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Thursday 18 August 2011

Insanity of our culture


The level of insanity of our own culture can be somehow demonstrated based on the acceptance of insanity of other cultures. By ‘our’ culture I mean Western, secular, liberal culture which grew up thanks to enlightenment, science, industrial revolution, ancient Greeks, etc. Western culture should be rightfully considered the most advanced on this planet so far (unless unlikely of course, a theory about an ancient, more advanced civilisation would turn out to be true).

By insanity of other cultures I understand practices which are against universal human rights, such as honour killings, genital mutilation and other unacceptable customs. Some of those practices were wiped out due to influence of the West – for example sati (immolation of widowed women in India), cannibalism, human sacrifices, etc. But some questionable practices still exist and for some reasons – even in the Western countries – for example some elements of Islamic Sharia law which discriminates women.

Insanity of Western culture can be also somehow determined based on its own self-despise and confusion in issues like: multiculturalism, what are universal values and what we stand for? And of course, there are reasons for that.

MG

Wednesday 17 August 2011

The funniest scientist


The title of the finniest scientist I would give to professor Neil deGrasse Tyson. Professor Tyson is astrophysicist and the first African American director of the Hayden Planetarium – among many other achievements and positions. He invented an expression death by “spagettoisation” – which happens when you fall into a black hole.

MG

Tuesday 16 August 2011

David Starkey



I don’t believe historian David Starkey is a racist. His controversial statement: “Whites have become Blacks” on Fridays 12/8/2011 edition of BBC Newsnight was not racist. Besides, it seems to me, he was right. Of course, immediately he was attacked by PC-correct co-panellists. Sadly, the discussion deteriorated and “real talk” was obstructed. 

MG

Monday 15 August 2011

Citizens should be treated like citizens not customers


A two days ago or so I had an idea what would be good for the society in regard to the chronically welfare depended parts of the society, like those who have never worked and live on benefits. The idea was that people should be treated like citizens not like consumers – if people get benefits then something should be expected of them anyway. Benefits should be not considered as a ransom being paid by the society to those who for some not straightforward reasons cannot work and otherwise would be on the streets or committing crimes. I believe simply giving them money or accommodation without any responsibilities in return is simply wrong and harmful. It creates an entitlement culture simply because individuals are treated by the society (and state) like customers, clients, “users” but not like citizens – citizens who have rights but also obligations.

MG

Sunday 14 August 2011

PC


As an immigrant I am very grateful for tolerance and inclusiveness of British society. Open, tolerant and inclusive society is a wonderful thing but there are some setbacks. Opposing different forms of discrimination is certainly the right thing to do.

However, I see a danger of new social taboos which make facing certain problems almost impossible. People who are trying to raise certain issues or even refer to certain facts are sometimes automatically branded certain terms and accused, for example, of racism or islamophobia. Pussyfooting, political correctness, multicultural sensitivity – all raised to such a level they became rules of the game.

At the moment it seems to me that this trend, this practice is not no longer as beneficial as it used to be back then in times when there was a huge level of discrimination. Nowadays it is rather harmful and prevents open discussion. People are constrained from having “real talk” and afraid of new social taboos. Others take advantage of it. Sometimes it looks like it is not so important what somebody is really saying but what others will make out of what he or she is saying. In the public sphere these days certain discussions are almost postponed in fear of offending somebody.   

MG

Saturday 13 August 2011

Women on the rise – men are going down



Douglas Adams wrote about days when “spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women” (I’m skipping a part about “real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri”). Yes, the ways of life back in time often seem to be more real than current state of affairs – especially from a perspective of years. But Douglas Adams, who sadly is no longer with us, did not predict a women-dominated society though – at least to my knowledge.

A totalitarian women’s regime has been pictured in “Sexmisssion” (Polish: “Seksmisja”) – Polish famous and cultish – at least in Poland – comedy science fiction action movie from 1984. The story is about (if you are going to watch it – attention: spoilers ahead!) two males subjected to a hibernation experiment who wake up in a post-nuclear female society – because men died out, and in fact they are not wanted anymore – men are considered to be an extinct, aggressive, prone to violence and self-distraction, less intelligent, primitive subspecies – women believe they are better off without men (and that Copernicus was a woman).

And surprise, surprise: todays’ experts predict demise of men and rise of women!  In the world when physical strength is not really needed and aggression and violence is condemned men have to find themselves in the new (for them) empathetic world of soft interpersonal and communication skills, where differences of opinions are no longer fiercely fought out but softly discussed with mutual understanding. And the hell, even women start to earn more than their husbands! Girls even do better at schools! Times are changing – as a man I have to admit it sadly. Listen to two TED talks: Philip Zimbardo: The demise of guys?  and Hanna Rosin: New data on the rise of women.

MG

Friday 12 August 2011

An idea for solving ills of welfare depended pockets of the society

First of all, every state has responsibilities to its citizens, for example public safety for individuals and their property. Recent riots in England aroused fear, shock and questions. The state and its institutions failed to protect many hard working, law abiding citizens. It took five days to restore order. Another responsibility of the government is enhancing well-being and prosperity of citizens by providing education, health service, places to work, etc.

Second and foremost, citizens also have responsibilities. People have to pay taxes and abide the law of the land. But menacing gangs of underclass youths on the vicious loose, looting with no restraints and no regret whatsoever, setting everything on their way on fire – where have they come from?  

Surprisingly, they were joined by many so –called “normal” people; people, who usually work and do not commit crimes. But this time, in this very situation when normality disappeared from the streets and so behavioural and social constrains of so many temporally ceased to exist t – in effect so many people found themselves on the wrong side, joining mob, attacking police and opportunistically looting shops, with no dignity and no morals – for a pair of new trainers or a new telly, and I ask rhetorically – what is wrong with this picture? Some citizens failed the state and failed their co-citizens as well. But some people can be hardly called citizens – they do not contribute anything and nothing is expected of them – apart of not causing too much trouble.

The matter is clear enough when we look from the perspective of relations between state and citizens: Citizens pay taxes and expect protection and services in return. From this perspective two problems appear to be obvious:

First problem is that state requires no obligations from some of their citizens without any good reasons. Yes, some people get benefits for doing chronically nothing. In fact, they are hardly expected to do anything. They do not contribute anything. The society seems to be happy enough with keeping them out of the streets e.g. in various forms of social and support housing and they get benefits to feed their basic needs (and addictions). Young and middle aged people who have never worked and who will never be; living all their lives on state benefits and often committing petty crimes or doing drugs. Most of them poorly educated with no real perspectives or incentives or even skills to turn their lives around. They grew up in dysfunctional families and on the streets. They are not needed and they were pretty much abandoned. They have got institutionalised instead and the current system is not helping them. They are entitled but nothing is expected of them.

The second problem is that state is not able to provide work for everybody (and besides, not everybody is able to work). And that is the reality of post-industrial world in which unqualified and low skilled people do not fit well.

If those institutionalised welfare-depended people are entitled to benefits without any expectations then they are not really citizens – that is my conclusion. In fact, they are not even called “citizens” – by various social services they are called “clients”. No surprise: “clients” or “customers” have only rights but no obligations.  And this is just so wrong and in so many ways. Getting something for doing nothing is very harmful – think about perpetual dependence, disconnection, low-self esteem, drugs use – and I am not talking about single mothers (who often work so hard)or other people who are in genuine need and who are not able to do anything constructive in their lives as a way of contributing to the society.  

My idea is simple but fundamental and therefore revolutionary: we should treat people like citizens not consumers.

Citizens are people who have rights and obligations – people receiving benefits should have equally or to some extend their benefits balanced with some statutory obligations as well.