Where has all the kindness gone?
By Ad astra
Here is another brief offering. It does not need to be lengthy because its message is straightforward. It asks the question: “Where has all the kindness gone?” and its corollary: “Why not be kind to one another?”.
The September 25 issue of The Good Weekend featured an article titled The High Life by Jane Cadsow, which was about the excitement airline pilots experience as they fly their amazing machines around the globe. It included an image of the pilot’s console – a myriad of dials, lights and levers, arranged alongside and above them. The overwhelming aura was one of extreme complexity that bespoke the ingenuity and the skill of human thought and effort in creating such amazing machines, as well as the extraordinary skill of those that pilot them.
The image evoked in me the question: “If man can create such extraordinary things, why is it that is it so difficult to exhibit kindness and generosity to each other?” Here is my explanation. What’s yours?
A constant theme of the preacher at the church I attended in my youth was that selfishness was the worst sin of all.
To me that rings true. Selfishness is destructive.
Reflect on everyday politics, here and abroad. There we see political players trying to outdo each other to gain an advantage, grasping every opportunity to put down opponents, to demean them, to trash their reputation, to destroy their credibility, to render them impotent. It matters not how earnest their opponents are, how hard they try, how laudable their intentions, or how much they have achieved. If they are opponents, they must be put down, demeaned, castigated, humiliated, ignored, cast aside, and where possible, destroyed. Gratuitous sarcasm is a frequent accompaniment. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is a contemporary master of this. Listen to the heavy mockery, ridicule, and scorn that pervades the language he uses to describe those he dislikes or hates! Any milk of human kindness he may have in his heart is intentionally missing.
This behaviour is not confined to politicians – a contemporary example is the media’s aggressive approach to Victorian Premier Dan Andrews. The Murdoch media leads the charge. No matter how often he appears at his podium to answer questions, no matter how long he stays there to address them, no matter how plausible and authentic his answers appear to be, there are always some who remain dissatisfied and continue to pepper him with acerbic queries that insinuate that he is being devious or outright dishonest. The tone of their questions is confronting, angry, redolent with disbelief. The same players front up every day to assault him with their nasty questions. Many are propelled by the Murdoch media. Andrews knows them all; so do we! Recently, they have honed in on rumours around branch stacking, aggressively insinuating that he is guilty. They are never short of nasty questions!
What we are witnessing is what we might reasonably label The political syndrome. Of course we know it is prevalent in other than political circles, but its occurrence there is so strident, so insistent, so discordant, so distressing, that this diagnostic label suits politics better than almost any other pursuit.
Is there any counter to ‘the political syndrome’? If so, what is it? Enlighten us with your responses.
This article was originally published on The Political Sword.
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Arnd
Return to home pageban Murdoch and his minions for starters
Thanks, Ad Astra.
It all comes back to the Golden Rule, doesn’t it? ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you.’ It is a constant source of amazement to me that someone like Scott Morrison can call himself a Christian, and appear to actually believe that he is a follower of Christ. I’m not a Christian myself, but ‘Love one another’ does make a lot of sense.
Naming the beast is a good first start!
That, and recognising that, every time you point the finger, three fingers point back at you!!
(The second exclamation mark is there because of my perception that all too many writers and commenters on this very website mostly exhaust themselves inventing and heaping ever more invective on the LNP and its operatives, without ever venturing further into questioning why such a sad state of affairs has been allowed to develop and fester over the last four decades, and whether they themselves may have had a hand in those developments. “I have seen the enemy, and he is us!”, is not a welcome statement in any echo chamber – yet it is indicative of exactly the attitude necessary to overcome “the political syndrome”.)
Who can say where all the kindness has gone, all of us are or have been guilty of this same behaviour, denigrate the other opinion, looks, religion, etc. all to bolster our egos, all to bolster that feeling of superiority, seems to become like a drug to some, always someone else to denigrate.
I think kindness packed its bags, joined integrity, honesty and love and they are out of here. We called the tune, now we pay the price. No need of examples, daily life offers many glimpses into our propensity to sink into the mire.
