The problem with the world…

17:35h local, 33⁰C, hum. 95%, rain with sunny spells
THE MAIN PROBLEM with the world is The World has problems created by problematic people still behaving like a problem child who keeps saying “Not A Problem” to everything —which is even worse than saying “Not my problem.”

“Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” — Bogart to Bergman in Casablanca (1942)

The problem with the world is that everyone is extremely opinionated.

Everyone assumes there are sides to everything. And that there has to be sides. And that their own side is “right” and the other side has to be “wrong” or even “damn wrong.”

They’re RAIDERS OF THE LAST IRK.

In reality, it doesn’t effing matter.

In this dragged-out death-dance called Life, we’re all going to die one day, so everyone is—

“I don’t know, I’m just making this up as I go …” — ‘Indiana’ Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

We’re all sheep — some more than others, that’s all. Who do you mindlessly follow?

For so many around the world, the hardest pill to swallow is that borders and different cultures are such flimsy ANOREXIC BULLSHIT.

• “Humanity has to come together as a whole, or we’re doomed to keep killing each other and the planet.”

That’s not a solution. That’s a description, jeez.

I like a world in which people work together. Some of you out there might prefer to add in “explore space.” (I prefer “explore shameless but not shameful money-making,” but that’s just me.)

Unfortunately, lots of people want a world where people work together to kill others and “fnck this world.”

Well, that sounds like an opinion, doesn’t it?

The greed is in our seed

The problem with the world is greed.

Here’s one solution:—

• “Get rid of all the money, provide everyone what they want and need, and you WILL have a perfect world. This can’t happen overnight of course, but we should be starting the process of making the world like this.”

Pardon me, Your Worship, but that is simply daydreaming with eyes wide shut. We still need a pragmatically neutral medium of exchange. Greed happens just as easily with bartering as with money as with free sharing.

“In business, don’t bribe. Worse, you didn’t bribe enough.” — Grandma, 1970s

Money isn’t “greed.” Greed is a personality trait. It can be the result of nature, or it can be nurtured during upbringing, or it can develop over time through environmental factors facing us in life. Read the memo from Gordon Gecko, bruv.

No, forget the memo. Read this paper on greed and envy from INSEAD, the world’s No. 3 business school. It is very readable.

“What on earth are you doing down there in that nasty place? … Thank you, but we are all very comfortable up here, very comfortable indeed…” — Belloq in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

Nothing’s quiet with a shitty front

The problem with the world are the borders.

A lot of people think the world looks like this:—

Big, with multicoloured countries and borders (via Pexels/WordPress)

When it actually looks like this:—

Just land and scape (via Pexels/WordPress)

“So desperate you are that you call on such lost creatures to defend you.” — Loki in “The Avengers” (2012)

Call me an asshole on my mobile phone — I don’t care — but if THAT’S all you’ve got on this topic, then “Whatever, mate” is the answer for YOU. Just go about your day and keep this “border” thing to yourself. You’re not exactly white-knighting anything.

How one belief co-exists with another belief

The problem with the world is that people have fundamentally incompatible beliefs.

I noticed from my growing up in 13 different countries around the world and working internationally for three decades that it boils down to just two main opinions:—

People CAN live and work together. The problem is, they choose not to. No one ever talks about what affects them. Even if they did, others just flat out wouldn’t give a shit and just continue the behaviour that causes harm to others because “Muh Freedom of Eggspression.”

versus

People CAN’T live and work together. If one person believes in the separation of Church and State but another person believes in theocracy (a.k.a. “Church and Interest Rate”), then these people inevitably will come into conflict. You cannot force others to live like you do, so we should at least agree to disagree and find a reasonably practical level of mutual respect (or “non-disrespect”) to get by.

The reality is that people cannot work together, at least not for long. We just cannot look past our own metaphorical little bubbles of existence and imagine living in a society like that. Sooner or later, we’re itching to outfcuk outdo someone or have the upper hand in something.

I’m reminded that—

“You can’t save the unsaveable.”— Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge” (2017)

I personally feel we’re too far gone on “separateness,” but thankfully this shit doesn’t keep me up at night.
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To those who believe we CAN work together for the common good:—

• It can be true. It is possible to find some way to peacefully co-exist. The starting point is (or should be) working together on scientific and technological advancements. It’s because, if we’re not continually seeking to improve the basic material quality of life, then what’s the bleedin’ point? — There is still time. As long as we don’t destroy ourselves, we could almost literally be living in a Star Trek society.

