RICHARD W. SYMONDS (RWS) - INDEPENDENT ANALYST

THE PHILOSOPHY OF MORAL REALISM states that moral Values exist objectively and independently of the human mind - and our subjective actions, thoughts, ideas and beliefs discover (rather than create) those moral Values.

Thus, our actions, thoughts, ideas and beliefs can be objectively right or wrong - independently good or bad - whether we subjectively believe they are, or not.

Values are real - such as Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

What is 'real' serves as an objective 'other' - independent of ourselves - against which we can test and measure our subjective actions, thoughts, ideas and beliefs.

It is, therefore, always possible that our actions, thoughts, ideas and beliefs could be wrong, mistaken, and in error...

Tarski's Correspondence Theory of Truth, Popper's Scientific Method and Joad's Transcendence-Immanence Theory, are closely associated with this Philosophy of Moral Realism & Values.

THE SYMONDS MEGA MOTIVATION THEORY ('THE MEGA THEORY') states that we are motivated by seven ultimate Values (Mega Motivations), of which we can conceive of nothing greater :

Beauty
Freedom
Happiness
Life
Love
Peace
Truth

The Theory further states that we are motivated by that which we most value; if we discover what we value, we will discover what motivates us. 'The Anselm Acid Test' is used to discover what we most value; and thus we can discover what motivates us.

I've had enough (again) from the political elite at West Sussex County Council - so, armed with nothing except a small poster, I'm taking the train down to Chichester...sitting myself down outside their plush home at County Hall for half-an-hour...have a look round the Cathedral and West Sussex Records Office...and then take the train home :

Protest "Enough Is Enough" - 11.00 to 11.30 - Friday 23 February - Outside Ede House, County Hall, Chichester. Join me if you can. A reporter or two might be there, but I doubt it. Does it matter ? Not really...it's all to do with me being able to look myself in the mirror each morning anyway.

Don't worry, it's all legal - Sussex Police Serial Ref No 650:20:2 - and Chichester Police Station have just contacted me to ensure I'm not a terrorist planning an armed revolution.

Why am I doing this ? Because I can.

3 Main Reasons

1. To draw people's attention to the scandal of school-funding allocation at County Hall - the story of Lower Beeding Primary School being the latest example of so many. Allocation of funding is not just unfair - it's politically vindictive, morally unjust, and damages the least-advantaged in the county the most, especially its children and their families. But what's new ? This has been going on at County Hall for years and years. So, enough is enough.

2. To draw people's attention to a little elitist cabal at County Hall, which are developer-led and morally bankrupt - but paid handsomely by their bankrollers - us the council taxpayer. So, enough is enough.

3. To draw people's attention to this WSCC cabal's pathological problem of always blaming others, and never themselves. Blimey, if we believed their PR (paid for by us), they have never made any mistakes at all since coming to power. They have never, ever publicly admitted a mistake (and I challenge anyone to prove me wrong). This makes them perfect human beings - or liars.
So, enough is enough.

Selling off School Playing Fields. Axing Hot Meals. PFI. House Planning. 'Farceway' Bus System - the list is as long as my arm...

This is not good for the majority in this county.
This is not good for the majority of council taxpayers in this county.
This is not good for the majority of children (and their families) in this county.

Enough is Enough

I'm not sure if this is a 'wind up' at West Sussex County Council, or Lt Col 'Blimp' Pemberton has gone insane :

It is proposed that new houses, to be built on the former old school playing fields at Ifield Community College, will have bus timetable screens installed in their living rooms...

I'm rendered speechless...but watch this space.

As I see it, at the moment, the Capitalist Revolution (in whatever form that might take) is leading Humanity to destruction - so Humanity has to wake up, wise up and grow up - fast - to avoid that fate - an E.volution of Humanity.

And no, I have not turned from a Rebel to a Revolutionary - more to an E.volutionary.

What I mean by that is :

The power of the word (eg blogging) will help cause humanity to wake up, wise up and grow up - fast. Such e.volutionary power (of people) will challenge the system which enslaves us - Capitalism - and the E.volution of Humanity will see it has the power to escape this Matrix of Power.

There has always been a war of conflicting ideas (politico-religious ideas) throughout time - Christianity v Islam (The Crusades), Catholicism v Protestantism (The Religious Wars), Communism v Capitalism (The Secular Wars) etc.