This doesn’t apply to every one of us, but it applies to enough of us so that it has become the dominant attitude to life as we know it – “we” don’t really care enough about others to be kind to all. How could the “we” in a kind world, elect Orangeface Trump, Bobo Johnson or Promo Bargearse-McSmirky as “leaders”. These are repulsive examples of “us” – utterly compulsive liars, cheats, incapable of leadership and to a man, incapable of policy formation and strategy beyond helping their friends, donors and supporters and fuelling divisive culture wars, all the while proclaiming they are trying to unite their countries. And yet, in Australia’s case, “we” still treat Albanese with derision and keep pumping up the tyres of an oafish self-aggrandiser with neither intellect, imagination nor genuine empathy. “We” insist we want climate action – but I’ll wager that the choice of transport of many who proclaim they want climate action are SUV’s or dual cab trucks! “We” want change sure, but we want others to bear the costs – “we” still want to pollute the planet. Look at the list of lies, blundering and inaction by Promo – the bushfires, Shanghai Sam, “it’s not a race” and his plethora of changes to his rhetoric on Covid vaccinations, but underneath it all, he abjectly failed on that task, his political response to the Brittany Higgins matter to name but a sample – it just goes on and on, but he is still in with a serious shot at winning the next election – polling suggests 54-46 TPP in favour of Labor, but we know that once Bargearse starts his lies and schuckster home-spun “Jen-told me” crap, many will fall for it and remind themselves that he has done a great job – and Albo will be worse!!! Prove to me how that points to “us” really caring about the greater good.
@Arnd: I have to agree ….. the Liarbral Nazional$ COALition misgovernment is a self-inflicted wound that could easily recur in 2022 because of mindless stupidity, indifference and gullibility of the Australian voters.
On the contrary, Arnd, there is no person of that political bent that is deserving of praise.
America has had a hand in the despoiling of Australia’s politics, so much the same with every other country they have tainted.
For some tomfool reason, the Liberal/National coalition party have allowed themselves to fall, a victim of USA propaganda transmitted across the entire world.
Notwithstanding, the USA I have observed over the past Sixty of my Seventy-three years offers very little of worthy substance.
Other than they are a murderous military beast that seeks to control all the westernized countries around our world.
There is nothing available nowadays from America that is vital to our existence as a sovereign Nation.
One can quickly conclude that our Nation must not seek anything from the treacherous USA.
I have read the narrative about Australia from the perspective of the various USA ministers of State; they have little to say about the provenance of Australia.
Try not to over Look the obvious , politics – is adversarial and combatant , Right wing -Left wing ..
Cowboys and indians , Us versus them mentality , Is universally wide spread , Boxers sparring in the ring ..Wrestlers , wrestling . Rugby teams , soccor , ..cricket, ,basket ball, Etc, etc ,……………………………..
Politics ..The dog eat dog contest for ideaology , policy ,Rhetoric , spin ,slander , Deception , Lies , smear , And class war fare ! ……..
Its not a common decency contest , thats for sure !!… And, the once old term ( Gentle men ) was thrown out with the baby and the bathwater , a long time ago ! …….
Its the signs of the times ! < There is some thing drastically wrong, when professing Christians do opposite of what they are supposed to be doing ,, !!!
( spreading the Gospel of Faith – Hope and Love- in all manner of conduct .whether in the work place ,,events , sporting games ,to the media . In the streets , being interveiwed , In the community , or at home and or abroad ,
Imitate Christ , our lord , in all your ways ,,I guess , all Christians fail that test !!!! …Cast the first stone ,He, who is with out SIN !!! ………………………………………………………………………………………………
The prime minister has bitten off more than he can chew ,He cant even get his own personal life right with God and Christ !!!!!,,Never lone , the party he serves and the country he serves !! ………..