Rubbish. Have you never heard of the saying, “War is the Mother of Invention [for Market Intervention]”?

Star Trek society can only exist if we have infinite resources — we don’t have that. (It wouldn’t work even in Star Trek, which is already fiction.) It might be possible to have lots of resources like mining other planets. Barsoom Mars is almost literally our nearest mining pit and giant petrol station. The asteroids are like flying mines. But we’re not ‘there’ yet. We don’t have the technology. We’re not going to get to that tech level for several lifetimes yet. So don’t put the cart before the horse.

And even if we do get to that tech level, chances are it’s first going to end up more like a Star Wars kind of lawless world — like Handjob Solo’s dog-eat-dog crimewave Corellia or Luke Slywanker’s tainted Tattooine or Pay-For-A-Lay Rey’s junk-poaching Jakku before it turns into anything remotely like star-spangled Star Trek. There are already far too many political and corporate entities fighting over resources on Earth today for profit-taking.

Indeed, that advanced tech level will make our antisocial tribal tendencies to antagonise and “punch our way through” even more dangerous and self-limiting.

Forget “Space: The Final Frontier.” Space is boring. There’s nothing there. Everything is spaced out too widely. Don’t get worked up about it. It’s still fiction.

“I wonder, Monsieur, if you have that clearly in mind.” — Colonel Dietrich to Belloq, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

To those who believe we CANNOT work and live together in the same way:—

• It’s self-evident truth that you can never force a thing upon another person and that free will can never be infringed.

Sure you can — what’s slavery and servitude then?

Let’s not even go that far. Try something far more common — an employment contract with a non-disclosure agreement, all in an “at-will” labour jurisdiction in a regulated industry sector. Minimum wage not even a factor. Explain me “free will.”

You can’t take away “choice” entirely of course, but you can manoeuvre a person — even entire societies — via their individual and collective emotions and beliefs as well as systems. It is possible to make people choose what you want — or what the hell is advertising and public relations?

Free will can’t be infringed my sweet Aunt Fanny — eff off with that cringe, mate.

“This is the most powerful cock in the world, and you’re gonna give head to blow it clean off.” — Dirtbag Harry, ‘Mag-Nom Forced’

The problem with the world is that people believe you cannot force others to live like you do.

This has never been reality. Those who believe in theocracy absolutely can force those who believe in the separation of church and state to live and comply in a theocrazy — and vice versa.

Therein lies the big issue:—

• How does one ‘create’ or structure a society that has both free will and a singular directive?

An actual slave is still a human being with a free will. Problem is, that free will is restricted when you deny him the choices or manipulate the choices available. Sure, the slave can still choose to run away, but that’s easier said than done in the context of a slave, innit?

Free will is only as good as the choices open to you. A crass proof of concept:—

In the UK, the EU and many other countries, you have the choice of going with the National Health Service — or go private, go hybrid or go without.

In the USA, China, Africa and Latin America, 90% of you go private — or go to hell go without.

Those are all choices for your free will, no matter how we present them. But a choice of “2” vs. 4 is the difference between a dilemma and a decision.

I can anticipate your next argument:—

• Sure, but the authorities can force people into being imprisoned if they’re caught breaking the law.

A non-issue and not an important variable for this discussion. The context of that is breaking the law. Taliban Afghanistan imprisoned people caught having education, never mind committing an actual crime.

The point is, we can force a person by sheer force into a physical place they cannot escape from — but what about forcing people into IDEAS? We’re talking about people making decisions and carrying out actions because of “ideas” (such as beliefs or ‘principles’). It’s not like I could personally force anyone who believes in theocracy into believing the separation of church and state — but the ‘establishment’ can.

‘A Firewall to Harms’ would’ve been better

The problem with the world is that people cannot at least agree to disagree.

People with this “agree to disagree” mentality are dangerous because it’s an autistic amateurish way of thinking — because they’re afraid of a little hard work that’s needed in thinking in general.

“Agree to disagree” doesn’t change facts and doesn’t improve the situation. The world still needs ‘money’ and a government of some form. We cannot ignore this. And then conflict becomes inevitable because of that.

I’m pretty sure characters like Hitler, David Duke, Charles Manson or Jim Jones or Stalin or Maoists felt the same way about the world — that’s why those guys and their mates wanted to make their “One Perfect Society” populated with people with suitably and fashionably convergent beliefs — until the next regularly scheduled convergent belief is broadcast.

