Posted on 05/07/2012 6:07:42 AM PDT by Lazamataz
Cats are genetically wired to behave in ways that humans see as insane. They often torment and play with their prey, for example, in a manner that we would call 'sadistic'. Sadism, to humans, is not a sane characteristic.
Sometimes it seems that humans are also genetically wired to behave insanely. Let us look at the votes recently taken in Greece, France, and Germany. In all three cases, the concept of austerity (read: fiscal responsibility) has been completely rejected by their populations. In one case, France, the populace actually elected a labeled Socialist.
The financial systems of most of Europe are in near-collapse and the only thing that might have saved them from ruin was fiscal responsibility. Yet the people voted against it, so that they may have a few more weeks of government cheese and 32-hour work-weeks. The Europeans, in a collective rebellion against that which exists, threw off the shackles of reality, and slipped from under the yoke of truth.
To deny reality, and proceed apace in a destructive fashion, is insanity.
The reality of the situation is that Europe will eventually -- and quickly! -- be subject to the laws of economics. In a very short time-frame, the system will collapse in its entirety. At that point, ANY paper currency will be meaningless, and the insane actions of the Europeans will ultimately be at fault. Once paper currency, of any nationality and of any denomination, becomes worthless, chaos will result. From the fires of chaos, World Wars are born.
The shortsightedness of a selfish public, who is unwilling to face the harsh truths, is a worldwide phenomenon. It is as if the entire world decided to embark on a worldwide Argentinian experiment -- in which their currency collapsed -- and will probably concluding with Zimbabwean results.
It appears that the solution, albeit one impossible to forestall this collapse, is decidedly local. It is inside one’s self. To become less selfish, to become a person of character, to think of serving others before you serve yourself: These are the character traits that would have prompted people to have voted for fiscal responsibility in Europe, instead of the few remaining months of government largesse.
Tough times create tough and selfless people. Soft times create a soft and selfish people. The soft and the amoral have spoken. The collapse will proceed. The suffering and bloodshed that will result will be Biblical. One hopes that the result, a generation from now, is a tougher and more moral people.
Anything else would be insanity.
Good job.
The Gods of the Copybook Headings Rudyard Kipling |
| AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place. Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all. We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn: But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind, So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind. We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace, Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place, But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome. With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch, They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch; They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings; So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things. When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace. They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease. But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know." On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life (Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife) Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death." In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die." Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return! |
You're absolutely right, Laz, and this is why I have more concerns about an easy life for my family than a difficult one.
My boys and I were at a religious foundation on Saturday, and one of the religious Brothers, a gentleman from Kenya, told me the boys needed to see me eating, or they would be worried about me. He was not used to societies in which there is always plenty of food available, but to ones in which there was no surplus.
Does any of us have experience of children's being concerned that their parents might not get enough to eat? I certainly don't!
How many unsatisfied ones?
Heh heh heh
SMTA
So, in a manner of speaking, I am actually blog pimping.
All the rest of them.
I talked to my next door neighbor over the fence yesterday. She is French (now a Texan and US citizen) but works at the French Consulate and was in charge of the election yesterday. She is very conservative and is totally disgusted with the “Frogs” as she calls them because of the vote.
“It appears that the solution, albeit one impossible to forestall this collapse, is decidedly local. It is inside one’s self. To become less selfish, to become a person of character, to think of serving others before you serve yourself: These are the character traits that would have prompted people to have voted for fiscal responsibility in Europe, instead of the few remaining months of government largesse.”
SPOT ON, Laz. And we have the example here of Wisconsin, with Gov. Walker having great success in turning things around, but falling prey (if not out of office) to the greedy and the public employee unions (not necessarily two separate things).
A good part of our challenge seems to be to press legislators to shift the tide to expectations of greater personal responsbility, and to make sure we are getting that message to our offspring, so there are some torch bearers in the future.
Thanks for the post, Laz.
Good word indeed, Laz. Simple truth.
Keep’em coming......
Please add me to the PING list. Thank you.
Harrrrummmmpfffff Harrrrummmmpfffff Harrrrummmmpfffff Harrrrummmmpfffff Harrrrummmmpfffff Harrrrummmmpfffff
Perhaps it is because the population of Kipling's time were better educated, and he could afford to be a little obtuse.
Ref. Number 17...The Mayans may be right!
Present her this editorial. She may enjoy it.
I spent several moments looking down on the French voters for that selfish decision - and then I remembered:
It is nice to see, even just on FR, a recognition that socialism is selfish. The far left likes to control our language through tactics such as characterizing conservatives as selfish, while they pile unsustainable debt on our children to put off the reckoning for another year . . . making that reckoning far more severe.
Urine!
Please add me to you r NVFBSD ping list. Or I’ll consider hitting it. Or something. Good article, BTW. Even without pictures.
Much truth there Laz. Good bit of verbage.
If you would be so kind, add be to the throngs of followers you are sure to amass ;)
If I can add a bit to the thought, this is the end result of removing education from the education system. Humanity in the western world has not been given an education in the basics of how the world works in a couple decades or more. The basic Home Ec/Shop classes have been all but eliminated from schools. Most have no clue how to do basic economics such as balancing a check/card acct.
This is of course by design. When people are made too stupid to be able to do such things as carry out life’s most basic/needed things, they naturally gravitate to the ‘aid’ of those who will do it for them. Such as we have seen played out since the 60s and even before.
An genuinely educated man is and always will be a free man. Unless he abandons that freedom by his own choosing. A modern product of the “educational” system is enslaved as he knows no better.
Keep typin Laz. I’ll keep reading ;)
Excellent!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.