The Unknown

People fear what they do not know; the majority of major fears are based on the unknown. Death is the biggest one. I do not believe people fear not being alive; I believe people fear what they do not know. I find that all those that I talk to who fear death don't know what they believe happens after death. There's no coincidence in that correlation.
I believe John Donne's poem opposing death is genius:

HOLY SONNETS.

X.


Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so ;
For those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy picture[s] be,
Much pleasure, then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou'rt slave to Fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke ; why swell'st thou then ?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And Death shall be no more ; Death, thou shalt die.

Dante's Inferno

The Divine Comedy is divded into three sections:
"Inferno" (Hell)
"Purgatorio" (Purgatory)
"Paradiso" (Paradise, or Heaven)

The poetic story goes explains in depth Dante's journey into Hell. The detail taken into account is impressive. Even Dante's basics were related to the Bible: his age, his life choices, his death choices and even the manner in which he exists.

"Inferno" defines Hell as being divided into nine layers.
Before entering the ninth layer, there is a layer of "opportunists," or outcasts. These are those who did neither good now bad in their lives. References of specific people who have died exist throughout the text. In this outcast layer Dante refers to either Pope Celestine V or Pontius Pilot. I have read interpretations of both, but I have read more stating that he was referring to Pontius Pilot. Interpretation depends on perception.

The first true layer of Hell is where unbaptized babies and those who refused to accept Christ, but were good throughout their lives. No form of punishment occurs in this layer, only the separation from God and the hope for redemption. Dante speaks to people in each layer. Among those to whom he speaks in the first layer are Socrates and Aristotle: two famous philosophers. I found this very interesting.

The second layer of Hell contains those overtaken by lust. The second layer is the first layer where punishment is effected. It is filled with violent storms that never allow those within the layer to rest or sleep. The storm symbolizes the way in which lust has the ability to pull us in the wrong directions.

The third layer of Hell contains the glutens. They lie in a thick layer of sludge, symbolizing the waste that was these glutons' lives.

The fourth layer of Hell contains those whose lives were controlled by material goods. They are split into two groups: those who were greedy with their possessions and those who wasted them. The two groups are damned to an eternity of labor. One group pushes a giant weight against the other, and vise-versa.

The fifth layer of Hell contains those both those who lived their lives with wrath, and the sloth. They reside in the River Styx where the wrathful remain over the water, constantly battling each other; the sloth lie immobilized at the bottom of the river.

The sixth layer of Hell is possibly my favorite, containing the Heretics, trapped in flaming caskets. For the definition of Heretics, read my older post "An Elaboration of Heresy's Relation to Corporatism."

The seventh layer of Hell is divided into three rings. The first ring contains the violent. This is violence against people and property. They are dipped in boiling blood, and those who attempt escape are shot with flaming arrows.
The second ring contains those who committed suicide. They exist as bushes and trees covered in thorns. They are constantly attacked by wild dogs and by a mythical greek demon. They are the only dead that will not be bodily resurrected after they are judged. Their resurrection as trees reveals irony. They died to evade pain, they experience pain in death.
The third and final ring contains those who were violent against religion and God, against God's nature, and against God's order. They all reside in the desert of flaming sand, where flaming rain falls from the sky. They are split into three groups depending on the violence committed.

The eighth layer of Hell is very complex. It consists of those who lived fraudulant lives, they live in death with ditches of stone, and are separated into specific groups (with elaboration that is not necessary for this summary):
-"Pimps" and seducers
-Flatterers
-Various forms of traffickers
-"Sorcerors" (psychics, palm readers, etc.) and false prophets
-Corrupt Politicians
-Hypocrites
-Theives
-Fraudulent Advisors
-Unclear to me, but does hold Muhhamed
-Alcheimists, impersonators, counterfitters and perjurers

The ninth and final layer is also complex and very interesting. Different groups are encased in ice in different manners.
-Traitors of friends
-Traitors to political entities
-Traitors to their guests
-Traitors of the Lord (This is where Judas presides)

I have also heard the interpretation that the final layer of Hell lies Satan, with Judas in one hand and either Hitler or Muhhamed in the other. He bites of their heads, excretes them, places them back on their body, and then repeats...endlessly. I quite like this interpretation.

You could find this information anywhere on the internet, or read the book yourself as it is a very easy read. I thought it necessary to share it though as it poses interesting questions.
What if a sinner commits more than one of these sins?
In my opinion, they are split into each layer, but remain full, as to fully experience full punishment from each layer. I've also considered the possibility that they are simply put in the layer for the worst of all their sins.
There are other questions which i have opinionated answers for, but it leaves me with one final skepticism.

Between all of these, nobody can make it to paradise. I have not yet read "Paradiso" or "Purgatorio," but based on the information from "Inferno," we are all damned.

False Accusation

I was recently accused of being an ignorant hypocrite. It was not so much the accusation of hypocracy that offended me, but that of ignorance. I believe ignorance is something that does not just come to somebody, it is something that people must accept. Once they accept that they do not want to see all the pain or be disgusted by the world (see "Ignorance is Bliss")they either consciously or subconsciously choose to be ignorant. I pride myself on the fact that I reject ignorance by choice. I consciously decide to accept the faults in the world I live in, and I am proud of this decision. My life may be more pessimistic than the rest, but at least I see the world for what it is.

