June 12, 2008

What’s your Philaahzophy?

I’ve been a little afraid of Philaahzophy since the first time I visited and saw Aahz’s tagline: Personal musings on life, business, anarchy, fatherhood, and earning money online. Anarchy? Yikes - scarey word for a good ole’ American gal, ya know? Would there be recipes for Moltov cocktails and instructions on how to corrupt government data centers? Well, no - I didn’t find anything like that. Generally speaking, Philaahzopy is … just a blog. In the writer’s own words: “Philaahzophy is, above all, a way for me to communicate and record daily happenings, life lessons, joys, and losses with my daughter Z.” Pretty mild stuff for an anarchist, huh? Oh, the anarchy is there, and we’ll talk about that, too, but much of what Aahz writes about is the stuff we’ve all come to expect from personal blogs: slices of life from an individual’s viewpoint. It’s a fun viewpoint, too. Aazh is a coaster buff and on a mission to ride every roller coaster in California. Check out his Ride Reports category for a comprehensive list and his critiques. He and his daughter like cheesy roadside attractions, carnivals and cheap arcades, too. As a veteran of many alligator farm and hubcap museum visits, I’ve never lost my fascination for such cheap thrills and appreciate his chronicles. Work-wise, Aahz cares for two deveopmentally disabled roomates. I can see an opportunity there to share information and help foster awareness, but didn’t find any posts categorized on the subject. Perhaps a personal decision concerning the privacy of and sensitivity to the roomies? Aahz, if there are things there you can share, I’d be an interested reader and I know others would, too. First-hand experience carries solid weight and might open some thoughtful dialog. Just something to think about.

So what is Aahz’s Philaazophy concerning anarchy? In a nutshell, the goal is “bringing about the end of government and the restoration of genuine freedom and liberty through nonviolent means.” That’s more radical than many of us are willing to directly support, but there’s much to be learned here. Like most of my generation, I was raised with “my country, right or wrong” philosophy. Those of us who came of age in the trial-by-fire sixties became jarringly aware that -gasp! - governments can be wrong and an informed citizenry is obligated to question the motivations and directions of our leadership. You might call me a cock-eyed optimist (or hopelessly naive,) but I believe that it’s possible to have a truely representative government acting with and in the best interest of its citizens. I don’t want to overthrow our government. I want to foster change to a healthier government, one that functions for and by the will of the people. I believe my position is probably typical of the majority of US citizens today. So, no - I don’t want anarchy and am a little uncomfortable with the term. I do want change and believe that I have no right to demand it without understanding the issues. Ideas and idealistic thinkers - left, right and center - nurture the germinating seeds of the changes that most of us desire. Philaazophy is an excellent resource for 1.) finding information not always available in the mainstream press and 2.) exploring the thought processes of creative thinkers who advocate one approach to change (actually, a collection of approaches.) The anarchy category of Philaahzophy looks at specific instances and broad categories of government action and possible responses. Do I support everything I read in Philaahzopy? No, I don’t. Do I think you should read Aahz’s blog? I do. You have a brain. Put it in gear, look at ideas from across the spectrum and make up your own mind about what your responses should be. It’s the American way. I think it’s Aahz’s way, too. Start with his About Me and Usage Guide page. You’ll get a sense of the man, the blog and the philosophy, and some suggestions for navigation. Where you go from there is up to you.

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