Quote of the Day: Slow It Down

 

Until we realise who is runnin’ the show
there’ll be variant strains that’ll come and go
all the vaccine in the world cannot fight a secret foe
if the virus ain’t the problem but the people in the know
slow it down . . . .

Dr. Dave Robbo does philosophy and music. His YouTube page says, “Dr Dave is an author, poet, song-writer, singer, surfer, academic professor, and Christian existential philosopher.”

The song has a line about armed guards at the border. I’m not sure what the problem with that is; that just sounds like borders to me.  I’m also not sure that anyone is running the show–anyone organized, that is.  It might just be a bunch of loosely aligned interests.  (Loosely aligned, flawed, and all too often and to varying degrees morally and/or legally corrupt.)

Anyway, I like the song’s timely message.  The bit I quoted is given three times, with variations: “all the efforts to contain it,” “all the vaccine in the world,” and “all the willpower in the world” are all useless against the virus if the real problem isn’t the virus.

“Slow it down.”

Also, we need to know more.

What do you think?

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There are 15 comments.

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  1. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    When the inventor of mRNA vaccines talking about mRNA vaccines is misinformation, but Big Bird is a trusted source, maybe we do need to know more.

    • #1
  2. HankRhody Freelance Philosopher Contributor
    HankRhody Freelance Philosopher
    @HankRhody

    Saint Augustine:

    What do you think?

    I’ve been told that if we just all get the vaccine this will all go away. When I’m told that I rebuild my mental model of the world the speaker is living in.

    • #2
  3. Hammer, The (Ryan M) Inactive
    Hammer, The (Ryan M)
    @RyanM

    St. A, I was just exploring some of these same thoughts, or trying to, anyway. I don’t think it’s “people in the know” so much as it is a state that we’ve developed into…  Perhaps the inevitable result of our post-Christian society.

    • #3
  4. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    St. A, I was just exploring some of these same thoughts, or trying to, anyway. I don’t think it’s “people in the know” so much as it is a state that we’ve developed into… Perhaps the inevitable result of our post-Christian society.

    Ah, good. Perhaps we have another nice essay of yours to look forward to.

    How would you describe the state we’ve developed into, I wonder?

    Maybe I should just wait for the essay!

    • #4
  5. Hammer, The (Ryan M) Inactive
    Hammer, The (Ryan M)
    @RyanM

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    St. A, I was just exploring some of these same thoughts, or trying to, anyway. I don’t think it’s “people in the know” so much as it is a state that we’ve developed into… Perhaps the inevitable result of our post-Christian society.

    Ah, good. Perhaps we have another nice essay of yours to look forward to.

    How would you describe the state we’ve developed into, I wonder?

    Maybe I should just wait for the essay!

    It’s already up. 

    I described it as a willingness to be dehumanized. When we are created in God’s image, we are individuals. It is natural for individuals to seek truth, to speak out, to assert rights and to love liberty.  When we are not created in God’s image we are expendable. It is natural for us to defer to leaders, to have our lives defined by others, to see truth not as a constant to be found, but as whatever the party tells us it is today. 

    Socialism cannot survive a society of individuals.

    • #5
  6. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    St. A, I was just exploring some of these same thoughts, or trying to, anyway. I don’t think it’s “people in the know” so much as it is a state that we’ve developed into… Perhaps the inevitable result of our post-Christian society.

    Ah, good. Perhaps we have another nice essay of yours to look forward to.

    How would you describe the state we’ve developed into, I wonder?

    Maybe I should just wait for the essay!

    It’s already up.

    I described it as a willingness to be dehumanized. When we are created in God’s image, we are individuals. It is natural for individuals to seek truth, to speak out, to assert rights and to love liberty. When we are not created in God’s image we are expendable. It is natural for us to defer to leaders, to have our lives defined by others, to see truth not as a constant to be found, but as whatever the party tells us it is today.

    Socialism cannot survive a society of individuals.

    Ah, yes. The one I thought looked great but lacked the time to read. Thank you.

    • #6
  7. She Member
    She
    @She

    ***

    This is the Quote of the Day. December’s sign-up sheet is here.  Please sign up today!

    If you’re new at this game, it’s a easy way to get your feet wet and start a conversation; if you’re an old-timer, you already know the ropes.  Either way, we’re looking forward to your post.

    Another ongoing project to encourage new voices is our Group Writing Project. December’s theme is “Winter Lights and Dark Winter Nights.”  If you’d like to weigh in, please sign up for Group Writing too!

