and get out the vote for the July 23^rd Referendum?”

“I do not believe so,” answered the new political hero. “We are not populists.”



Climbing up my legs.



“But, sir, it was the populists who thrilled to your message. You should take your advantage and fire them up to go and VOTE!”

“I do not wish to repeat myself again,” said the New Hero. “I am not a populist. I believe that populists are communists, or fascists, or chauvinists, and who knows who else. They are no better than the crooked Saeima.”

“Who then will be the voters?” asked the Press Secretary.

“Latvians, of course.”

“Well, yes, sir, however, what if all Latvians—except government employees and media people—are populists?”

“That cannot be. Latvians do not like populists. No Latvian ever says a positive thing about them.”

“But, sir, I read that without populists there cannot be democracy. Besides, you are moralizing. Moreover, here is one Chantal Mouffe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantal_Mouffe , a political scientist, who writes that “….moralization of politics leads to the emergence of antagonisms that cannot be managed by the democratic process…. It is clear that when the opponent is defined in moral terms, it can only be envisaged as an enemy, not an adversary. With the ‘evil them’ no agonistic debate is possible.” [See: "The ‘End of Politics’ and….]

“She is a Marxist. The two things that Latvians like least are Marxists and Populists. When in Latvia, we must think like Latvians do. I am a Latvian. Few Latvians are ever Marxists. It is for sure that no Latvian can be a Populist.”

“Alright, sir, however, there is no campaign going on in Latvia to turn out the vote on Referendum day, July 23^rd. We are missing out on a great opportunity to stir the Populists, the (presumed) majority of Latvians. Not since the rebirth of Latvia, sir, has anyone been as brave as you. Lead on, sir! Lead on! Time is wasting. Make noise, sir! Trumpet and repeat the reasons for the dismissal of Saeima.”

“I cannot do so until after the Referendum vote happens.”

In the wink of an eye.

“Why not, sir?! Do you think that selling off Latvia to foreign banks is only a ‘mistake’? Perhaps the Latvian people think that it is more than a mistake. What do you say to Ernesto Laclau http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Laclau , who insists that “…populist discourse does not simply express some kind of original popular identity; it actually constitutes the latter”?  How will you ‘reform’ without knowing what the popular identity of the Latvians is, sir?

The following blogspots center on a variety of subjects, which I have initiated. You are invited to look and respond.

http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/ Not-Violence main subject

http://melnaysjanis.blogspot.com/ Temple of Janis (John) site

http://the-not-voter.blogspot.com/ Arguments for systems change

http://the4thawakening.blogspot.com/ Sacrificial crisis in Latvia

http://oedipusrexrewritten.blogspot.com/ Oedipus Rex Rewritten

I suggest you look at the links imbedded in these blogs or at the end of the blog as an integral part of my argument.  * text between [ ] is not part of quote.

The 4^th Awakening

43 Boots and Nettles

© Eso Anton Benjamins

Herewith ends the series of blogs called The4thAwakening. I may add in due course a Conclusion if it comes to mind. Those who have followed the argument will probably have realized that this series has argued for a history of Latvia with obviously severe shear marks, leaving however open the possibility that these are connected by a meme hidden within the language and able to project a kind of Forward Look that the last twenty years of renewed independence (1991-2011) have ignored in favor of reactionism against an enemy (the Soviet Union) long replaced by the European Union. Unsurprisingly, this has moved me to suggest Riga, the capital city of Latvia, as the capital city of Europe in the Europe of tomorrow, which Brussels knows nothing about. However, I present this latter argument as a discussion rather than a blog topic.

The Story of Crazy Jane and Clever John, The End

(…story begins at blog 15)

Boots and Nettles

Thus, while Rozinante and a messenger were galloping to the seashore of Livonia to fetch Clever John’s brothers, and while Clever John was converting the value of the heap of gold into money, King John 1^st and Queen Ragana continued with wedding preparations.

