The Cornerstone, Part III. The Metaphorical Roots of 21st Century English Slang

The Stone which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.
By the LORD this has been done and it is wonderful in our eyes.

- Psalms 118:22-23

Part III. The Metaphorical Roots of 21st Century English Slang

There is plenty of modern slang that is derogatory and that specifically refers to the eye above the pyramid in an insulting, rebellious manner. Many would say that it stands for being uppity, like some snot with their nose in the air, who believes they are above it all, even above the law. It is not having a high IQ, it’s simply being an air-head. It certainly does not symbolize Lenin’s ‘commanding heights of the economy,’ On the contrary, it’s a bullshit pyramid scheme, a tall tale nearing bankruptcy. Instead of being a sign of financial stability, it is a clear indication that you are about to go belly-up! It is not being on top of the situation, but simply another way of deliberately overlooking major difficulties, hoping they will magically go away. In short, the eye above the pyramid stands for little more than dangerous arrogance and self-destructive pride.

At worst, the eye above the pyramid is a pie in the sky, head in the clouds, high-minded Ponzi scheme and it stinks like high heaven. At best, it is foolishly putting your ass out on a line for no one in particular and for no particular reason except, of course, to make yourself look like a hero in front of others. Some may be frightened or even intimidated by this so-called New World Order but, behind the facade, it is simply an infantile game of ‘look at my butt’ or ‘kiss my ass’ that only filthy-minded people like to play. As the ole’ Southern song recommends: ‘Look away, look away, look away, Dixieland.’

At the same time, one could claim that the eye below the pyramid does not always mean scraping the bottom of the barrel, being down and out, in the pits, or buried six feet under. Instead, it stands for grass roots, down to earth virtues, or even a bottom-up approach to deep-seated problems. In many ways, the eye below is an undervalued solution that, like buried treasure, lies just underneath the surface. It symbolizes the underlying universal truths, the root causes of goodness that touch us deep down, from the bottom of our hearts. We can’t all be top dog, so there’s nothing wrong with cheering for the underdog most of the time. The eye below the pyramid is almost certainly the reason why the nation of Australia is nicknamed the Land Down Under. Wise business owners and investors refer to it as ‘the bottom line.’ In many ways, the eye below the pyramid represents a real hero, who would never dare to commit high crimes and misdemeanors or stage a mutiny at high seas, but would gladly disobey unjust laws to fight the good fight for the down-trodden, much like the white Yankee northerners who helped to hide escaped slaves as a part of the Underground Railroad.

The eye above the pyramid has an expression that, when studied carefully, seems stuck-up as opposed to the righteous anger and jealousy found in the eye below the pyramid. ‘For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.’ (Exodus 20:5) A classic Rock song captures the upper crust, uptight, snobbishness this eye seems to express as it gazes out from the heights of wealth and power, a classic example of what Hannah Arendt referred to as the ‘banality of evil.’

I am the eye in the sky. Looking at you, I can read your mind. I am the maker of rules dealing with fools, I can cheat you blind.

- Eye in the Sky, by the Allan Parsons Project

In addition, there are several Biblical passages strongly suggesting that the eye above the pyramid is the real bad guy. It does not, in any way, represent Ronald Reagan’s ‘shining city upon a hill’ nor a ‘light unto the gentiles’ nor God’s ‘holy mountain’ as mentioned by Isaiah and several other prophets of Israel. Seen literally, it is nothing more than a man-made structure, a tomb for the dead tyrant Pharaoh, not Mount Sinai.

May the LORD God bless you in the name of the Judeo-Christian Tradition.