If you cant obey God above all else and be obedient to ALL his ways !! -( There is no way you can run the country
with dignity, respect and competence ! )
Sorry , Scotty ..you cant serve 2 MASTERS ! ( ,The Right wing of the Fiberal Party Or ..God ? ) ..And that is where your folly lies ..you sold out to one, over the other ,,so you cant be of any use to both of them ,Lies are just a manfestation of constantly being in a compromised state ,trying to serve man and make cover ups ..And trying to serve God , failing on both accounts .,,, The consciousness- regurgitates – the lies – over and over , until it seems normal ( ..Oh, wretched man that i am ) ……
.Get out of the prime minister ship and get your own house in order , before you try serve any further into oblivion .!!!
Always in a compromised state of affairs- in every thing !!!.. You picked a fine mess to be in ,
But i will end on a kind note from this political syndrome .
. He has the whole world in his hands ,He has the whole wide world in his hands !! – Including ,
The Prime LIE Minister , Scotty ….
P.S – How much does it cost .to show .Kind ness and kind words and gentle words and a listerning ear ?
A hug ..A word of care .common humanity and decency ..How much do these things cost you .?,
You and me every one else ! .How much do these things cost ????……………………………
Food For thought !!!!! …………………….
The problem as I see it is that most voters just look at the mainstream media at election time and think I thing What’s in it for ME?
Not what would make a just and equitable society for everyone. Selfishness is the root of evil, always me, me me. Never thinking past their own interests. No wonder we see the likes of Slomo, Boris the clown and the orange turd just to name a few. It’s made us vs them. Whoever them is oh yes disadvantaged people, migrants it’s all their fault, they didn’t have a go. Scapegoating when the real issue is the billionaires who pay no taxes. Greed on a massive scale, always wanting more….. so we have wage slavery, wage theft, kick those who are down. It makes me so mad. As a nurse I do what I can do help people, treat others with kindness. We are all human and have only 1 planet to live on. I wish Australians would wake up and smell the bullshit which is our federal government and the multinational companies in their pockets. It’s time again for a Labor government. They are far from perfect but have always been better in govt for our society.
Williambtn, I never said we had to praise the neo-liberals and reactionary populists. But merely heaping invective on them and decrying their followers as “basket of deplorables* never struck me as particularly promising, and has not exactly proven helpful, either.
Nor are the heavy-handed interventionist policies routinely offered by the progressives!
Basically, the average mug punter only gets to choose between overbearing public-sector progressive condescension and overbearing private-sector reactionary condescension.
Some choice!
“Is there any counter to ‘the political syndrome’? If so, what is it? Enlighten us with your responses.”…I’ll take you up on that challenge, Ad Astra..
If one was to ask that age-old question that arises when a nation reaches a crossroad of a kind and there is a choice between destructive absurdity and destructive delusion..so one is compelled to ask : “How did we get here?”, then surely it would seem the logical thing to do is to consult the great tomes of history and armed with these examples, peruse the even greater tomes of philosophy to then move on to the multitude volumes of poetry and literature that ought to give reassurance that there IS a reasonably clear, reasoned and logical path to follow to lead us once again to the bright veldts of sunlit clarity of purpose and ambition for the greater majority of humanity.
“Ought to give reassurance”….those are the operative words..but are they the operative deeds?…Machiavelli writes that while there is ample evidence of historical example for us to both learn from and to utilise to improve our conditions, there seems more of a tendency to admire than to emulate wise and judicious example..it would seem that the individual’s ego of whatever age has a tendency to magnify..given the opportunity..its own sense of granduer and importance to the point of ignoring warning and excessive deeds which eventually result in total destruction of themselves and..unfortunately..any society or nation they rule over…and no measure of high education, high art in literature, visual or song has the power to halt the more egregious manners of such an individual or even such a society..
I wrote this poem that describes the futility of such great learning..such great art and placed it up on social media..as I do again now..and it was read by approximately half a dozen people..liked by two..and I am not saying it is a very good poem that deserves a greater audience on the strength of it’s artistic merit..but the topic it raises and the cynical behaviour of its characters demand at least a little bit of consideration, for going by the currect trajectory of a capitalist economy of the world now, there seems little chance of redeeming our climate from slipping away..right in front of our eyes..until the remnants of a once imaginative species will be reduced to the tribal gathering of a small cluster of ragged-tagged individuals burning the great books of humanity just to keep warm..so I conclude that it was an act of futility in recording a futile act.