The first thing King John did was go to his cobbler and have him make a new pair of boots, since Rozinante would return with the old pair all worn. Since he wished to dance as if he were still a young man, the King asked that his boots be inlaid with the feathers of a crane.

For her part, Queen Ragana had her hatmaker make her a crown of a crane’s black tail feathers. Everyone at the court made preparations for the event. Clever John, of course, did nothing, but count money; the princess, as promised, was not to be seen anywhere; while Crazy Jane was worried that someone should steal her dress while she danced among those who danced undressed. Just so that no one was inhibited from dancing their best, everyone was to wear a mask.

After seven days the six brothers from Livonia came riding in, this time, on the backs of six flying crickets which upon entering the King’s garden turned into six black flies.

 

The wedding ball was a big tent affair with jet fighter pilots from India among those present. All the men kneeled before the curtain behind which Princess Wonderful was hid and spoke to her words of love. Clever John almost danced his heart out.

Unfortunately, King John 1^st, he whose enemies called him the Devil, did. His boots of crane feathers were too much for his age. He died in the middle of a hop for the unreachable.

Queen Ragana was in shock when the Devil died. She threw her hat of tail feathers off her head, and her true nature became revealed.

The ballroom was lit up with so much sunlight as when the Sun is at noon. The woman (whoever she was), whether the Sun or everyone’s Dearest Goddess, hovered as a witch would right over everyone’s head, scalped them with her heat, and declared with a queenly scream:

“You, John, are now the Devil! Hell is your kingdom, the dead are your slaves, and my daughter is your bride!”

John was taken aback by how quickly things were changing and how momentous events were not only taking place, but had overtaken him.

Not daring look anywhere else, he turned his head up to the Sun and asked: “Mother, where is your daughter?”

“Ask your brothers,” answered the Sun as she went behind a cloud, ashamed she had brought one such into the world.

Clever John turned to his brothers. “Brothers,” said Clever John, “I know that I never yet have asked you a question, because I always knew better, but do not hold this against me. Tell me where is Princess Wonderful?”

His six brothers started laughing, and all the maids of the kingdom who were at the wedding party laughed along with them.

The oldest brother of Clever John stepped forward: “Clever John, if you really do not know how to find a bride by yourself, she is waiting for you in that room,” he said and pointed to a door in the middle of the longest wall in ballroom.

As Clever John sought out the door with his eyes, everyone in the ballroom also pointed to the door and shouted: “There! There!”

Clever John started for the door. His oldest brother went to his side and offered encouragement. When they had come to the door, the brother whispered to Clever John some last minute instructions about what to do. He explained that the room had no light, and as soon as he was inside, the door behind him would be shut and locked. If he wanted his bride as hot as a hot pan, he had to jump into the bed without any hesitation—else the bride might cool off.

The brother of Clever John took him be the arm, opened the bedroom door, shoved Clever John inside, and closed the door fast behind him. Clever John jumped for the bed, which he had seen while the door had been open and was real enough.

Clever John felt a body beside him. He reached out his arm to embrace it.

It felt warm, but—then Clever John realized with an awfulness one can live without—it was inhuman. He had not embraced a Princess, but a warm plastic covered canvas bag.

Clever John screamed as if he was having a nightmare. At that very moment another door sprung open, and in strode Crazy Jane holding a huge candelabrum with dozens of burning candles. In her other hand she held the dead King John 1^sts pair of crane feather boots.

Crazy Jane set the candelabrum down on a stand, then threw the boots on the bed. “They are yours now, Clever John,” she said.

“Crazy Jane! Oh Princess Wonderful! What do I do with crane-feather-boots in bed?” asked Clever John.

“Put them on and never take them off,” ordered Crazy Jane.

When Clever John hesitated, he felt a swish of leaves of nettle across his bare middle. So, he pulled on the crane feather boots and felt a warm blush seize him. A shower of sparks shot through him.

“Stop it, Crazy Jane,” Clever John begged.

All those who stood behind the door of the wedding chamber roared with laughter. Rozinante neighed.

