Category: Jesus

2020: The Four Orders of Reality in a Baudrillardian Nativity

7/12/2017

The Immaculate Preconception

Simulations, Jean Baudrillard (1983)
Translated by Paul Foss, Paul Patton and Philip Beitchman
“The Precession of Simulacra,” pages 11-12

This would be the successive phases of the image:
            -it is the reflection of a basic reality
            -it masks and perverts a basic reality
            -it masks the absence of a basic reality
            -it bears no relation to any reality whatever: it is its own pure simulacrum.

In the first case, the image is a good appearance – the representation is of the order of sacrament. In the second, it is an evil appearance – of the order of malefice [evil enchantment]. In the third, it plays at being an appearance – it is of the order of sorcery. In the fourth, it is no longer in the order of appearance at all, but of simulation.

Baudrillard was harder to explain before our current political situation: now the first through fourth orders of the image (this is the “I m age” / ego) can be clearly discerned.

Imagine “We the People” as an image.

Is “We the People” a first order reality, one based on the constitutional representation ratio found in Article 1? Or is “We the People” a simulation of the usurpation and therefore a fake representation?

Perhaps the nativity scene is a useful image for understanding Baudrillard’s four orders. To begin with, to understand there is a baby Jesus missing, one has to know of the first order, of a complete Jesus nativity. Take Aspasia or Socrates, for example, individuals living 400 years before Jesus; they would have difficulty imagining the setting; even more difficult, meaning for the bottomless manger, absent baby Jesus and the third wise man represented as an ass. A Socrates might also see the angel more as a guiding spirit, a daemon, more than we allow ourselves to see directing signs and spirits.

Baudrillard also noted, to quote in paraphrase, that nostalgia assumes its full meaning when the real is no longer what it used to be.

We the People: to be or not to be first or fourth order? – To be constitutionally real or constitutionally fake?

The answer is on the horizon we call now.

*Next Up: Wednesday 19 July and a 2020: In High Spirits, a Seven-Twenty Preamble.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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2020: Jesus was poor and said a few things about being rich

7/5/2017

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Beijing 1879

Jesus, son of Mary, was a poor man overflowing with riches.

The Gospels, in Matthew, Mark and Luke, report Jesus being asked by a rich man what actions lead to eternal life.

Follow the commandments Jesus said.

The rich man said he did: what else?

Sell all your possessions and follow me Jesus said.

The rich man was distraught, the disciples confused.

Jesus continued: How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God / Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

The disciples asked: Who can be saved?

What is impossible with man is possible with God said Jesus.

Possible.

Jews, Catholics, Muslims and Protestants agree; Jesus was a teacher of being rich in things other than worldly riches: someone poor in materialism, yet rich in material.

Citizens gathered in a US House according to numbers would represent our beliefs ~ the beliefs of We the People, poor and otherwise.

*Next Up: Wednesday 12 July and a 2020: The Four Orders of Reality in a Baudrillardian Nativity.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Republican Values: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb On Our Way Er

2/19/2017

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Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka OOW Resurrection

Part 9 of 13

“It’s a story Gus.”
“Great!”
“Shall we walk and talk?”
“On our way time ‘eh?”
“Time.”
“Okay – but what’s Er?”
“A soldier.”
“So what did Er do?”
“Lots.”
“Like what?”
“Resurrection.”
“Rise again?”
“So sayeth Plato.”
“Plato ends The Republic with a resurrection story?”
“Plato does.”
“What happened?”
“There was a battle and Er fell on the field.”
“Okay.”
“Ten days later they find the battlefield.”
“Yikes.”
“Right, ’cept Er’s body is not decayed.”
“Irrational.”
“Plato then says that two days later, while on the funeral pyre, Er comes back to life.”
“Jesus.”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb OOW Afterlife

“Right Yank.”
“But before Jesus.”
“By 350 years.”
“That’s like from Columbus to our time Johnny.”
“True.”
“Does Er just scare ‘em?”
“He tells the people of his soul’s journey.”
“To where?”
“Afterlife.”
“The dead?”
“Yes, and the newly to be born.”
“Both?”
“It’s a long journey Gus.”
“What was Plato up to Johnny?”
“Order again.”
“So Er saw Judgement Day.”
“Others, not his.”
“Okay: so?”
“It was a big deal to Plato.”
“Why?”

Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb OOW Necessity

“Cosmos.”
“Explaining good government wasn’t enough.”
“Plato wanted to explain it all.”
“Plato wanted to replace Athena.”
“Hey there is a goddess.”
“Where?”
“Necessity.”
“The mother of all invention is a goddess?”
“She is and she concludes Plato’s Republic.”
“I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“Goddesses.”
“They’re resilient.”
“Like fate.”
“Plato would agree Yank.”
“Go figure. Hey there’s a fork ahead Johnny.”
“There sure is.”

*Next Up: 26 February and part 10 of Republican Values: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb On Our Way Fork.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

Just ‘cuz music: Gaga Gotsadze - Late Night Melancholy

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2020: Part Two of the 7/20 Bill of Rights Participation Day Preparations, Jesus and Caesar

7/14/2016

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Amendment VII

Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
And unto God the things that are God’s.

Give Caesar Caesar’s things, Jesus of Nazareth said.

The US Constitution is our modern metaphor for Caesar, temporal power.

When Caesar isn’t rendering (giving) what is the law, and instead diligently reigns via usurpation by ignoring the representation ratio, one Representative for every thirty Thousand people, and the 7th Amendment with its twenty dollar justice clause, then what are Caesar’s things?

Certainly, constitutional law, our Caesar and temporal power, is legitimated when followed (see John Locke); just as certainly, it is delegitimated when ignored (see current polity).

We the People matter.

Next Up: The Union 2016 summer series continues on Sunday 17 July with part 5, Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka Nowhere Feather Birds.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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Union 2016: Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka New Year’s Eve 1775

12/31/2015

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Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka Nowhere New

Winter series part 2

Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

“… Daniel Morgan had quite a 1775 Gus.”
“How so Johnny?”
“Morgan was in western Virginia -”
“- Around Berryville?”
“Right, though Berryville wasn’t always called that.”
“What else was it called?”
“Battletown.”
“Some big battle happen there Reb?”
“No, just the local kind.”
“Whatcha mean?”
“It was a place you could find a fight if you were looking for one.”
“Oh,” measured Gus, “a boxing town.”
“Sort of.”
“Thunderbolt might have meant something by that.”
“Agreed.”
“A clue,” Gus offered, “that perhaps our sides were looking for a fight and found one.”
“We got divided.”
“We the People did.”

Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka Nowhere Years

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
“You quoting Lincoln there Reb.”
“He got it from the gospel of Mark.”
“Jesus.”
“Right."
“What of Morgan Reb and his 1775?”
“He and many others in Virginia answered George Washington’s call to Boston.”
“So the Teamster headed to where the action was.”
“And from there to Canada.”
“That’s a long ways from Virginia Reb, what’s Morgan doing there?”
“Trying to capture Quebec.”
“To spread rebellion?”

Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka Nowhere Eve

“To spread the rebellion,” confirmed Reb, “and to deny the British a safe landing.”
“For the King’s response to the rebellion.”
“Correct.”
“They didn’t capture Quebec did they Johnny?”
“No Gus,” Reb distinguished, “the opposite happened.”
“Thunderbolt got captured.”
“He did. Morgan and several hundred other rebels surrendered and became prisoners of war on 31 December 1775.”
“Not a happy ending Johnny.”
“Morgan was alive.”
“True, though how’d he get to be Thunderbolt and all?”
“That started later Gus, in 1777 … "

*Next Up: The 240th anniversary of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Sunday 10 January as part 3 of the Union 2016 winter series.

Posted by Bryan W. Brickner

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2020: The Four Orders of Reality in a Baudrillardian Nativity

2020: Jesus was poor and said a few things about being rich

Republican Values: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb On Our Way Er

2020: Part Two of the 7/20 Bill of Rights Participation Day Preparations, Jesus and Caesar

Union 2016: Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka New Year’s Eve 1775

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2020: The Four Orders of Reality in a Baudrillardian Nativity

2020: Jesus was poor and said a few things about being rich

Republican Values: Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb On Our Way Er

2020: Part Two of the 7/20 Bill of Rights Participation Day Preparations, Jesus and Caesar

Union 2016: Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka New Year’s Eve 1775 ﻿

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Union 2016: Johnny Reb and Gus Kotka New Year’s Eve 1775