This is beyond the point. Disregarding the accusation of ignorance, that of hypocracy suddenly became interesting. I asked what made me a hypocrite. I was given the answer that I attempt to portray an image of being anti-corporatist, yet I enjoy buying nice things. I do not deny this fact. I wear nice clothes, I enjoy nice cars, I own and play nice guitars. All of these things are undeniably expensive, and the list does go on. But that is not the type of corporatism of which I speak!

People need to wear clothes; why should they not wear clothes they like and think look good? In our current world, people need to drive; why not drive a car they enjoy to drive? People have hobbies; why not embrace those hobbies so that they are amplified? I do not reject consumerism or the free market. If you were to review my rants on corporatism, I have always been very careful in choosing my words as to not suggest that I reject consumerism. The capatalistic world that I reject is the world that is overthrowing out own. I reject the idea of the large corporations gaining control in our world that can be considered higher than the control that we have over our own lives. They gain control that is higher than what is gained by the government. Our new wars and economic recession (a topic that will be argued in another entry)are directly caused by corporations giving into their greed. Both were avoidable but were accepted once jargon and false accusations leaked into speeches, causing the general public to see this events as inevitable. WRONG!
They are only inevitable because corporations' greed has made them so. Capitalistic greed exists only because we allow it to.

I deny both the claims that I am ignorant and that I am hypocratic. I choose my words and opinions wisely.
I do not reject consumerism, I reject corporatism.

Capitalistic Explanation for Fight Club

Recently I was asked about certain scenes in Fight Club and how they support the theory that it surrounds an anti-corporatist vision. I figured I may as well throw those explanations on here to add support the my view of the movie. Of course, these are not factual disections of the scenes, these are the way I interpreted them. I think this is a big part of the movie, certain scenes can be interepreted in different ways depending on point of view and I believe that was intentional. Also, if you have not watched the movie or read the book in a very long time, I suggest doing so (whether before or after reading this entry is up to you). If you have not seen the movie or read the book at all, I suggest doing so before reading this in hopes that you will build up your own opinions.

His Name Was Robert Paulson
One of the main questions asked was how the scene after Robert Paulson's death would relate to anti-coporatism. It is often interpreted as an indication that Tyler Durden has successfully began a cult with a multitude of followers. Although this theory is partially true, I believe that it does hold some power against corporations.
At the beginning they are saying that Robert Paulson was expendible, that his death was necessary for a cause. With this point of view, it puts the cause above the person which is exacly what corporations do. This is the major reason that I believe the shift took place. I think that they were trying to show how our lives are so instinctually corporate-like that we do not appreciate life itself. They then shifted to chanting "His name was Robert Paulson." This indicates that they are putting the man above the cause. Paulson died for the cause. He was not expendable but he beleived so intensely in the need for the destruction of corporatism that he was willing to die for it.
It is almost as if they are comparing him to a religious martyr. Obviously they cannot be compared on the same level, but it's as if they are implying Robert Paulson was an anti-corporate martyr.

The Destruction of the Art and Coporate Enterprise
The scene before Robert Paulson's death is an intense moment in which "Project Mayhem" has to destroy a corporate art-piece as well as a major corporate enterprise at the same time. They do this by blowing up a massive art-piece in a fountain, causing the sphere on top of it to roll down and destroy a Starbucks location. This may be seen as mindless destruction. And many who appreciated the art of the movie lost some appreciation thinking they were willing to destroy corporatism at the EXPENSE of art. WRONG.
The reason for the destruction of the Starbucks is obvious. However, the destruction of the art is equally as necessary. Fight Club takes the idea of anti-corporatism to an entirely new level where ALL levels of corporatism must be destroyed. They did not go into a local museum and destroy independant art. They did not destroy a man's direct livelyhood through his love of art. I think they would infact support individual art seeing as it is definitely not in an attempt to get rich, they are creating art for the love of creating art and making small amounts of money on the way. INSTEAD, "Project Mayhem" destroys a corporate, machine made art-piece. They were showing that they were on longer willing to accept any level of capitalistic development under any circumstance. I think this point of view was that even small development (such as corporate art) would snowball onto a larger scale.

The Paper Street Soap Company
This isn't a specific scene in the movie, but instead a theme throughout the movie. The production of "high-quality" soap sold for over 20$ a bar... by Tyler Durden. It took me a long time to produce the opinion that I now posess regarding the company. I think the intention of this was partially a way to explain the financial support "Fight Club" and "Project Mayhem" have. I think the way that it was done, however, followed the same theme as the movie. It did not directly reject corporatism, but it mocked corporatisms and slaves to capitalism. A major ingredient of soap is lard. Tyler Durden steals lard from the hospital. He states in the movie that he was taking lard from those who paid for liposuction and selling it back to their self-absorbed asses for a high price. The quote is not word for word, but the idea remains the same. The idea is that he is punishing those who willingly become slaves to corporatism.