The Capitalist Revolution has seen off its rivals - covered in blood - armed with weapons which could destroy this planet with ease. Humanity must fight back - or face extinction and oblivion.

E.volution beyond the Capitalist Revolution to ......to what exactly ?

I'm not sure yet, but methinks it's an uncharted course worth taking - our survival might well depend on it.

Anyway, with a sense of urgency, I intend to look at 'Alternatives to Capitalism' over the next few months, starting with this :

http://www.newcolonist.com/altcap.html

All contributions welcome on this journey to an unknown destination, as always...Climb aboard !

STOP TELLING US
WHAT TO THINK
WHEN TO FEAR
HOW TO KILL
WHO TO HATE
WHERE TO BUY
AND WHY.

START TELLING US
TO THINK
TO HOPE
TO HEAL
TO LOVE
TO BE
TO REASON WHY..

FOR A CHANGE...

COUNTY HALL DIVERTING FUNDS TO COMPENSATE FOR 'FARCEWAY' OVERSPEND ?

If there is any truth to this :

http://www.maidenbower.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7271

then 'heads must roll' at County Hall.

And if there is any truth to this :

http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2005/12/09/48783/west-sussex-road-overspend-shock.html

then will we see the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel 'Blimp Farceway' Pemberton from County Hall by the end of this week ?

We should - and a public apology from those politically-motivated county councillors responsible for the cut in funding to Lower Beeding Church Primary School.

This might help :

http://www.chomsky.info/

And this

http://loosechange911.blogspot.com/2007/02/noam-chomsky-joins-911-jersey-widows-in.html

I cannot hear this - I am deaf - but I'd love to have a transcript

http://notallthere.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13005#13005

Can anyone help ?

Chomsky has little time for the Conspiracy Theorists who believe there are Master Puppeteers pulling the strings - especially our strings as Puppets - on a Global Stage.
I can understand some of the reasons why he takes this position - they are convincing. But, his position can make it more difficult to identify the real String-Pullers of the System.

A Conspiracy Theorist I am not - more a Cock Up and Cover Up Theorist - but we don't need to be Conspiracy Theorists to know that there are Master Puppeteers who manipulate and control the System - or the Matrix of Global Power.

To my mind, it's clear - of course there is a small cabal who control the system - but quite who these people are is a little more difficult - but not that difficult.

'Anselm's Acid Test' clearly indicates a Pyramid of Power - Can you conceive of anyone more powerful than your boss ? Can your boss conceive of anyone more powerful than his boss ? Etc Etc. Eventually you get to the top - it's not hard to find out...

Who controls the system ? Who are those who are left 'untouched' by war - but who effectively finance war ?

Well, if you find out the answer to this question, you will know :
TO WHOM DO GOVERNMENTS PAY THEIR NATIONAL DEBT - for example, The Bank of England here, and the Federal Reserve in the US ?
Certain names will crop up time and time again...especially on the internet (not the 'Conspiracy' sites !)
There are two names which crop up a lot - Rockefeller and Rothschild - but there are others. I believe the latter name mentioned is so rich and powerful, it's not even mentioned in Fortune 500 !

It would be tempting to fall into the trap that there is a cabal of Jews who control everything - I don't 'buy' that idea.
For sure, there are a lot of Jewish names up there, but the cabal is not exclusively Jewish.

Can we name names ? Chomsky does not, but with his understanding of how power works, he must have a pretty shrewd idea. He chooses not to say - for good reason, in my opinion.

But why are these Master Puppeteers not clearly identified by others ?

Ah, now there's a question....

Like it or not, Noam Chomsky will be up there with the 'greats' in future history - but how will that history be written ?

THE EINSTEIN OF MODERN LINGUISTICS ?

As New York's Wayne R. Dynes said recently : "His (Chomsky's) early interventions in the field of linguistics effectively ended the tyranny of behaviourism in the social sciences".

There are those who have not forgiven him for that - even now - and with a serious bout of professional jealousy, that lethal cocktail has led to irrational, personal hostility.

There are those who have not forgiven Albert Einstein - especially now - for his forthright political views (he was committed to the moral justice of the Socialist cause - like Bertrand Russell, HG Wells, Cyril Joad and George Bernard Shaw). So, 'official history' has painted Einstein as just the genius scientist - and glossed over his major contributions in other fields, such as politics and pacifism.

So, what am getting at ? Well, will future's 'official history' paint Chomsky as just the genius linguistic philosopher who revolutionized our understanding of language - but gloss over his major contributions in other fields, such as politics and power ?

