Wen Tzu - Verse 138, Part II

from Verse One Hundred Thirty-Eight

When people put on a show of knowledge to startle the ignorant, and contrive ruses to attack those above them, then there are those who can hold the land but none who can govern it.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

One of the points Lao Tzu returns to again and again is this idea that, when the masses are content, there is no talk of rebellion.

Take a look at what's going on in the US today. On one side, we have the teabaggers and the fundamentalist movement. On the other side, there are the leftists and libertarians. In between these two poles are a slew of other movements. While the chances of a mass armed uprising in this country is virtually nonexistent, the amount of discontent is palpable.

All this dissension is causing suspicion, distrust, anxiety and a loss of productivity -- not only between the public and the government but amongst the masses themselves. People shout obscenities on Talk Radio and write vitriolic letters to the editor. In essence, we're losing our sense of community.

What has brought us to this point? Regardless of one's political perspective -- whether you consider yourself right, left, middle or independent -- I think a lot of people can agree that our government no longer governs. They merely hold and protect the land that we call the US of A.

Of course, different factions have different ideas of how the governing process should work. It's the level of discontent, however, that illustrates that more and more people from many political perspectives are viewing government NOT as our representatives looking out for our needs and interests, but as the enemy.

This does not bode well for the future.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.