“Politics have no relation to morals.”
I kind of intended this one to be more informative and thoughtful than funny. Seriously. And, uh ... All those other things I’ve written that you didn’t think were funny? Informative and thoughtful too. Yep. Informative and thoughtful. No intent to elicit any laughter at all.
At the end of my last entry I had a conversation between my teacher and I about the late Niccolo Machiavelli and his defining work The Prince. I explained to my teacher and subsequently wrote here that “Machiavellism is in essence that any actions taken, however inherently immoral, are justified as long as the goal itself is moral”. Machiavelli both in his era and after his death has been criticized for creating a heartless, cruel and calculating form of leadership. In fact, the term ‘Machiavellism’ is used as a synonym with corruption and unethical behavior but this isn’t fair. What I neglected to explain (it didn’t appear as if I was getting anywhere with my teacher, and I only put what I said) and what none of his detractors seemed to acknowledge was that he thought there were limitations on the initial evil actions you could do. 'The ends justify the means' only applies when the outcome is good for EVERYONE. He felt that acquiring power for individual use and or glory was not acceptable and whatever cruel or evil acts you must do must be executed as swiftly as possible. Machiavelli thought that relying on the good of human nature is foolish because human nature is fundamentally flawed, and that sometimes radical methods are needed to preserve the status quo. Basically leaders should use evil along with good, but leaders should only use evil as an instrument for further means, not as an end itself.
Now that we have that straightened out…
Me: “We can’t have your party on the 10th, Caitlin and I are going to the Red Jumpsuit/Emery/Scary Kids Scaring Kids/A Static Lullaby show in Lawrence that day.”
Casey: “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Me: “I forgot. You want to go?”
Casey: “Probably. I’ll have to see if I can. Is anyone else going?”
Me: “Josh maybe? Haven’t asked him either. No one else really likes any of those bands. Drew really likes Emery but he’s probably working. I absolutely adore Emery and Scary Kids, they’re two of my favorite bands, Static is ok and Red Jumpsuit is probably the best postmetalsemicore type band getting played on the radio. Caitlin listens to them all the time. I’ve only heard two of those songs…What’s that one they play on the radio all the time? The one where the girl gets her ass kicked? How does that go…"
Casey: “Face down in the dirt-“
Me: “She says this doesn’t hurt!”
Casey: “Now every girl wants them because of that song.”
Me: “I know. It’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be funny if that song was just so girls would think they’re sweet caring guys and want to do them? Like, they’re actually crazy women abusers that like rough choke sex? After shows they take groupies back and slap them around and toss them all over the place backstage? Wouldn’t that be beautifully ironic?”
Casey: “That’s exactly what I wouldn’t have ever thought of.”
Due to Casey being almost completely on his way into joining the army (if things go to schedule he’ll be in basic training in around a month), we’re having a going away party for him sometime soon. If you’re reading this, you’ll probably see a facebook invite anyway but whatever. We don’t have a date set but it’s probably going to be called “The Mo’Fuckin Casey Goodbye Funny Hat Bro Party”. In order to be allowed in you either have to wear a funny hat, dress like a bro, or have sex with Casey. Funny hats include - Those hats you see women wear at church, sombreros, top hats, cowboys hats, beaver skin hats, you get the idea. Surprise me. Dressing ‘like a bro’ includes wearing Abercrombie polos with the collar popped, backward visors and spiking your hair ridiculously. K-Swiss shoes and having a propensity to talk about Dane Cook and Family Guy a lot help too.
(Yes, I’m just trying to see what ridiculous lengths everyone will go to for free alcohol and a big social situation. You caught me. Yet you still indulge me.)
One final note. More of a rhetorical question than anything else, really. What defines ‘knowing someone well’? People always say things like ‘he’s my best bud he knows me the best’, but what does that entail? Knowing someone for the longest duration? Knowing the minutest details about their daily activities and upbringing? These are usually the most comfortable answers, however, I’m proposing something different. What if ‘knowing someone the best’ is qualified by not by an encyclopedic knowledge of their life, but how well you understand why they do the things they do. Why the activities and the actions they partake in occur, not merely that they happened. If this is the case, someone you have only have had a few conversations with or has mostly just watched you could know you better than someone you see and interact with everyday. If this is the case you could go your entire life without ever really speaking with the person who knows you the best.