A sad conclusion to such a promising start.
“A cold night on the range.
Was the year after the blast that ended it all,
Not a whole room left standing..just rubble and sprawl,
And we were camp’d freezing amongst it all.
With nary a stick to burn to keep us warm,
But a box full of books packed in haste,
A box full of books found buried among waste.
So we lit a fire with those learned tomes,
Warmed our hands to the rhymes of poems,
And in jest to our plight using the fire we might
Read a line or two and laugh with vulgar delight!
“Here’s a good one”…Louise called out,
Holding the screed aloft in theatrical tout,
And with an exaggerated voice of stage,
Read those prescient words from the page;
“When first the tottering house begins to sink,
Thither goes all the weight by an instinct”.
A moody silence fell from those words,
A warning wasted from a long-lost world,
The predicted path of how it all fell…
Wisdom in the silence, it’s echo did tell…
‘Twas Burton’s “Anatomy of Melancholy”,
Come to think..I recall..but whatever ‘twas,
It made good fire…a roaring good fire for us all.
Freezing our bones amid the sprawl.”
Do unto others and do it first. The lord is my shepherd and I’ll eat all the lamb. I want a fair go for me, plus seconds. The national interest is my perverted dream. Greed is good because it’s my creed. A friend in need is an effing pest. Suffer little children and so bugger climate change anyway. I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death because I helped make it. Thou shalt not keep the ten commandments, unless one has to… Jesus saves, but Moses invests. And, when a future pope comes in, Pope Mafia the Umpteenth, donna you worry.., Pray and pay, pay, then pray. Every alternative superstition is just wrong, so, listen only to me…
Here is some of the wisdom in the dreams of our P M, the restless but hoseless Pontifical Misfit, Mr. Dick Polisha…
“Is there any counter to ‘the political syndrome’? If so, what is it?”
Nah, too late mate, we are all F***ed! 😁
Ok well the obvious to me, IMHO, my pet hate, religions, lol, of course no doubt the “religious” will jump down my throat.
Faith eh, can’t see the wind but one can feel it eh, and all the other mind numbing little catch phrases, just bullshit, a scam.
“A constant theme of the preacher at the church I attended in my youth was that selfishness was the worst sin of all.”
Sin eh, so exactly what the fuck is a sin? Yeah sure, doing wrong, so why do we call it a “sin”, where did that word come from?
Sorry Ad, but I’m so tired of people quoting preachers, however sensible they sound, religion is the root cause of all the shit!
Religion itself is the most destructive manifestation of selfishness that is possible.
Humanity must move past the bullshit of religion, all forms of it, all forms of worship to effigies, all nonsensical fairy stories.
Religions rob humans of original thought, free will, and brainwashes, whitewashes humanity from the cradle to the grave!
Religions keep humanity DUMB!
Religion is the ultimate bullshit propaganda to stop and sidetrack humans from being responsible for their own actions.
People use religion as an excuse to remain unaccountable for their own actions. (Morrison is a prime example!)
Destroys humans ability to understand what genuine morals, ethics are… I’m not interested in debating what such are!
Some folks like to pull apart the essence of what morals and ethics are because they think they are so “intelligent”. lol!
Humanity lives in never ending vicious circles of HYPOCRISY. There is no honesty, truth, trust. We all live a great big lie.
SNAFU… After all these millenniums >>> of human recorded history, humanity is incapable of learning from history!
FUBAR… And to this present day humanity’s “leaders” still “lead” from a mindless state of continual paranoia, without trust.
So where on “Earth” do we even start to fix the problems, the catastrophes that face us all…
It has to start with kids, teach them well, stop teaching bullshit, stop thinking we are the only lifeform in the universe!
It will take countless generations to undo the damage of religions, bullshit, that is if we care, or still have a habitable planet.
And that doesn’t seem very likely eh, and for most of us “oldies” here, we will never know, so who the fuck really cares?
