Tuesday, April 12, 2005
the needs of the one.....
The current national buzz about "eminent domain abuse" has come to my little town.
legal dictionary:
eminent domain: the government act of converting privately owned land into public land, subject to reasonable compensation.
Eminent domain abuse occurs when the land is appropriated for one use and then used for another, OR if the land is appropriated for inappropriate non-public use, OR if the compensation is not just and reasonable.
My family were the victims of eminent domain abuse when my grandfather's farm was appropriated. It remains perhaps the deepest wound I carry with me. (Click on the harrysfarm.com link in My Links for all the details)
But we are NOT going to discuss eminent domain in this blog today. Nope. We are gonna talk about Star Trek philosophy!
In Star Trek III, The Search for Spock, the crew went back to the Genesis Planet to recover him. "Why?", asked the regenerated Spock.
"Because the needs of the one exceed the needs of the many!", enigmatically replied the captain.
I believe that that statement holds the key to the salvation of our race and the repair of the world and the restoration of the dignity of civilization.
Wow.
Here is how it works:
Each individual, each "one", is precious and special. Any grouping of individuals is
a "many". The many has an existence separate from the ones who comprise it, it is a conglomerate with its own needs and goals.
When the conglomerate acts counter the the needs of ANY one, then the needs of EVERY one are at risk and may be sacrificed at any time. If they MAY be sacrificed, in time, they WILL be sacrificed.
When individuals band together with a common goal, they create a many, a conglomerate. They give birth to an entity with a life of its own, independent of their individual lives. Unless designed with an utmost sanctity for the individual components, the conglomerate will eventually consume them.
The most benign of structures (like the United States, founded on "rugged individualism") or the most holy of purposes (those of organized religion) will eventually sacrifice individuals and eventually all its component members to the "needs of the many", UNLESS ....
Unless the "needs of the one" are sacrosanct and inviolable.
Alternative solutions to public dilemmas -- one less bridge, one less road, one less dam, one less mall, one less school -- may be necessary. One less soldier, a thousand less soldiers, no more wars..... may be possible. There will be less progress, less speed. There will be (get this!) less "entitlement" and more community.
If I lose my rights because of the perceived needs of the group, then we all lose our rights. If you lose your land because the community thinks it needs the land, we all lose our land. If the nation allows one individual to be lost then we are all lost.
If the many exist only to preserve the one, the ones, EVERY one, then we are saved.
legal dictionary:
eminent domain: the government act of converting privately owned land into public land, subject to reasonable compensation.
Eminent domain abuse occurs when the land is appropriated for one use and then used for another, OR if the land is appropriated for inappropriate non-public use, OR if the compensation is not just and reasonable.
My family were the victims of eminent domain abuse when my grandfather's farm was appropriated. It remains perhaps the deepest wound I carry with me. (Click on the harrysfarm.com link in My Links for all the details)
But we are NOT going to discuss eminent domain in this blog today. Nope. We are gonna talk about Star Trek philosophy!
In Star Trek III, The Search for Spock, the crew went back to the Genesis Planet to recover him. "Why?", asked the regenerated Spock.
"Because the needs of the one exceed the needs of the many!", enigmatically replied the captain.
I believe that that statement holds the key to the salvation of our race and the repair of the world and the restoration of the dignity of civilization.
Wow.
Here is how it works:
Each individual, each "one", is precious and special. Any grouping of individuals is
a "many". The many has an existence separate from the ones who comprise it, it is a conglomerate with its own needs and goals.
When the conglomerate acts counter the the needs of ANY one, then the needs of EVERY one are at risk and may be sacrificed at any time. If they MAY be sacrificed, in time, they WILL be sacrificed.
When individuals band together with a common goal, they create a many, a conglomerate. They give birth to an entity with a life of its own, independent of their individual lives. Unless designed with an utmost sanctity for the individual components, the conglomerate will eventually consume them.
The most benign of structures (like the United States, founded on "rugged individualism") or the most holy of purposes (those of organized religion) will eventually sacrifice individuals and eventually all its component members to the "needs of the many", UNLESS ....
Unless the "needs of the one" are sacrosanct and inviolable.
Alternative solutions to public dilemmas -- one less bridge, one less road, one less dam, one less mall, one less school -- may be necessary. One less soldier, a thousand less soldiers, no more wars..... may be possible. There will be less progress, less speed. There will be (get this!) less "entitlement" and more community.
If I lose my rights because of the perceived needs of the group, then we all lose our rights. If you lose your land because the community thinks it needs the land, we all lose our land. If the nation allows one individual to be lost then we are all lost.
If the many exist only to preserve the one, the ones, EVERY one, then we are saved.
Comments:
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Very interesting. "One for All and All for One". And then ultimately in the Oneness there is no separation, we are all connected. So the all inclusive Oneness embraces all. What touches and effects One touches and effects All.
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# posted by 
: 11:34 PM
: 11:34 PM << Home
