Submitted by Alex Birch on Thu, 01/17/2008 - 18:54.
Our society is infested with parasites. They're everywhere you go; at the malls, at work, at universities, at TV -- everywhere. Because any fool today can survive by performing mechanical tasks and receive that monthly paycheck to pay for rent, fast food and entertainment, our social system allows for defect elements of our population to thrive and slowly outbreed the healthy people.
Now and then these parasites come out of their woodwork to reveal their true motivation. One such recent example is New Orleans, whose governmental lawyers right now are swamped in claims by tens of thousands of people who demand personal justice, some claiming up to ridiculously $3 quadrillion (!).
The meek and sentimental victims suddenly become vicious predators, effectively demonstrating how passive-aggressive idiots, whose only motivation in life is resentment, are overrunning our society. Resentment against rich people, smart people, educated people, white people, governmental people; anyone that's successful or otherwise healthy. It's a revolution against the system that baby-sits their pathetic lives in the first place.
But our neurotic political policies don't approve of discrimination and regard every individual as sacred and important. In the world of moderns, there are no parasites or destructive criminals, only "unique" people with "certain problems" that easily can be helped thanks to social reforms. Ironically this social safety net is currently breaking down, precisely because the number of people abusing it instead of contributing to it is growing.
It's very simple: a healthy society actively weeds out parasites and onlys offer social safety to healthy people who temporarily need it to move on, not to chronically poor, unemployed, criminal or otherwise dysfunctional individuals/families that don't contribute to society and resent those who can/do. Their nature is to take whatever they can and then run off to the next host. They need to be expelled from society. If they manage to survive on their own, fine. If they don't, who cares? We'll live a happier life without them.
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Clarification
When I made the statement we, as a united people. I mean it in the socio-economic sense. Not in the philosophical sense. Perhaps I should have said we, as Americans, or we as citizen of a capitalistic democracy. I completely agree with you that we are individualistic in the philosophical sense.
Alex, could you elaborate on your thoughts of how we could expediently and fairly determine who would be considered part of the community? Obviously they would need to be productive members of society. Do you feel that should be it? Or did you have more in mind? That may be a tall order but I was curious of your thoughts.
While we are on the subject of Katrina. I would like to know what others think about charity in the US. I have always been of the opinion that charity should start at home. And while many people gave, in one way or another, to Katrina and other issues in our country. I have yet to fugure out why so many of our citizens (especially famous ones) are helping countries half way around the world. Building schools, housing, and food. Adopting children from other countries and so forth. Are there no orphans in the US? Do we not have homeless or uneducated people within our borders. I certainly do not want to say that helping others is wrong, it is not. I do realize that horrible things are happening abroad but I do not feel that we should be the philanthropist to the world while stepping past our own local needs. Perhaps it is selfish of me but I do not see the logic of sending a care package to some third world country if we have not yet cared properly for those who may be a few blocks or miles away. Once we clean up our own yard then we can help someone else clean theirs. There I said it. Feel free to flog me if you like.
I agree; we should start
I agree; we should start fixing our own home before trying to rescue other's. Also, if they can't fix their own home, that says a lot about how their home is organized, doesn't it? This is an internal problem they have to tackle. The West can't be held responsible for every single problem on this planet, even though it might feel good to want to "help." However, that help is ineffective and seems to support corruption and profit. Better to let them work this out on their own.
Which members to accept in a community will partly be a cultural thing and up to each community, but it's a good question, one that I'd like to address in a future article. Generally, if someone isn't contributing to the community in a healthy, productive way, that person should probably find somewhere else to live. People who are outright destructive, should probably be expelled.
My view (although I'll
My view (although I'll expand on "local" charity below): http://www.anus.com/zine/articles/yomtendok/charity/
Personally I'm not necessarily opposed to anything and everything one could characterize as "charity." I, like you, feel that we should start at our doorsteps. I don't believe that every person (while many) are in the situations they are in simply because they are useless; it's more complex than that, and because of that some forms of assistance can be positive, although it's fuzzy as to where one would draw the line. But at the same time, I still oppose "local" charities in a few respects: throwing money or medicine at people doesn't really solve any problems and actually perpetuates this idea that money solves everything; and furthermore, many of the "impoverished" charity cases suffer from the same delusions of the rich making it all pointless.
If we are to be charitable toward anyone, it should be to those we know and love. Just throwing around pity is useless and solves nothing.
Katrina Victims
First, let me give my sympathies those traumitized by Katrina and are making every effort to rebuild their lives. I do not pretend to know what you have been through, but it is my sincerest hope that you return to a life as good as or better than you had before.