Luckily the kids of today do care, but do our blah blah blah politicians want to even listen.. Nah, they are selfish bastards!
Corporations, weapons of war, profits, fossil fuels, bullshit, capitalism, materialism, planned obsolescence, fuck you!
As Einstein joked… Except he was not a joking, but telling humanity the truth in simple basic satire, the stark naked truth…
“Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity. And I’m not sure about the universe”
So can humanity change? Is there any counter to ‘the political syndrome’? Maybe, but sadly not in my lifetime, or yours!
Humanity must get rid of the cancer. RELIGIONS! Humanity’s infantile obsession with crap, big business, scams, stupidity.
Someone mentioned the “Golden Rule”. That is a good place to start. But who follows such? Few to nobody! Why is that?
Because the “Golden Rule” has been perverted and nowadays means… “They that have the gold make the rules”.
Morrison &co and his pentacostal cult’s beliefs… Dog helps those to riches who help themselves… Prosperity Theology.
The rest can remain poor, there to be spat on, trodden on, treated with contempt, they do not deserve to have a go.
I am reminded of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic. “I am a Rock”. Too many humans remain shallow, hedonistic, selfish…….!
So can we change, can we adopt renewables, move away from our destructive habits… It is the zillion dollar question!
And for some excellent satire and humour…… Juicemedia. 😎
“Devious or outright dishonest”? If that’s not Murdoch, Morrison and their cronies to a T, then what planet am I on?
BB,
Nowadays? Have another look, BB! T’was always thus! Ever since the invention of money. And, mind, there is a religion – or a faith, if you prefer – which very pointedly calls out this very attitude: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10 – Google does come in very handy at times!)
Arnd.. NOWADAYS… I was using irony to be somewhat facetious. T’was never thus, as the original meaning of the “Golden Rule” has always been.. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” PS.. As for any crap, caca, religion, biblical scripture, quotes, shit, etc. etc. etc., all belong IMO up where the sun don’t shine…! The word “faith” just makes me vomit with disgust at the blatant bullshit and rank hypocrisy! A word for the naïve and gullible…
BB,
And here we are, asking: “Where has all the kindness gone?”
Indeed!
I am unreliably informed that PP is about to form the Church of the Sceptical Politician with Himself as Chief Overlord Pooh-bah and Future Prophet of the Decline of Democracy. His many pearls of wisdom enhance the journalism found at AIMN during these dark days of corruption, incompetence and uncaring, sustaining the True Believers in ”Government by the People, for the People”
.
Members will be drawn from those keen to improve the pecuniary interests in any way possible without joining the Liarbrals or Nazional$ and all will be granted immunity from prosecution for any of their allegedly ”interesting” schemes.
.
Hallelujah!! The the Ghost of Democracy is risen to haunt the transgressors of Capital Hill and drive them into obscurity!!
And we think the federal Libs are corrupt:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/09/at-least-a-quarter-of-tory-mps-have-second-jobs-earning-5m-a-year
My favourite part the article is – “On Monday Steve Barclay, the Cabinet Office minister, rejected the idea of banning second jobs, saying it could stop some MPs getting experience of the outside world. They must understand, however, that “in performing their parliamentary duties they are expected to act in the public interest”, he said.” I nearly choked on my Camembert, chicken, tomato, and red capsicum baguette.
Arnd..
“Where has all the kindness gone?”
Jeez mate, such a witty response of yours eh, ha ha ha!
After reading my CANDID comment where I totally lambast and put down all religions, you quote scripture at me! FFS!
What the F did you expect then eh?
And also that I would agree with your attempt to contradict on the Golden Rule. To sound “clever”…
Nope, you don’t fool me for a second…
Try reading what I actually write, not what you think I have written, or what you interpret in your mind what I should have written!
And accept that we all have our own opinions ok.. And my opinion of religion is plain to understand..
You did not have to reply, did you, but you just couldn’t help yourself eh, and quoted scripture at me.. Seriously lame!