We shall see...

THE GOLDSTEIN OF 1984 ?

For those unfamiliar with the detail in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Emmanuel Goldstein was the subject of the 'Two Minutes Hate'. In Orwell's book, Winston Smith obtained the 'officially banned' book by Goldstein - "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism" - Chapter 1 (Ignorance is Strength), Chapter 2 (Freedom Is Slavery)(omitted), Chapter 3 (War is Peace) :

http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/go-goldstein.html

It's a wonderful read if you want to understand the nature of power. Orwell understood that nature - and so does Chomsky (I consider Chomsky as America's Orwell, by the way). But I digress...

Will Chomsky be fondly remembered as 'The Einstein of Modern Linguistics' -or remembered with hostility, as 'The Goldstein of 1984' ?

Like it or not, Chomsky will be remembered - but how ?

In the meantime, let's read his books and attend his lectures - if and when we can - which all carry a simple message for me : "Think for yourself - and clearly. Don't let others do the thinking for you. Don't let it happen. It depends on you. You are a pre-condition for humanity's future survival and well-being. It's up to you".

Remember - he is still very much alive - and long may that continue.

References :

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=88633330621122317&hl=en

This is good :

http://antarena.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-is-to-be-done_08.html

I just love this...I wonder why :)

http://partygirl99.blogspot.com/2007/02/orwell-big-brother-1984-and-today-what.html

And I love this - for different reasons - "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchal Collectivism" (The Book Within The Book - 1984)

http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/go-goldstein.html

Noam Chomsky has been described as 'The Einstein of Modern Linguistics". Bono calls him 'The Rebel Without A Pause'. I consider him to be 'America's Orwell'...

If you are interested in his life and work, this week's 'little spat' might be of interest :

http://mondoweiss.observer.com/2007/02/a-sour-chomsky-shows-disrespect-to-a-young-paying-audience.html

http://mondoweiss.observer.com/2007/02/backtracking-on-criticism-of-chomsky.html

http://mondoweiss.observer.com/2007/02/i-apologize-re-chomsky.html

And finally this :

http://redstateson.blogspot.com/2007/02/stop-noam.html

No, wait - finally this :

http://mondoweiss.observer.com/2007/02/more-on-chomsky-not-apologizing-this-time.html

Tory Leader David Cameron comes to visit - thanks to an invitation by the West Sussex Tory elite - and then he is totally ignored by the local media...well, almost.

There is something tucked away at the bottom of Page 8 in Crawley News ("Tory leader bids to save the planet", February 7)...but that's about it - as far as I can see. Absolutely nothing in Johnston Press's Crawley Observer. Now there was a time...

Interesting and amusing...especially our local Henry (Cllr Henry Smith - WSCC Leader & Crawley County Councillor (PH, W & M), who was quoted thus in that small Crawley News piece :

"We hope that before long all school buses in Crawley will run on bio-fuel. Crawley is already an impressively green town, and this will make it greener".

Oh, what wonderful nonsense from this political 'flyweight' - and particularly ironic when it comes to massive development plans here in the ancient Parish of Ifield - plans which his own Council orchestrated !

Perhaps Crawley Observer judged it was simply beyond embarrassment to give this visit any coverage...

They were probably right.

I'm not trying to be funny here - but do we have a Local Education Authority (LEA) in this county, or not ?

I ask this after reading today's Argus on Page 5 ("Boy's plea to secure funding for school", February 6) :

As usual, the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) was trying to defend the indefensible, but this time they wheeled out Robert Back - a 'scarlet pimpernel' if there ever was one - who I thought was WSCC Director of Education for the LEA (an Officer as distinct from a Councillor).

It appears I am mistaken : Mr Back (according to the Argus) is "Director for Children and Young People's Services"...I suppose to come into 'political line' with the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People's Services - a Councillor - whose job title used to be called "Cabinet Member for Education and the Arts", I believe ?

I'm a little confused - as I often am, especially with the goings-on at County Hall. For example : Where does the Adult Education Service fit in here ? Or the PFI ? Is there an LEA in this county anymore? So many questions, so few answers.

Our discredited Prime Minister once famously said : "EDUCATION. EDUCATION. EDUCATION".

I am tempted to reply : "INDOCTRINATION. INDOCTRINATION. INDOCTRINATION"...but that would be too unkind.