“I am not finished,” screamed Crazy Jane and whacked Clever John with the bouquet of nettles once again.

“Help!” screamed Clever John.

“It will be okay,” suddenly all tenderness offered Crazy Jane. “Let us now run to the sauna,” she said as she pulled Clever John out of the bed.

Everyone behind the door roared with laughter once more.

Clever John followed Clever Jane. It was quite a hop he did. Those who know to look know that he was holding an object or something in his hand.

(End of story.)

Asterisks & Links of Interest

Text between [ ], when within a quote, is not part of the quote.

The following blogspots center on a variety of subjects, which I have initiated. You are invited to look and respond.

http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/ Not-Violence main subject

http://melnaysjanis.blogspot.com/ Temple of Janis (John) site

http://the-not-voter.blogspot.com/ Arguments for systems change

http://the4thawakening.blogspot.com/ Sacrificial crisis in Latvia

http://oedipusrexrewritten.blogspot.com/ Oedipus Rex Rewritten

I suggest you look at the links imbedded in these blogs or at the end of the blog as an integral part of my argument.  * text between [ ] is not part of quote.

The 4^th Awakening

42 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

© Eso Anton Benjamins

The Story of Crazy Jane and Clever John, Part 3

(…story begins at blog 15)

Mrs. W. Ragana and her daughter Crazy Jane helped Clever John load the hoard of gold into the wagon. Rozinante, the mare, snorted in alarm as she watched how much gold she will have to pull.

Soon, King John 1^st arrived at the gate. This time he was not bare foot, but wore polished boots. He wore bright green pants, a red vest ribbed with gold buttons, his suit topped off with golden epaulets, his sword, and on his head a nine tiered crown of gold inlaid with red rubies and green sapphires.

The King ordered his guards to open the garden gates and then help load onto the wagon the last of the gold.

“You have proven yourself to be the right man for my daughter, Clever John. Princes Wonderful will be pleased,” said the King. “I could not have found her a better man than you.”

“Yes, Sir King John 1^st,” answered Clever John, “I have been looking forward to this moment. Perhaps I could meet your daughter and propose to her?”

As soon as Clever John had said this, he heard a low growl from the mother of Crazy Jane, the witch Ragana. It was not quite a human growl, but one like that of a lioness. The rumble made an echo in her stomach which—it was apparent—was empty.

Clever John looked up and saw Mrs. W. Ragana look at him with a menacing eye. Crazy Jane, too, stood as if frozen to the ground.

“Did I say something wrong?” asked Clever John and turned his head toward King John 1^st.

“It’s alright, Clever John,” said the King and waved Crazy Jane off. He could not do so with Mrs. W. Ragana, because by now it was apparent that she was not just a witch, but the Queen herself. Clever John had mistaken her plain clothes for that of an ordinary woman. He now understood that it was a disguise all the more to fool him, which the Queen had done very well indeed.

Crazy Jane (Clever John had decided that she was the Queens Bedchamber maid), too, relaxed, but before leaving she gave Clever John a “ahahabighero” laugh. “What is your rush, Clever John?” she asked as she took Rozenante by the reigns, “We do things here in an orderly fashion. First things first, else, I will take Rozinante and lead her in the opposite direction from the castle gate.”

The King spoke. One could see that he was worried about what Crazy Jane might do. “You see, Clever John,” said King John 1^st, “the custom here is not to show the bride to the groom except after the wedding ball. You will have to be a little patient.”

“That is a very strange custom,” said Clever John.

“Not so strange if you think about it,” answered the King. “The wedding ball is to get you all worked up to want to marry.”

“You mean that I must dance by myself?” asked Clever John. He was in real disbelief.

“Yes,” said the King. “There will be all kinds of beautiful maids there,” the King continued, “and they will do what they can to get you to touch them. Some of them will not be wearing clothes. But you must desist touching them. You can only talk to them and dance around them, and save the rest for the Princess. If you touch any maid, the guards will chop off your hands. The same goes for Princess Wonderful. She has to stand behind the curtains and listen to the maids tempt you, even as my young officers on the other side of the curtain make proposals to her. If she opens the curtain to look, she will lose a finger.”

