Showing posts with label EU Europe Equality Stoic Philosphy Liberty Lisbon Treaty English Language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EU Europe Equality Stoic Philosphy Liberty Lisbon Treaty English Language. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

EU Europe Equality Liberty Values & English language

Natural Law of Liberty & Equality, why Europe is the solution that is a work in progresss.

In the begin for the fight for freedom everyone looked to the English speaking nations the so called Anglo-Saxon powers, from the Norman conquest the fight to regain real and perceived lost rights from the Anglo-Saxon pre-1066 era propelled the English into a war on hierarchy ( it also coloured our view of outlanders particularly the arrogance of french speaking monarchy), a quest for liberty and equality, at first only the rights of Earls and Barons where recognized in the Magnacarta and common law. Then class friction meant that each part of society fort for its rights.
A major leap forward was made by the Levellers and diggers in the English Civil war, the foundation of the ideas which Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson wrote into the constitution of the United States. Their view was that Liberty would free man kind and the natural goodness of mankind would thereby provide the goods & services as well as charity to prevent destitution.
The exceptionalist view of the Utiopia in the making, the USA was still strong despite the constant warfare (external and civil/social) the US has been forced and chosen to engage in.

Europe is influenced by the concept of Roman philosophy and the concept of equality from the French revolution.

Yet today when Europeans think of liberty it is the concept of fairness rather than a pure unbridled liberty they speak of. This is a liberty with the fire and brim stone taken out, its a liberty with regard for others and with regard for the fact that if Humans are not evil then we do have darker moments. For the Liberty of evil men leads to the Tyrany of Tyrants and Kings. This was something Thomas Paine tried to square.
With out some equality there is no liberty and with complete equality their is no liberty.
Perhaps we need look further back into history, the Italians and especially the Romans with their Latin Germanic and Celti blood are a heady mix of exuberant passion, passion that could turn violent. The ancient Romans believed in hard disciple the power of the Law and the state, but this would not have been enough to control the Roman mob, more was needed.
Philosphy was not considered a soft subject but a hard subject for hard people, it found favour with the pankraton boxers, the MMA of the ancient world and the worlds first martial art, Stoic philosophy was taugh to the Legionaries with their pankration training so that their minds could endure the harsh realities of their bloody trade. Stoic philosophy was so strong in the mind of the Roman Emporer Marcus Aurelius that he conducted his Meditations a private diary only discovered after he worked himself to death.
Meditations details how fate is plastic to will but like water fate or the Logos, the force that extends through reality and living beings tries to find equilibrium.
The Romans where a slave owning society so that they believe in a limited equality to ones birth but that the logos was always trying to effect the wills of the rich who where lazy while the poor where hard working to find the good human being who is balanced. Marcus Aurellius obviously believed being a stoic in not complaining but if you where a slave or an emporer you might be intellectual equals it did not matter other than if you where a slave that you be the best slave you could be and equally so for a emporer, who could not reach material equality because of his position. So you must try to teach to learn to be the best human being you can be.
Thus Marcus Aurellius balanced his liberty with the wills and needs of others seeking equality through self discipline.
Now as a social Democrat we must guard against selfish interest, it is self interest that we seek equality in law and economic rights but if social democracy is just self interest then it is a conservatism, an atomist self interest of the poor. This is not what social democracy and the European Union is or should be for the rights of the community do exist as much as do the legal person of the corporations. Corporations are only incorporated by their incorporation into the community of the nation thats what incorporated means and if words mean anything that shows that the right of the national community is greater that that of the corporate business. The Banking crisis showed that hierarchy led to a culture of control, fraud, atomistic self interest to an unhealthy extent, of corporate tribalism against the nation.
The European Union showed that it had the economic ability and teeth to hold the banks to account. Yet it did not go so far as to impose a form of equality for equality is based on knowledge self discipline and then the method to atain it through co-operation.
Co-operative business model did not suffer as much in terms of job losses as those with hierarchies, the economic crisis demostrated this. If you are partner you will invest more of yourself into your work, there is a self interest in equality too.
The European Union with lisbon Treaty has also extended Liberty by recognizing the basic right to direct Democracy by act of pertition to government more popular motions may become law.
The guarding against a tyrany of the majority is also safe guarded by preventing some motions becoming law if they violate human and economic rights. Yet in some regards issue based politics will challenge ideology, on some issues the same people may be to the far right on immigration but on the left in terms of social welfare, they may be liberal in terms of human and animal rights etc.
So the European Union is a work in progress for Liberty for Democracy for Equality and maybe some day fairness.
With what language will it speak, most of western Europe speaks English as a second language so I say that maybe English will be the language of the European Union of Liberty and Equality, we have gone full circle to speaking for Europe in an Anglo-Saxon voice.
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