Well, wave a red flag at a bull, and suffer the consequences…
So where indeed has all the kindness gone? Up shit creek without a paddle, that’s where!
There is f all kindness in religion. It’s all a charade, nothing but pseudo kindness. I.e….. bullshit.
Religious people, christians, etc etc, are not “kind” of their own free will, but because it’s part of what is expected of them.
And to be blunt, IMO, all the so called supposed “christians” are in reality, when you peel away the layers, heathens!
Genuine kindness comes naturally, from within a person, but because we live in a world dumbed down by the hypocrisy of religion, it’s now a greedy selfish rat race..
Religion is nothing more than blah blah blah!
The real and ever present problem and trouble with religious people is that they think they can commit “SIN” and then go confess to a person in a black frock, (probably a pedophile in disguise), and all is ok again, so they can go out and “SIN” all over again and then go back and confess, and it’s all ok again… rinse and repeat ad infinitum… ad nauseum…
Getting the idea…
All religions have some form of format where they forgive themselves, to show “kindness”, and overlook the “SIN”…..!!
Religion is a business, a very very BIG business… in collusion with all royalty, leaders and all the rest of the scum and despots, etc etc etc., that have robbed mankind of genuine kindness…..
So we will have to agree to disagree!!!!
Bye Bye… Enjoy your evening…
BB,
I wasn’t trying to be witty. And I didn’t expect anything. Your response could have gone in any of at least half a dozen directions. Or none at all. As it happened, you decided to double down, and illustrate my point all the more vehemently.
I’m not exactly sure the magnitude of mental anguish you think you are inflicting, but it is, like, bearable. I’m certainly not going to slit my wrists or nothin’ ’cause BB somebody swore at me on the internet!
Not sure about “naturally” – once you recognise the need for kindness, you should be able to deliberately train and develop that attitude. But yes, it comes from within. And, I suppose, the perhaps single most important aspect of kindness would have to be an innate appreciation of the need to practice kindness, and lead by example.
Now, you, BB, may not actually aspire to be a kind person yourself – and that’s fine, too. We can’t just all relentlessly keep smiling at one another beatifically, no matter what. There certainly is room and need for acerbic cynicism, and if that’s your preferred line, so be it!
But on a thread about kindness, and why it seems to be so sorely missing, your attitude does … – stick out. You should have anticipated someone to comment. Surely?
you’re so typically boring Arnd..
whatever
bye bye..
Actually, BB, it was your ranting that was so ‘typically boring’. And, as Arnd said, ‘But on a thread about kindness, and why it seems to be so sorely missing, your attitude does … – stick out.’
Thanks Kate, you’re too kind, lol.
Arnd likes to contradict others personal opinions, being such an intelligent person, and I notice you do as well. Obviously that’s what tickles your goat. What does stick out though is hypocrisy. He chose to reply with contradictory rubbish in the 1st place, so as to put me in my place, and now you choose to back him up. Some people can’t handle candid opinions, so call it ranting.
I’m not trying to be rude to anybody, but I will not be lectured to!
You should have anticipated someone to comment. Surely?
Right at the start of my “rant”…
my pet hate, religions, lol, of course no doubt the “religious” will jump down my throat.
I’ve met many people in my travels around the world, few were genuinely kind without expecting something in return.
As I said because of religion we all now live in a nasty brutal uncaring greedy selfish rat race…
The premise of this article was clearly stated so I responded with my take, like it or not!
Is there any counter to ‘the political syndrome’? If so, what is it? Enlighten us with your responses.
BB,
‘He chose to reply with contradictory rubbish in the 1st place, so as to put me in my place, and now you choose to back him up.[‘
So as to put you in your place?
Kate, you are being purposely obtuse.
Have a nice day.
BB,
I’d cheerfully give my right arm to be able to read other people’s minds, as in ‘you are being ‘purposely obtuse’. How on earth can you know that I was being ‘purposely’ obtuse? And how can you possibly know that Arnd responded as he did so as to put you in your place? Maybe he responded the way he did because he meant what he said, and felt the need to say it.
I can assure you that I never, ever try to be obtuse, purposely or otherwise.