If there are any other scenes that you would like explained (through my opinion)I will be sure to do so.
Also, feel free to argue any of my opinions or to add any comments.

An Elaboration of Corporatism's Connection with Heresy

Terms such as "heresy" or "heretic" are often misunderstood because they have become so uncommon. Allow me to enlighten:
Heresy is the act of altering the rules of a religion that one belongs to in order to better suite his or her lifestyle. For example, if a Catholic man were to suddenly decide that he would follow all the rules of the Catholic belief system except he believed it was okay to sleep around with other women. The man would be committing heresy because he would put his own needs above the basics of his religion and above the commandments that God has instilled upon him.
A heretic is a person who has committed heresy.

To be fair, any religion where we can ultimately find its exact origin through historical proof is a heresy. This may sound strange, understanding that all religions must start somewhere. While this is true, there are major differences between certain religions. Take Catholicism for example:
It began through Jesus Christ's life in the sense that, while he spread his word people began to accept him as the Son of God. When he was crucified, his legacy lived on, becomming a religion. Jesus did not found any religion, he simply spread beliefs that were accepted and therefore altered into an already existing religion.
A man such as King Henry VIII however would be considered a heretic. He created the Anglican Church to better suite his lifestyle. He took a Church that already existed and altered it so that, from his point of view, he would not be going against the church. OBviously Anglicans today should not be considered heretics because they are simply accepting a religion that exists as it is today. The religion was altered over the years to be less corrupt than what Henry VIII had intended and to instead embrace the basics of the religion (relying on christian faith) but altering it slightly to better fit what the religion was about. Because the intent was to improve the religion and the worhsip of God, and not to better suite a particular man or group's lifestyle, it cannot be considered heresy.

It would be an obvious question at this point to ask how this whole concept of heresy would have any connection with modern day corporatism. The answer, while based upon complicated explanation, is actually quite simple:

I will use christianity as an example for this because it fits the argument all too nicely, the concept can however be transfered to other religions and still make sense.
God proclaimed 10 commandments to the Isrealites after their escape from slavery. The first of these 10 commandments is "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me."
This statement says basically that no other person or entity (whether human or non-human) is to be worshiped above God.

Corporatism leads people to work day in and day out (in its course destroying the Holy Sabbath; another of the 10 commandments that is disregarded today) and with no other goal then to earn money. Sure the intention of money may be to support a family, to help others but can also surround selfish needs. Because of this people do not accomplish their full potential. A life lived below expectations and without attainable achievements is a sin.
Also, with the introduction of such entertainment as gambling (a mass product of corporatism) people become addicted and see money as the end-all and be-all of their lives. If they win, then they roam the town, drinking, going to strip clubs, gambling more. These are all sins caused by the almighty dollar.
This leads to other addictions caused by the capitalistic economy such as smoking and alcoholism. Both products are sold at high prices in order for large corporations to make money. I'm sure these same corporations do not mind that their customers are becomming addicts; it simply creates higher profits for them.

Even healthcare in the States is controlled by money. They seperate the treatment worthy from the unworthy by the patients annual income. This puts money above human rights and general human well-being.

There are obviously more capitalistic-generated arguments at hand, but I think the point is proven.

The other aspect that must be considered before the final connection is made is that of the new corporate wars that exist. They are referred to as wars on terrorism. I believe that the intentions of the soldiers fighting for freedom and for democracy are indeed to protect their homeland and to put an end to such acts as terrorism. Conversely, President Bush seems to have sent out troops in an effort to appreciate the vast amounts of oil existing in the middle-east. Now he has announced that he is sending troops into Pakistan and was not even able to give a straight, logical answer as to why. Due to past history with companies such as Halliburton, and the fact that Bush seems to have no concrete basis upon which to send in the army, the war seems like it exists for gain of the few while the masses suffer. War makes all men expendible.

Naturally there are various factors affecting a man's loyalty to the Church or any other organization but I believe that, in our modern world, capitalism and corporatism are the main sources and causes of evil. What I find ironic is that they are turned to as the main solutions as well. People have to decide, are they willing to allow corporations to be a cause or a solution to world suffering, because they cannot be both.
So these corporations cause people to live their lives based upon cash income and addiction, as well as personal gain of those behind the curtain.
This directly disobeys the first commandment which has been laid before Christians: Money is worshipped above God.
Capitalism is worhshipped above God.

If more elaboration is necessary, simply inform me of which parts lacked information and I will attempt to fill in the blanks. Also, I would like to assure any readers that I do not intend to offend in my entries. I do encourage all comments.

Kudos to mankind, we have failed.

Corporatisms Relation to Heretics

Heresy is when a person of a particular religion alters the rules of a religion to better suit their lifestyles.

1 of God's 10 commandments was to not worship or place anything above God.

Corporatism causes man to worship the almighty dollar.
Corporatism creates capitalistic wars, putting profits above life and making all men expendable.

Corporatism creates heresy.

Warning

"If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second of your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all who claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think everything you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told you should want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned ....... Tyler"

-Fight Club, 1999
(The warning screen at the beginning of the movie, the one usually related to copywriting offenses)