    • #7
  8. Hammer, The (Ryan M) Inactive
    Hammer, The (Ryan M)
    @RyanM

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    St. A, I was just exploring some of these same thoughts, or trying to, anyway. I don’t think it’s “people in the know” so much as it is a state that we’ve developed into… Perhaps the inevitable result of our post-Christian society.

    Ah, good. Perhaps we have another nice essay of yours to look forward to.

    How would you describe the state we’ve developed into, I wonder?

    Maybe I should just wait for the essay!

    It’s already up.

    I described it as a willingness to be dehumanized. When we are created in God’s image, we are individuals. It is natural for individuals to seek truth, to speak out, to assert rights and to love liberty. When we are not created in God’s image we are expendable. It is natural for us to defer to leaders, to have our lives defined by others, to see truth not as a constant to be found, but as whatever the party tells us it is today.

    Socialism cannot survive a society of individuals.

    Ah, yes. The one I thought looked great but lacked the time to read. Thank you.

    Maybe not so great.  Pretty ranty, and as usual, I’m never quite sure about where it ends up.  “I apologize for the length of this letter; I didn’t have time to write a shorter one.”  That may not apply to me as much as to (Hemingway?); it takes a long time to write a long essay, but the real problem is that I’m trying to say too much, but also still trying to be a little bit … poetic (terrible description, for lack of a better one) … about it?  In reality, what I wanted to say was 2 chapters, and I tried to squeeze it into an essay, only to get to the end and realize that it wasn’t much to say at all, and had probably already been said by someone far better.

    • #8
  9. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Saint Augustine: also not sure that anyone is running the show–anyone organized, that is.  It might just be a bunch of loosely aligned interests.  (Loosely aligned, flawed, and all too often and to varying degrees morally and/or legally corrupt.)

    Klavan on his podcast recently said it’s no conspiracy. It’s just incompetent elites trying to cling to power and relevance.

    • #9
  10. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Saint Augustine:

    Anyway, I like the song’s timely message.  The bit I quoted is given three times, with variations: “all the efforts to contain it,” “all the vaccine in the world,” and “all the willpower in the world” are all useless against the virus if the real problem isn’t the virus.

    “Slow it down.”

    Also, we need to know more.

    I think it’s also aimed more at the individual than at public policy. In other words, it’s less “Slow down on them crazy Covid measures!” and maybe a little more “Hey, you! Slow down, and remember the cover to the Hitchhiker’s Guide!”

    • #10
  11. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Yes it’s a bunch of idiots trying to hold onto power few of whom would know how to do it, but they get key guidance from the Chinese. Doesn’t take much but they get it.

    • #11
  12. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Hammer, The (Ryan M) (View Comment):

    I described it as a willingness to be dehumanized. When we are created in God’s image, we are individuals. It is natural for individuals to seek truth, to speak out, to assert rights and to love liberty.  When we are not created in God’s image we are expendable. It is natural for us to defer to leaders, to have our lives defined by others, to see truth not as a constant to be found, but as whatever the party tells us it is today. 

    Socialism cannot survive a society of individuals.

    Haven’t read your essay, sorry. But, I have to differ. The problem in our society isn’t a lack of individualism. In fact, we’re so very individualistic that we each have “my truth,” and self-definition can go so far as to deny that “male and female He made them.” You get to pick your “gender” out of 57 flavors or more, depending on the day. 

    Yes, we are individual children of God, but we are also one Body. The Kingdom doesn’t advance when the eye says, “I don’t need the foot.” Without the feet, the eye isn’t going anywhere. My contention is that radical individualism is very American, and part of the problem. But, the main issue, we undoubtedly agree, can best be lumped under the category of “godlessness.” There’s no accountability to a Higher Power, there’s a “tyranny of moral relativism” (Pope Benedict XVI), and a widespread protest (ahem) against submission to a divinely ordained moral authority (the Magisterium of the First Church of Christ, to which God’s revelation has been given for the salvation of souls). 

    Socialism is fundamentally immoral and wouldn’t even be attractive to a virtuous people. It prevails where the people have lost faith, and, therefore, lack moral excellence.

    • #12
  13. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    What is the nature of the dishonest authoritarianism? Is it a conscious method or is it robotic? I watch Fauci at times and it seems he is actually not conscious of the contradictions and discrepancies in his pronouncements.

    • #13
  14. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    What is the nature of the dishonest authoritarianism? Is it a conscious method or is it robotic? I watch Fauci at times and it seems he is actually not conscious of the contradictions and discrepancies in his pronouncements.

    One of the major questions of our time.

    • #14
  15. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    • #15
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