I've been thinking the last few days about me. It may seem a little self-centered, but since I'm stuck for eternity as me, there are a few questions I need to answer. Well, more accurately, there are questions that need asking and I need to figure out which questions these are.
One thing I've particularly noticed is a love of reading things on the net. I love to explore sites with information. For example, yesterday when I got home from class I thought about something that I had heard about during the day called the Dominion of Melchizedek. It intrigued me and I proceeded to find out all I could about it.
First I learned that whoever ran the DOM had gone to the trouble to make a website with several links and a "constitution." They had a fancy seal at the top of the main website and the constitution copied many ideas from the U.S., with a few tweaks from the political and ideological leanings of whoever wrote it. From reading that constitution, I learned that they liked the U.S. system of government, or at least the appearance of it. Their personal tweaks concentrated all power into the hands of 24 men, who made all the laws and chose the president of the DOM. So, I had a feeling they wanted the appearance of democracy, but wanted the power to be concentrated in a few hands. Kind of like most European nations. I also learned that these guys didn't understand, first, economics, and second, the cost of running a government. They banned taxes (except an "inflationary tax," interpret that as you may).
Next I discovered a link to the "Melchizedek Bible." From here I read their introduction, which included a biography about the "translators" of the MB, who also happened to be the founders of the DOM. This was the fun part. It turns out the translators and founders are two men who have spent a great deal of their time in jail and in court, mainly on things related to schemes to make money. This biography kept saying there was no proof to any of the convictions, however, never were they jailed without going to trial, and every trial they had "wrongly" convicted the "innocent" men. Why they put so much obviously condemning information on this page, I don't know. They never explain exactly how two innocent men can be wrongly convicted so many times and they never explain how these men's schemes were legal.
I didn't bother finishing this "introduction" and went straight to the MB, their modern-day translation of the King James Bible. It was a joke. Literally, it made me laugh. They just made up their own meanings for what the Bible said, turning it into a laughable attempt to provide legitimacy to their crime-filled lives.
Finished with this website and its attempt to turn this absurd criminal tale into a story of misunderstood "prophets" stuck in a corrupt nation, I went to the web. I quickly discovered that the DOM was well known by the US government - as an attempt to legitimize phony schemes to fool people out of their money. My favorite story is of a man sold loans in Texas from an agency licensed by the DOM and funded by a bank licensed by the DOM and a University he had founded in Louisiana. The bank, of course, had no assets and neither did the university. Also, his company was never registered to make loans in Texas. Somehow he managed to get thousands of dollars from people, though. Amazing.
Anyway, this whole journey took a couple hours and thinking about it later, I think it's interesting that I invested so much time reading about this fake country. Really, I find many aspects of what I read fascinating, though I won't write any more here, out of respect for those of you who would like to return to your normal lives. But I have a thirst for knowledge and not just any knowledge. I know there is a specific type....I'm just trying to figure out what type it is. I like to read about countries, ideologies, corporations and the effects they have around the world. I like to see the trends of people and nations. Not trends as in fashion trends and who their favorite celebrity is, though in certain cases that may factor in, but...well, perhaps an example would be best.
Let's take religion. Religion shapes nations and nations shape religions. That is a trend I would love to explore. Think about the United States. Each trend is obvious. We are shaped by Christianity, specifically, Protestant Christianity. Look at the debates over prayer and Bible study in public schools. But at the same time, we have shaped Protestant Christianity. Evangelism is largely a US phenomenon. And commerce also factors into the equation.
A book that may define me is Dune. I've read a few books exploring how religion, politics, and economics intertwine, and this one has been definitive to me. It tells of a man who goes far beyond being a popular hero, but shapes the future of the entire universe. The hero, Paul Atreides, begins as a political figure. He is the son of a powerful Duke in the future Empire of man. But he and his father quickly become economic figures when they are given control of Arrakis, the economic center of the universe, as it is the sole source of spice, the stuff that allows interplanetary travel. Following an attack and defeat by a rival house, Paul is chased into the desert and becomes a religious figure. The book focuses all these factors onto this single man, in the process, allowing an exploration of how these forces interact.
Ok, anyway, I'm just babbling now. If anyone is still reading, I'm impressed. Maybe I'll continue this later, but for now, I need to do homework.
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