“Preconceived notions are the locks on the doors to wisdom”

We learn while we grow, yet some resist change. Where some are always aware of their ignorance, others are ignorant of their ignorance. And so, I was blasted by a kid on how my views are contradictory. For, in his case I listen to “LAAL” a music group that supports socialist, at times, communist ideologies; however, according to him, I support “aristocracy” (which I do) as the best form of government. Impeded by delusions of preconceived notions, many people pounce on the very names of communism and aristocracy. My point here, however, is not to indulge in discussions about these people but rather explain the difference between a “form of government” and an “ideology”, perhaps, as human nature it is, clarify my perspective.

Aristocracy has been in practice since at least the 5th Century BC, nurturing in Athens, to the magnificent empire that encircled the Mediterranean; Communism, on the other hand, remains an ideology that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Was communism against aristocracy? Or was it a political movement that sought to overthrow the capitalist society that spurred the conflict between the different classes of society, to a point of no return? My take on this? It was the later. Had I been in favor of communist ideas and stood for capitalism on the other hand, I would have been contradicting myself, something which seems too hard to be understood by the bigotry critics of modern times. Someone once said that “Democracy has become the Holy Grail of Western culture”, and I say, we are following suit. I support Aristocracy against democracy, and communism against capitalism. Now, someone will pounce on me saying that the “aristocrats will never support a communist system over a capitalist one!” – Before you lose your breath, let me assure you, whether aristocrats will or will not support communism as an ideology, is not the point of debate. If aristocracy is against communist ideas, so is democracy. Where communism strives to end the class “conflict”, aristocracy remains a form of government by the “best”. They are entities that are a world apart. I do not favor a comparison between oranges and sofas.

How do we define who is the most able, or the “best” is certainly not possible with a universal suffrage that brings forth people, who, even though are on a higher platform of comfort, are on a higher platform of ignorance as well. Again, before I drift into an endless debate between democracy and its rival forms of government, that rarely are understood in our times, I will remind myself, that the point of this discussion was to explain how someone can support communist ideas on one hand, and stand for aristocracy on the other, without contradicting himself. If the most able rule, and if those who do not seek power, are vested with power, maybe, if they see it fit for the society, a socialist ideology, if not strictly a communist one, might flourish under them. For this, however, one should know the difference between an aristocracy and an oligarchy. I shall end this with a note that, not ignorance, but the ignorance of ignorance is the death of knowledge.

PS: the coming years might change my take on many a thing, for learning is a lifelong process – but this is how they stand today; might not a few years from now, however.