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J. Tullius's avatar

Nice work. The plugging old laws with plaster reminded me of the repainting in Animal Farm—a lot easier to keep them unchiseled. These days they're even un-written: no one will remember the ones and zeros.

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

A universal trope that symbolizes "Uh-oh." Hard to imagine how much worse it could be in the digital age, and the proliferation of noise only makes it harder to see. Thanks for reading!

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Peter Mladinic's avatar

I especially like the vilanelle!

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Thank you Peter.

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Peter Mladinic's avatar

You’re welcome, Robert.

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Lliam Gray's avatar

This seems to me a well written example of when knowledge becomes monopolized by the State. Those in power seek to bend knowledge to their own interests and, as you mentioned, this is a historical problem of States, not merely the one off of some deranged leader. I am concerned myself about the current of philosophical knowledge today in particular because so much of funding for our universities and institutions of knowledge come directly from our governments. Is it naive to think that this kind of funding by the State comes without strings attached? You need thinkers inside and outside the 'system' to keep it healthy, don't you agree?

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Robert Charboneau's avatar

Yeah I agree. I wouldn't even put the blame on the state in that case, but on the academic institutions which, like states, have this tendency to corrupt themselves through the same means by which they came to prominence. Consolidation and homogenization. Bending knowledge to their own interests, as you said. Academia does this all by itself.

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Zane Paxton's avatar

“good poets tell lies to reveal truths, not disguise them.”

I’ve never thought about it this way, but I really like how you laid this out. Thank you.

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