And I have absolutely no idea where I’m going with this. I guess in the end the idea that someone knows you is more of a feeling than anything else. Some sense of comfort and security in a vastly unknown and frightening world. The feeling is the important part though.
At the end of my last entry I had a conversation between my teacher and I about the late Niccolo Machiavelli and his defining work The Prince. I explained to my teacher and subsequently wrote here that “Machiavellism is in essence that any actions taken, however inherently immoral, are justified as long as the goal itself is moral”. Machiavelli both in his era and after his death has been criticized for creating a heartless, cruel and calculating form of leadership. In fact, the term ‘Machiavellism’ is used as a synonym with corruption and unethical behavior but this isn’t fair. What I neglected to explain (it didn’t appear as if I was getting anywhere with my teacher, and I only put what I said) and what none of his detractors seemed to acknowledge was that he thought there were limitations on the initial evil actions you could do. 'The ends justify the means' only applies when the outcome is good for EVERYONE. He felt that acquiring power for individual use and or glory was not acceptable and whatever cruel or evil acts you must do must be executed as swiftly as possible. Machiavelli thought that relying on the good of human nature is foolish because human nature is fundamentally flawed, and that sometimes radical methods are needed to preserve the status quo. Basically leaders should use evil along with good, but leaders should only use evil as an instrument for further means, not as an end itself.
Now that we have that straightened out…
Me: “We can’t have your party on the 10th, Caitlin and I are going to the Red Jumpsuit/Emery/Scary Kids Scaring Kids/A Static Lullaby show in Lawrence that day.”
Casey: “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Me: “I forgot. You want to go?”
Casey: “Probably. I’ll have to see if I can. Is anyone else going?”
Me: “Josh maybe? Haven’t asked him either. No one else really likes any of those bands. Drew really likes Emery but he’s probably working. I absolutely adore Emery and Scary Kids, they’re two of my favorite bands, Static is ok and Red Jumpsuit is probably the best postmetalsemicore type band getting played on the radio. Caitlin listens to them all the time. I’ve only heard two of those songs…What’s that one they play on the radio all the time? The one where the girl gets her ass kicked? How does that go…"
Casey: “Face down in the dirt-“
Me: “She says this doesn’t hurt!”
Casey: “Now every girl wants them because of that song.”
Me: “I know. It’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be funny if that song was just so girls would think they’re sweet caring guys and want to do them? Like, they’re actually crazy women abusers that like rough choke sex? After shows they take groupies back and slap them around and toss them all over the place backstage? Wouldn’t that be beautifully ironic?”
Casey: “That’s exactly what I wouldn’t have ever thought of.”
Due to Casey being almost completely on his way into joining the army (if things go to schedule he’ll be in basic training in around a month), we’re having a going away party for him sometime soon. If you’re reading this, you’ll probably see a facebook invite anyway but whatever. We don’t have a date set but it’s probably going to be called “The Mo’Fuckin Casey Goodbye Funny Hat Bro Party”. In order to be allowed in you either have to wear a funny hat, dress like a bro, or have sex with Casey. Funny hats include - Those hats you see women wear at church, sombreros, top hats, cowboys hats, beaver skin hats, you get the idea. Surprise me. Dressing ‘like a bro’ includes wearing Abercrombie polos with the collar popped, backward visors and spiking your hair ridiculously. K-Swiss shoes and having a propensity to talk about Dane Cook and Family Guy a lot help too.
(Yes, I’m just trying to see what ridiculous lengths everyone will go to for free alcohol and a big social situation. You caught me. Yet you still indulge me.)
One final note. More of a rhetorical question than anything else, really. What defines ‘knowing someone well’? People always say things like ‘he’s my best bud he knows me the best’, but what does that entail? Knowing someone for the longest duration? Knowing the minutest details about their daily activities and upbringing? These are usually the most comfortable answers, however, I’m proposing something different. What if ‘knowing someone the best’ is qualified by not by an encyclopedic knowledge of their life, but how well you understand why they do the things they do. Why the activities and the actions they partake in occur, not merely that they happened. If this is the case, someone you have only have had a few conversations with or has mostly just watched you could know you better than someone you see and interact with everyday. If this is the case you could go your entire life without ever really speaking with the person who knows you the best.
And I have absolutely no idea where I’m going with this. I guess in the end the idea that someone knows you is more of a feeling than anything else. Some sense of comfort and security in a vastly unknown and frightening world. The feeling is the important part though.