You will learn, Arnd…you will learn..as I am struggling to comprehend…that social media is a “machine” that grinds and grinds all wisdom..all accrued knowledge..all lived experience down to a lowest, classless, common denominator that can be then cleansed through a bias-filter to be spread upon the identity politics table ready for drying…You will learn..God help us!..you will learn.
I go on Twitter to talk about the direction of art in Aust’ and get accused of “man-splaining”…for quoting Gertrude Stein….but then I will get asked : “Who is Gertrude Stein?”
Me..personally..I refuse to “learn”..
Jacta alia est.
Jacta alia est..; The die it is cast.
Caesar quietly mumbles the words,
Mixed with the tumbling Rubicon’s waters,
And when he whispers his secret,
Who does he direct his knowledge to?
What lines does the poet place on page?
Is there those who will like the rhyme,
But curse the metre?
Will like the idea,
But curse the action?
Jacta alia est..; The die it is cast.
But there is no-one left
Who knows what chance is.
None want to take the risk.
So he says it quietly..under-breath,
And leads the dumb and blind
On to their deserved death.
Nonsense Kate, nobody in their right minds would ever give up a limb.
For whatever reason. Figure of speech or not… LOL.
How on earth do I know anything Kate. Are you being serious, or just continuing to be obtuse.
I am not interested in your supposed lack of understanding… But here’s a clue to being insightful.
Try reading what someone actually writes ok, rather than cherry picking. Then you’ll know.
Sure Arnd felt he had to say what he did, by ignoring and contradicting what I had written.
Why bother, if only but to start an argument, to try and appear smarter…… blah blah blah!
Have a nice day… bye…..
I have no offspring, my choice, that is at least one less human that will fuck the joint, a bit more of that might go some way to help things.
BB
It doesn’t often happen, but right now, words fail me.
marty..
I have to say this because it has been bothering me..:
There’s something wrong with the structure of a society when men and women are disinclined, AND..it would appear ; discouraged by the Governments to follow the natural course of growing from child to adult and have (given the opportunity) several children, but would rather choose to substitute this natural demand for instead ; material gain, career, personal image or continued partying into middle-age..and perhaps even substituting the want of a child with a pet of some kind.
There’s something not right…there’s something not quite right…
And, yes..I can see the problem of overpopulation…but perhaps the over extension of longevity through medical intervention is part of the problem and the lack of spiritual (I say : spiritual, NOT religious!) depth of understanding in regards to living and dying ought to be remedied instead of the use of unnatural medication.
BB,
I get that. A lot. Just about every time I dare to question someone’s facile, but dearly held oversimplification, and hint at the possibility that things might be just a tad more complex than all that.
Mostly, it seems, people just don’t like have their cages rattled. Or, as Joe Carli put it, have their “lowest common denominator” called out.
Like him, I flatly refuse unconditionally to surrender to aggregate public ignorance. And like him I recognise that I am fighting a losing battle. But as someone reassured me ages ago: “The only causes truly worth fighting for are the lost ones!”
Joe,
one thing we can say with certainty about the refusal to procreate, is that it is definitely not hereditary!
And there’s implications to this observation.
Arnd.. ” one thing we can say with certainty about the refusal to procreate, is that it is definitely not hereditary!”………and Jesus born of the virgin ? (I suspect you thought immediately after posting THAT witticism..: “I wonder if HE’LL think of that one?….nah!..she may not have had the root, but Jesus was still born..” )…….. 🙂
Arnd..
I get that. A lot. Just about every time I dare to question someone’s facile, but dearly held oversimplification, and hint at the possibility that things might be just a tad more complex than all that.
Oh dear, you poor boy, life is so very unfair. So, do you ever stop to look in a mirror and ask yourself why “you get it a lot”?
No mate, you don’t get it at all, your arrogant patronising attitude of claiming that other people have facile over simplified views speaks volumes of why you’ll never “get it”. That only you are able to realise and know things are a tad more complex. Bah!