But, I would reply : "OBFUSCATION. OBFUSCATION. OBFUSCATION" when it comes to West Sussex County Council's Education Services - or whatever they call themselves now.

As for the word "EDUCATION", that seems to have disappeared from WSCC's lexicon - which comes as no surprise to me.

And no, I am not a stuttering racist - I love all humanity; it's just people I can't stand :)

If you didn't get that, don't worry...

Anyway, to those unfamiliar with planning matters in Ifield Parish, this 'What's the point' question might not mean much - in fact, even to those familiar with such matters, it might not mean much either. In fact again, if someone says they are NOT confused about Ifield Parish planning, they don't know what's going on - unless, of course, they happen to work in Chichester's Cunty (sorry, County) Hall Planning Department - the ivory tower of West Sussex County Council (WSCC).

But I digress - confusedly.

JAAP stands for Joint Area Action Plan :

JOINT = Horsham District Council (HDC) and Crawley Borough Council (CBC) - plus WSCC and others - but don't tell anybody. The 'Area' for the development of 2500 houses is split between HDC and CBC.
AREA = 'Land W and NW of Crawley' (eg Ifield Golf Course-HDC/Ifield Village Conservation Area-CBC - in the ancient Parish of Ifield.
ACTION PLAN = The Plan of Action to be taken when Crawley and Horsham's Core Strategies (CS's) have jointly received their Examinations-in-Pubic (sorry, Public) - EiP's - by the Planning Inspectors.

Horsham District Council have had their EiP, and the Inspectors have judged their Core Strategy "sound" (morally wrong, but legally sound). This gives the 'green light' for the destruction of the present Ifield Golf Course (but we're not supposed to know that yet).

Crawley Borough Council will have their EiP on March 1, and it is likely that the Inspector will judge that legally "sound" as well - which will probably give the 'green light' for the destruction of Ifield Village Conservation Area.

The JAAP will also have an EiP later this year - all at taxpayers' expense by the way.

So, what's the point of a JAAP - 'Land W and NW of Crawley' - if HDC and CBC both have their Core Strategies judged as "sound" ?

Good question...and the answers (especially from the cynics amongst us) do not make for happy reading...

My instincts tell me (and I might be wrong) that if the HDC/CBC had not agreed to a JAAP, their Core Strategies would have been judged as "unsound" by the Inspectors - and thus the whole pack of cards, orchestrated by WSCC, would have come crashing down around their ears.

My instincts also tell me (and I might be wrong again) that the JAAP has been introduced by WSCC/HDC/CBC simply to 'buy time', in the hope that the fierce opposition to their plans of destruction, especially within Ifield Parish, will have dissipated.

If that is the case, they have made a very serious mistake.


For the records :
http://www.horshamonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=507&ArticleID=2019642

I am beginning to get more than a little irritated by this fellow little person - Cllr Henry Smith, a Con. from Crawley and present Leader of West Sussex County Council :

On the front page of West Sussex County Times, and its Letters Page, Horsham's GP's have come together to stress the need for a new Hospital ("GPs unite in call for new acute hospital" et al, Feb 2). About time too - but good on them.

Our little Henry then decided to jump out of his political nursery at County Hall - or wherever - and declare to the world (Page 2) :

"No one knows better than our doctors...That's why the ringing endorsement given by local GPs to the Campaign for Pease Pottage Hospital demonstrates these proposals are respected by the professionals."

Silly little man - the Horsham GP's (in their letter) have given no "ringing endorsement" of the party-politically motivated 'Smith-Maude PFI Hospital' - or their already-discredited Campaign.

Party-politics and politicians don't interest me much - never have been a good 'joiner' of things for the last 53 years on the crust of this spinning rock hurtling interminably round a ball of fire in space - along with everybody else.

But politics and people do interest me - so I have never regretted standing as an Independent in the Ifield local elections quite a few times - and once in Pound Hill. I've been a successful failure on every occasion...much to the amusement of some...but I know it was right for me to stand - and it was good clean (and unclean) fun too.

I hope to stand as an Independent candidate for this May's local elections, and - after getting myself more than a little confused about the subject this week...I will stand either in the Horsham District Council elections (Rusper and Colgate Ward - Ifield Parish), or the Crawley Borough Council elections (Ifield Ward - Ifield Parish).

There is a month or two yet before I have to choose which one...

Pity it can't be both - especially if the BNP field a candidate in both (which is more than likely).