“That is a crazy story,” said Clever John. I have never before heard anything so crazy in my life.”

“Don’t doubt, Clever John, my man of gold,” said the King. “If you do, you may lose your head. You see the right hand of Queen W. Ragana? Her pinky is missing, no? On our wedding ball, I made her so jealous and danced for so real that she simply had to look. Of course, my father was kind, and she lost her finger after we were married. Neither will I spoil for Princess Wonderful her wedding night with you, Clever John. But perhaps while you dance, you will address all your words of love not to the maids, but to Princess Wonderful.”

Clever John saw that King John 1^st was not fooling, and neither was Queen W. Ragana. He quickly changed the subject. “When is the wedding, your Highnesses?” he asked.

“As soon as your six brothers can get here. They must come and see what comes of bathing seven crickets in the sea. The world is a marvelous place!” he said and clapped his hands in joy.

The mare Rozinante neighed. She was the only one who could protest to King John 1^st so directly. She was protesting the King saying that she had been born of a cricket. The King saw that he had hurt the mare’s feelings and pursued the subject no longer, but continued to address Clever John.

“I will send Rozinante and a messenger to your family’s seaside farms,” said the King. “Rozinante can continue wearing my boots for a while yet,” King John 1^st offered graciously.

Clever John paled when he discovered whose boots he had. However, the King did not let on that John had suddenly grown wise. He would let Clever John be “clever” a while longer.

“While your brothers come (and I trust that they also will bring us grand presents),” said the King, “you, Clever John, will count all the gold that we have in terms of dollars, rubles, euros, juans, and lats. It will take you a few days.”

(To be continued.)

Friday evening on “100. panta Preses Klubs, this blogger saw and heard three reporters question three distinguished Latvians, one a University professor, the other two former politicians with considerable experience. The talk centered or, better, came near to, then backed off from the theme of President, the Latvian Saeima, and the Dictator.

While the word “dictator” was mentioned only once by the philosopher, the onceness signaled that the word “authoritarian” was included in the word meme as a synonym of dictator. The two politicians were wedded to parliamentary democracy, though one believed that the current president “has no liver”, while the other said that he stuck to “figures” and was rather unemotional about being a leader. Putting it together, all the participants—reporters including—signaled that the State was dysfunctional and backed to the wall by financial destitution brought by the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

Meanwhile, “Al Jezeera English” released a report on the state of Latvia's forests. While the English PM spoke of Latvia as if it were the forest reserve of Europe and the PM of Latvia mumbled, the report showed the extent of the physical decimation visited on Latvia’s forests…. And of the decimation by the state of the Latvian population.

Asterisks & Links of Interest

Text between [ ], when within a quote, is not part of the quote.

*The call by one of the former Latvian Prime Ministers, Šķēle, for the federalization http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/skele-rosina-diskusiju-par-es-federalas-savienibas-izveidi.d?id=36492333 of Europe may be interpreted as a surrender of Latvia to “administration” by whoever the administrators may be.

** http://politika.lv/blogi/index.php?id=62177#c ? Etimoloģija: ? Nepieklājīgi = ne + pie + klājīgi = ~ neklanīgi?

*** Rene Girard, Violence and the Sacred, The John Hopkins University press, 1977; originally published 1972.

Unchanged Feature: What is reality, what is myth?

http://www.voltairenet.org/article167588.html

Changing Feature: In the preceding posts, I started a compilation of video clips, which when seen as a linear sequence tell a story in a context which I hope will become apparent. No, I do not yet know where it is going to lead. This is a story with no end. If it began in the past (it must have), it is now moving parallel to the day we live in. Watching the film may or may not contribute to your understanding of my meaning. Put this clip as tail to your communication http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRKyDU4eRsw&playnext=1&list=PL84D9DF75487929AD do others may see. The origin of this post is at http://the4thawakening.blogspot.com/