I flatly refuse unconditionally to surrender to aggregate public ignorance. And like him I recognise that I am fighting a losing battle. But as someone reassured me ages ago: “The only causes truly worth fighting for are the lost ones!”
OMDog, there you go again Arnd, pontificating on how clever you are, well then, enjoy your wonderful ‘wisdom’… LOL.
Never mind Kate, no doubt some witty and “sensible” response will occur to you, eventually…
Anyway I’m so done with all this silly nonsense and rhetoric, I’m busy now, I have to watch some paint dry…
bye bye, enjoy the day. I am… 😎
BB,
Thank you ever so much for your considerations. I knew you’d understand.
Plenty often! After all, like just about everybody else, I’d appreciate some acknowledgment of my cleverness and brilliance, and find it absolutely intolerable that it should be denied!!
More seriously: the run-up to my developing my perspectives consisted of a good twenty years asking questions, picking through my own unfounded assumptions and foregone conclusion, and repeatedly expanding, or discarding altogether, any provisional answers I came up with from time to time. And the thirty years since has provided plenty of confirmation that my conclusions from back then hold.
So yes: when someone comes up with an outlook that I examined and discarded a long time ago – like the categorical rejection of all religion, say – I feel entitled to double-check. Because it is a complex subject! And if that person then, instead of engaging, just reiterates her position, and with an extra bit of vitriol for good measure, I feel entitled to dismiss that position as shallow claptrap.
BB, feel free to back up your stance with some solid reasoning. Any time!
Arnd,
I don’t know about you, but I’m seriously thinking that it might be a good idea not to feed the wildlife. Deny oxygen. The Big Ignore. Meanwhile, where HAS all the kindness gone?
BTW, Joe, I even know some Catholics who don’t believe in the virgin birth. What’s more, I think there might be plenty of them. Times change.
Arnd, you are certainly digging your arrogant hole deeper… LOL..
like the categorical rejection of all religion, say – I feel entitled to double-check. Because it is a complex subject!
Double-check all the fuck you want mate, enjoy yourself, knock yourself out, and maybe one day you just may wake up!
Religion is for the deluded, there is nothing complex about it when you understand it’s all fallacy, a huge business scam!
You don’t fool me for a second with your fancy bs.
Your blatant conceit and appalling arrogance is totally laughable. You are institutionalised, lost in the “big” forest.
I feel entitled to dismiss that position as shallow claptrap
Of course you feel entitled, lol. I expect no less from such an arrogant self proclaimed “genius”.
feel free to back up your stance with some solid reasoning
As you feel entitled to dismiss what you feel like as shallow claptrap there is zero point in trying to reason with a self proclaimed “know it all”, and is/would be a waste of my energy, I may as well chat with a brick wall.
I don’t give a rat’s arse for your “intelligence”, or your years of “fantastic reasoning” with >>> yourself! Seriously you’re a joke!
Consider the floor all yours mate, a “hollow victory.” LOL. I really do prefer to watch paint dry…
In future I will not respond to any of your posts or comments, and it would be best for you to be reciprocal…
We are never going to agree to anything. Bye Bye…
Kate..
I’m seriously thinking that it might be a good idea not to feed the wildlife.
An excellent idea, as wildlife can easily bite you…
BB,
Here’s an idea: Shut the hell up and stop being an aggravating git by continually trying to keep getting the last word in! You do yourself no favours by baiting others.
Kate.
Yup!
At this point, anything I say, anything at all, will only further enrage BB. And that just wouldn’t be fair. Or kind!
Still – it was an interesting, not to say mesmerising object lesson in how quickly good sense, restraint, sobriety and curiosity about someone else’s point of view can still irretrievably go to shit these days.
Arnd,
Yup and Yup! Now we can return to our pursuit of kindness, which seems to have gone missing.
Thanks, GL
Where indeed has the kindness gone.
It was never there. You will never find it on a political blog. Face to face, perhaps. From a keyboard, never, I am afraid.
Perhaps, Mark, you can set a good example by displaying some.
Roswell,
how do I you suggest Mark should go about this task? Any concrete ideas?