Belinda wrote:Gary S, indeed and you and I are among the richer people by a long shot, according to the plain evidence that here we are sitting typing on our keyboards.
So where to from here?
Well, the first step is that each of us needs to be honest with ourselves. What do we truly believe in? What moral system do we actually live by?
On the surface, most of us have sympathy for the poor, want to save the world, et cetera, et cetera, all the typical progressive talking points and beliefs. Talking this talk satisfies our need to be "good" people, it makes other people think we are kind and compassionate, and it is a good feeling to pull for the underdog and denigrate the "oppressors." It makes us feel better about ourselves. These thoughts make us feel morally superior. It is a prerequisite for entering into the "with-it" club, where one can share smug superiority with like-minded individuals.
But, over the years, as I peered ever deeper into what I actually believe, I came to realize that it is not my thoughts that make me who I am, but my actions. After all, my actions are what affect other people - my thoughts have no bearing at all. As I tried to discover my own personal moral system, I discovered that I like having a decent place to live, I like providing for my family, I like having leisure time for my hobbies, I like helping my neighbors when they are in need, stuff like that. My job entails helping others learn a trade that will provide for them for the rest of their lives. I like that too.
I also noticed that even though I feel sorry for starving African babies on the TV commercials (or refugees, or illegal aliens, or whatever is the current progressive push), I preferred to spend my money on my daughter's college education, or a new fishing reel, or on eating at a nice Tex-Mex restaurant. If one of my students needed some help paying his tuition, I helped. If a friend needed some money to get him out of a bind, I helped. On Thursday, I bought a two pound bag of cherries at $3.99 per pound - I am eating some of them right now. Cherries you say?!! The height of oppulence! That $8 could have fed a starving baby for two weeks!
Instead of hating myself or others, or feeling guilty for the discrepancy between my "sympathetic" thoughts and my "selfish" actions, I came to the conclusion that I simply needed to accept who I am. And my actions are who I am. My true moral system could be described as many concentric circles surrounding myself. In the inner most circle is my family and me. Next comes my close friends, next are my students/close neighbors, next my countrymen, et cetera, extending ever outwards. No doubt, the African babies are way way on the outside as are refugees from third world countries whose cultures and religions and ancestors have failed them. Do I wish things were better for those people? Of course. But wishing does nothing.
Having figured this out relieves me of having to go around spewing rhetoric that I actually do not live up to. It is comforting not to be a hypocrite.
Considering the above, many of you may have come to the conclusion that I am an uneducated heartless uneducated psychopath that probably doesn't deserve to have a vote, like those who
voted for the UK to leave the EU. Perhaps those who voted to leave the EU have simply taken the deeper step and come to terms with their emotional thoughts and their practical actions.
But before you conclude that I am lacking morals, examine your own actions. You will find that
you are
me.
Gone to a concert lately?
Should have spent that money on starving babies. Had a glass of wine lately?
Poor person went hungry. Cup of coffee or tea this morning?
More dead babies. Nice artwork hanging on your wall?
Unsustainable oppulence. Used tobacco or marijuana lately?
Burned up money that could have helped save the world.
Ate at a restaurant last week?
Could have stocked the local food bank instead. Ran your heating or cooling to stay comfortable?
Greenhouse gases spewed into the atmosphere. Live in a residence with more than 100 square feet per person?
Another homeless person without a place to stay. Have a refrigerator stocked with anything but the most basic of foods?
Utter selfishness. Take more than two showers a week?
Unsustainable. Played on the internet today? Have a cell phone? Have more than 2 pairs of shoes? Drive a car instead of a motorcycle? On and on and on...
Before you dismiss me, please take a hard look at your life. Do you act and live up to your words that you type on this forum? If you believe in your words, then live and act by them. If you don't live and act by your words, then change your words. Would you take some refugees or a homeless person or even a starving African child into your home? It is possible to adopt, you know. Sure, you do a few things to make you feel better - to make you feel good that you are saving the planet and humanity, but really? Do you really buy in to all the things you say? I hear the Peace Corps is doing some good work.
You really need to have faith that not only is inclusiveness more moral it's also more expedient.
Faith? Why should I have faith in it? What does "faith" do anyway? It leads to a bunch of worthless talk is what it does. Besides, the whole damn thing is unsustainable, regardless of what you and I do. Heck, do you even have faith in it? Adopted any refugees lately? Why not?
Belinda wrote:As for Mexico, would it be better that Mexico become a US state, or better still a Canadian one?
Mexico's geography and natural resources aren't all that different from the states that border it. The difference is the culture. Mexico's culture is the problem. How to change that? Impossible without a people's revolution. And Canada couldn't afford to annex Mexico.
-- Updated Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:11 am to add the following --
Wilson wrote:I truly believe that Hillary will do what she can. I doubt that the speaking fees and donations to their charity will cause her to go easy on those guys.
Wilson, do you realize that the Clinton family business is politics? The Clintons have made $230 million since 2001. Speaking, writing, advising, and consulting. Have some pretty nice capital investments too. But that's okay, they are "in touch" with the masses. As such, Hillary will throw a bone or two to the oppressed whenever necessary to shore up the popularity.
-- Updated Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:26 am to add the following --
Added: Sorry Wilson, after reading further in the thread, you apparently do understand that politics is the Clinton family business - and a very lucrative business at that. I wonder if the Clintons would qualify as "greedy rich" people that should be relieved of the majority of their wealth through taxation. I mean, come on, making $230 million in 15 years? They could easily survive on $1 million per year surely? That would be $215 million for the poor! What you think, Ormond?
-- Updated Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:48 am to add the following --
Ormond wrote:The old order, where 5% of the world's population (USA) can consume 25% of the world's resources, is coming to an end. In the long run big picture this is just and good, in the shorter run for we the lucky, it's gonna hurt.
Since you say that it is "just and good," why don't you help the world achieve justice quicker by sending a large majority of your wealth to the poor in third world countries? Why wait? Or will you continue living the good life to the very last minute?
-- Updated Sun Jul 03, 2016 2:55 am to add the following --
Ormond wrote:they would have to explain why the average person doesn't benefit from getting important new benefits that they don't have to pay for.
No thanks. Average person here, don't need or want any important new benefits that I don't have to pay for. And there is the problem. When the voters figure out they can get stuff for free, and when politicians figure out they can win elections by giving away stuff for free, the whole thing goes down the toilet.