It’s dynamite on paper and manna from heaven for people born with monorail minds — but it doesn’t help the rest of us.

That’s because the rest of us know that “one society” never existed in any lifeform, never mind the human species.

Around 30,000 or 40,000 years ago, three different human species co-existed on Earth. One society my foot.

• It’s a bit like growing up dining only using a knife and fork. The learning curve becomes rather too steep when you arrive at the dining table to find it only has chopsticks. Learning something new while the hunger is still hammering is not a great recipe.

The point is to have a way for all human beings to be in multiple kinds of societies — rather than “one” society. That helps bring different experiences and capacities together without having to kill or maim each other in the process.

I mean, who gives a shit about ONE society?

The rest of us have different jobs or work to do on different days, have to make money to pay different bills, have to work with others with different backgrounds and different abilities, and have to eat different meals throughout the day in different seasons wearing different clothes — and ‘one’ society??!

Your mother and father are already different people, for chris’ sakes.

Man up, peel open your sphincters, remain in the world of reality, and smoke something else of a better quality in your pipe.

The real problem with the world is…

Maybe I’m being almost fashionably slightly naïve here, but it seems impossible for “one world, one people, one common good” to happen — given what human nature is like, which is this:—

• I’m scared of change, so I have to pretend it’s impossible. I can’t suggest any ideas or offer any arguments that’s passably realistic, so I’ll just call the other guy a retard.

1977 joke:— How do you stop a retard? Use a retardant.

I already respect precious little of many people’s shit-talk on this topic. Like my Auntie B., I would physically hurt you if you came within arm’s reach of me even thinking that trolloping tripe.

There is no smaller size of condom to fit your dick, if you get my meaning here.

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Below is a novelty message pad found at a Salvation Army rummage sale. It perfectly encapsulates the main problems with the world. (Photo by author)

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© The Naked Listener’s Weblog, 01 Sep 2020. (B19047)

All images via allchans unless indicated otherwise. You know the drill.

Initialement écrit le 14 mars 2019.

Ultimate purpose of our lives

PHILOSOPHY OF EVERYDAY LIFE

WHY are we born? What is the ultimate purpose of our lives? How can we know the purpose of our life? Why are we born at all?

Burn your bridges before arriving there

11.30am local time, 20°C (68°F), warm and humid

THERE are many things I’m not terribly fond of about my hometown, but most of the time I keep my own opinions to myself because it’s not the done thing to bitch about them in the open.

But sometimes I’m faced with such insultingly insane work specifications (and/or insanely insulting attitude of the customer himself) that I’d rather burn my bridges on the spot even before I get to my bridges.

Such as yesterday morning’s drama with a prospective customer. In the end, it came to this:—

Me: “What exactly am I being called to do here? It’s not cool in the eyes of others to work like that. You’re looking for some general dogsbody to carry your workload, and I’m not it. That hopefully will short-circuit the inevitable ‘like-it-or-lump-it’ discussion.“

B(w)anker (pausing): “Then we can’t use you.”

Me: “Thank you. I’m glad that you can see it from my position.”

(image via c4c)

Sometimes you’ve got to fight fire with fire.

Fire works well enough for the normal run of assholes. Against industrial-strength assholes, napalm is the only answer. Ergo, my ‘short-circuit’ phraseology.

Somebody friendly took me aside and asked that I try to change this personage’s mind somehow.

Goddamit, I don’t want to change his mind! I can’t use or work with a man who NEEDS convincing or persuading — he might just change his mind once too often.

I don’t want to change MY mind either — not after the crap and the airs that he’s been giving everyone once too often.

(via c4c)

Uh-oh, here’s comes the digression, like in every one of his post

One of the top things I hate and detest about Hong Kong has always been the way it gets things done.

Don’t get me wrong — The Hong Kong Way gets results, no question about that. It’s just that I don’t like how it gets results. It’s uncool and, not to put too fine a point on things, insulting more than a little once in a while for those at the receiving end.

Now if a place could be sung as a song — for instance, a pop song that could represent the national identity, the cultural psyche — then it’s something that reflects the people and society of that place.

Many songs do exactly that.

There being nothing else to say, that should lead in nicely to my next post, which is about the signature tunes of this ex-British/now-Chinese ring-a-ding-ling colony of Hong Kong.

Be here or be queer for that story.

(via c4c)

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© The Naked Listener’s Weblog, 2014. (B14037)