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where did we go wrong?

Started by billy rubin, April 02, 2022, 04:05:55 PM

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billy rubin



all right. im a student of the human condition, i suppose. my beliefs are that history inevitably repeats itself, because human nature inevitably repeats itself. idealism is replaced by distraction, which is is replaced by regretful hindsight.

is this maturity, or complicity?

when i was young i had an odd combination of cultural optimism-- that racism, militarism, oppression, and poverty would be erdicated. it was so obvious that ecological, political, and cultural flaws in human society would be ended. we saw the enemy and knew what to do.

now in later years, i see what every generation has discovered. that nothing changes. the now generation became the me generation. th eoppressed morphed slowly into the oppressors. the business of business continued to foul its own nest, demagogues rose , triumphed, and faded, again and again.

right now, today, th e united states has 30 percent fewer living birds than it did in 1970. i remember when monarch butterflies were common, i would see a dozen a day. now they are en endangered species, as are the ordinary horned lizards i picked up as a child. insects in north america appear to be holding their wn, but are declining precipitously in places in europe.

the first time i remember being awareof world population, we were at 3.5 billion people. now its somewhere north of 7 billion.

what i have observed in the time i have had is that the world is in decline. the belief that it would be turned around has evaporated, at least in me. i see no future in this planet that involves us, in any capacity other than the recurrent dystopian themes than plague our media industry-- grim, violent societies of oppression set against a backdrop of enviromental degradation.

sorry to be such a downer, but the reappearance of wars of conquest from-- yet again-- the same small circle of land in central europe that has nurtured two previous world wars and may start the next-- has depressed my mood this morning.

and even worse, i have just this week been afflcited by the bane of truck drivers throughout history.

hemorrhoids. of all things. who would have thought?

nothing like hemorrhoids to sour you on the human condition.

phooey.


set the function, not the mechanism.

Old Seer

One should understand that the people in general of the world don't run the world, and it's the ones who have been and now do have created and maintain for mankind what it is.
The only thing possible the world needs saving from are the ones running it.
Oh lord, save us from those wanting to save us.
I'm not a Theist.

billy rubin



set the function, not the mechanism.

No one

Humans suck. End of conversation.

Dark Lightning

 Hemorrhoids. Don't get me started!  :-[ One can also get them from heavy lifting. In my misspent youth, while working as a mechanic I could lift a small-block Chevy engine block (with rods, pistons, crankshaft and camshaft) unassisted and put it in the bed of a truck. I could drag an automatic transmission up onto my chest and press it up into position, also unassisted. The benefit of modern medicine is that one can go in at intervals and have them banded, instead of a hemorrhoidectomy. Far less invasive and far less painful. I've had several banded. As a helpful pointer, if you haven't already been told, get a ring cushion that removes the pressure of sitting off your bung. Condolences. I've been living with them for a long time.

billy rubin

im sitting on one of those right now, which my prescient wife purchased a while back.

but my motorcycle has an unpadded aluminum seat. i m wonderng about that.


when i was a kid there was chinese pile clinic in kuala lumpur. had a big selection of eight by ten glossies of the various types of piles that they could deal with. i cant remember but two:

the lotus blossom

the hanging pearl

much of my past woud have benefited from easy access to photography


set the function, not the mechanism.

Magdalena

Please don't despair, human is all we can be.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

billy rubin

i dont despair, mags. im disappointed, but thats all. you have to believe in things to despair about not having them.


set the function, not the mechanism.

Magdalena

Alrighty Then!
Maybe No one is right...
"Humans suck. End of conversation." :reading:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Old Seer

Quote from: billy rubin on April 02, 2022, 04:05:55 PM


all right. im a student of the human condition, i suppose. my beliefs are that history inevitably repeats itself, because human nature inevitably repeats itself. idealism is replaced by distraction, which is is replaced by regretful hindsight.

is this maturity, or complicity?

when i was young i had an odd combination of cultural optimism-- that racism, militarism, oppression, and poverty would be erdicated. it was so obvious that ecological, political, and cultural flaws in human society would be ended. we saw the enemy and knew what to do.

now in later years, i see what every generation has discovered. that nothing changes. the now generation became the me generation. th eoppressed morphed slowly into the oppressors. the business of business continued to foul its own nest, demagogues rose , triumphed, and faded, again and again.

right now, today, th e united states has 30 percent fewer living birds than it did in 1970. i remember when monarch butterflies were common, i would see a dozen a day. now they are en endangered species, as are the ordinary horned lizards i picked up as a child. insects in north america appear to be holding their wn, but are declining precipitously in places in europe.

the first time i remember being awareof world population, we were at 3.5 billion people. now its somewhere north of 7 billion.

what i have observed in the time i have had is that the world is in decline. the belief that it would be turned around has evaporated, at least in me. i see no future in this planet that involves us, in any capacity other than the recurrent dystopian themes than plague our media industry-- grim, violent societies of oppression set against a backdrop of enviromental degradation.

sorry to be such a downer, but the reappearance of wars of conquest from-- yet again-- the same small circle of land in central europe that has nurtured two previous world wars and may start the next-- has depressed my mood this morning.

and even worse, i have just this week been afflcited by the bane of truck drivers throughout history.

hemorrhoids. of all things. who would have thought?

nothing like hemorrhoids to sour you on the human condition.

phooey.
Consider: We didn't go wrong. We're merely paying the price of the way we're going. The directions we're on/in were determined a lot by nature and determinations/social inventions made by previous generations and has it's consequences. No matter which way they determined, if different, there would still be negative consequences. No matter which way we've come from if it is determined wrong now, then which way would have been right. How would one determine which way is which without previous experience. If there was previous experience that was known then that way was purposely avoided or disallowed, but then, by whom. There are consequences in all directions, so then it's a matter of choosing by reason which direction would be less consequential and harms be controllable. Also consider: Right and/or wrong is controlled by those that rule and can be anything they want to make it. If they went or maintain the more harmful ways via ignorance then we all pay the tow for their decisions and preferences.
The only thing possible the world needs saving from are the ones running it.
Oh lord, save us from those wanting to save us.
I'm not a Theist.