Make Mine A Karma Koffee - Phoenix Karma

Cadbury's Dairy Milk! Yum yum. Sometimes I like white chocolate, but only on special occassions. I hate dark chocolate, it's disgusting. I've eaten raw cocoa beans before, they taste even shittier, it makes you wonder how anyone got the idea to turn them into an enjoyable treat....

 

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law". Discuss.

 

That's a quote from Aleister Crowley, I don't know much about him except that he was called the wickedest man in the world, which means he was either really cool, or a crazy nutcase. Perhaps that was a bit unfair, unless they weren't treating politicians as human for the purposes of that statement.


Though I can guess he's referring to individual freedom, I don't know his exact meaning with that quote, and I've no interest in delving into the Book of Law to find out - I've not even read the Bible, and probably never will. So I'll answer in anecdote.

I was sitting on a train, coming home from Bristol. And I overheard a conversation between the most boring man in all of England, who Taz and I dubbed 'Boring Norman' and the stranger to whom he was sitting opposite, who was the most stupid woman in all of England, 'Dense Dora'. Boring Norman is talking about how he hates being on a train, but has to, because he's a borderline alcoholic, and because he likes to tank himself up on valium (presumably to make himself more interesting). He says that he likes to drink drive, and that he likes to speed and that rules are meant to be broken.

No, Mr Boring Norman, rules are not meant to be broken. That's a ridiculous sentiment. Rules are meant to be followed, some people choose to break them. And some, of course are unjust, some should of course be challenged, but many laws are practical. Most laws are constraining, some are enabling, but even those that constrain individual freedom often serve to promote harmony in the large scale societies we operate within. This isn't Hobbes, we won't end up in a 'state of nature' without them, but many laws serve a necessary purpose. I won't judge the merits of that, but I would say there must be more laws than simply a do as you will attitude....

 

Speaking of laws, what law or laws would you like to see lifted from the books, or what do you think should be put into law?

 

I think most drugs should be legalised. Most of them are relatively harmless, and what risk is involved is often due to impurities, which should be removed if the supply was taken above board. The more dangerous/addictive drugs should perhaps only be administered to addicts as an attempt to cure them, helping rehabilitate addicts, rather than sending them to prison. I'd scrap the ID cards straight away, ridiculous idea and waste of money. I'd disestablish the Church of England, making Britain a secular society with no state religion. I'd declare war on Finland. Abolish the monarchy. Re-nationalise public services (and private ones too probably) rob from the rich, give to the poor, scrap Trident nuclear weapons and also Oxford University, which is just as bad....

 

Now know that I know nothing about Oxford, but what's wrong with it?

 

Well I go to Cambridge, it's a historic rivalry that goes back hundreds of years. The only place we hate more than Oxford, is St Johns College, which is a college at Cambridge who allegedly were banned from the boat race (bumps) for about 200 years and also revilved for attaching a spike to the end of their boat and killing another student.


Hence the song (to the tune of She'll be coming round the mountain)

I'd rather be at Oxford than St Johns!
I'd rather be at Oxford than St Johns!
Oh I'd rather be at Oxford,
Rather be at Oxford,
Rather be at Oxford than St Johns.

Also they're all posh ponces, though people who sing that song may be calling the kettle dark blue....

 

I notice you said that quietly because you know I'm gonna open up a whole can of whoopass on you...

 

Hey, this is the internet, shallowness and generalisation is the whole point, mang

Yes, Crowley was a bit of a nutter. But sometimes it's important to listen to nutters because they open up new ways of thinking. It's important to make bold mistakes.

How about the Wiccan creed which reformulates the idea with one restriction: "If it harms none, do what thou wilt"?

 

As an abstract notion, of course I'd support it, I think it would be hard to find someone who wouldn't. No victim, no crime - legalise the puff and all that. But then you get into trouble when you come to define what harm means. Eliminate self harm because that's a whole topic in itself, and you're still left with an open definition of harm. Naturally few 'civilised' individuals would support murder, or theft, or rape. But then I'd define harm much more broadly than that. I would define capitalist relations of production as harm. I would say owners of sweatshops are harming their workers. You can't have total equality and total freedom. So I would sacrifice some of the latter, to encourage the former, on the basis that total freedom, in the economic context, grants the power for the few to enslave the many....

 

The Phoenix will layeth the smach down on allllll your candy asses!

 

That's a good answer. You mentioned self-harm. What do you think of suicide and euthanasia? Should ending your own life (and getting help to do so) be allowed? Under what circumstances? Should otherwise healthy people be stopped from committing suicide or are there any cases in which you would think that suicide is the best option?

 

If there was a biographical film made of your life and you couldn't play yourself who would play you?

 

An older me, it'd have to be Naveen Andrews - Sayid from Lost, what a beard, I'm growing mine at the moment

 

I think suicide is probably one of the most selfish acts there is. That's not to judge it as bad, or to imply a moral element, it simply is objectively selfish. My cousin committed suicide a couple of years ago, he was a depressive, I suppose he didn't see life as worth living anymore. But his choice affected others in ways that made me more angry than sad for him. You don't just live life for yourself, every action we take has consequences for others. That's not to say I would condemn every suicide, certainly not without knowing the ins and outs of each situation, but neither can I see it as a particularly strong or noble act to take for a healthy individual.

Of course there's the added complication of what do you define as healthy. What about mental illness? Does deppression count as mental illness? I'm not qualified to answer those questions. For a terminal patient in pain, I see no harm in them wanting to end their own life, or being given the help to do so. Above all, it is someone's right to choose when they die. But with that right comes responsibilities to others, and they must be weighed into any decision....

 

Have you seen the las two episodes of Lost yet (excluding this weeks cos its on tonight over here!)?

 

Nope, I have to wait till next week. Grrrr!

 

Thats scandelous!!! Goodness me!!! They were dead good!! So looking forward to this weeks!!! EEEK!!!!

 

Aye, I can't wait! But at the same time, I fear those long lonely months without my Lost day after they're over....

 

So...

What do you normally think about first thing in the morning? Or late afternoon, depending on your sleeping schudule...