Now down to business. In every socio-economic structure (democratic/capitalism,democratic/socialism etc..)it is a necessity that its citizens are, and remain, productive. A society that consumes much and produces little is doomed for failure. I agree that we, as a united people, need to help our citizens up in their time of need. However, that time of need has an expiration date. Those who have chosen to play the lifetime victim, have become lazy, or somehow feel that they are owed something are a drain on the structure of society. Lack of effort to improve your situation should result in a lack of effort by the rest of society to pull you up. Yet, we as a people are a generous lot and we continue to feed the 'welfare state' for those who simply find it easier to rest on their laurels rather than actually go out, find a job, and make a difference. This is certainly not limited to Katrina, this is from sea to shining sea. I have said it before, I'll say it again. We should not reward negative behavior. The opposite is true, I have no issue with helping those that help themselves. Even in a Marxian state, people must put forth effort to provide value to the collective.
Productiveness
"In every socio-economic structure (democratic/capitalism,democratic/socialism etc..)it is a necessity that its citizens are, and remain, productive"
Why must we be 'productive'?
If I pick apples off the trees to survive I am not being productive. In this situation are you to say the government should persuade me to be productive?
In fact I shall go a step further and ask 'of all the productivity that is going on, on the whole has it been doing things which are good in the long run? or disastrous?'
Economic Productivity
Thanks for the response. Although, you may be playing "Devils Advocate". You did get me thinking so I will attempt to give an adequate reply.
First, let's be clear we are talking about here and now. The way our country is structured and the way the citizens of our country live. Now when I wrote socio-economic, thats what I meant. Therefore, I was speaking of productivity as it pertains to the whole of our economic society. So what does productivity mean?
pro·duc·tiv·i·ty (prdk-tv-t, prdk-) KEY
NOUN:
The quality of being productive.
Economics The rate at which goods or services are produced especially output per unit of labor.
Although this a general definition I will use it to make my point. Goods and services are provided by productive citizens which are consumed by other citizens who also provide different goods and services. We as Capitalist (like it or not) usually are compensed by money for our productive services and we use that for the needs and wants of life. I realize this is an over simplification but I am not going to present a thesis on Economics.
There is a fragile balance between what is being produced and what is being consumed. If the number parasites, trolls or other ne'er do wells grows then it upsets this balance. Those who continue to play victim in the instance of Katrina, others on welfare who are capable of working and so forth. These parasites consume yet do not produce and become a drain on our economic structure. Once these parasites become embedded into a welfare state they tend to actually work harder trying to stay there rather than pull themselve up. Those who opt for this type of lifestyle should be left behind. Our resources should be directed to those who contribute.
"If I pick apples off the trees to survive I am not being productive. In this situation are you to say the government should persuade me to be productive?"
I know lots of independent outdoor survivalist types, but in this day and age I do not know any that are so primitive as the caveman and have completely renounced civilization, make their own clothes from buffalo and live on a tax free open range reservation. Not even Native Americans do this any more. No man is an island as I have been told.
Remember, we are talking here and now. In America 95% or more of the land in is either owned privately or by the government. So, I would have to ask, do you own this tree? Or did you steal the apple? Do you own the land it sits on? If so, how did you procure it? Did you buy it? If so, with what? Money? Did you earn it by being productive at a job? Do you have a home? If yes how do you pay for it? If no, do you live in the forest under a lean-to? If you do then do you own the land?If you own the land do you pay the taxes? How do you pay the taxes? Money? Where do you get it? A job where you are productive contributing to society? I could go on but I will stop.
Let's get back to the apple. Let's assume that you and your family are given the apples everyday from a charitable farmer who is barely making ends meet. Do you feel any obligation to the farmer? Do you want to help the farmer in exchange for his good deeds or do you wish to continue to take apples regardless of its negative effects on the farmer and his family? If you are the type who would go and help the farmer and in doing so become a productive assitant to the farmer then you have earned your keep. If you insist on simply aquiring more apples for yourself, then you are a parasite. In the case of Katrina, many folks have gotten government aid, welfare, food stamps and the like. A good portion of them have worked hard to rebuild their lives and I applaud them. On the other hand, many are satisfied to sit back while hard working productive citizens pay for them to be lazy and useless.
Do I think the government should persuade anyone to be productive. No, I do not, nor should they have to. However, those who have chosen to be parasites should not be rewarded in the form of welfare, food and shelter from the taxes of those of us who are. Furthermore, I feel that citizenry should be revoked in these cases.
"In fact I shall go a step further and ask 'of all the productivity that is going on, on the whole has it been doing things which are good in the long run? or disastrous?"
Whether you or I like our current system is really irrelevant. All of the productivity, in my opinion, is a mixed bag. We have been able to make the lives of millions easier, safer, and simply more enjoyable by employing a productive structure. However, we have become to resemble drones, doing the same things day in and day out some of which are damaging our environment. So when you ask that question all I can say is yes to both.
The real question is knowing what we now know. What are we going to do to change the future?
On a lighter note. You are probably being productive privately by forageing for an apple to 'produce' nourishment for your body.
Corrupt.org: remaking modern society
I would like to start out by pointing out the slogan of this website: "remaking modern society." It says it right at the top of every page. Many of your arguments are centered around the basic premise that "that's not the way we do things," when it says "remaking modern society" at the top of every page. Most of the people reading and contributing here favor some fairly radical alterations to the way we do things in places like America. To sit there and say "We as Capitalist (like it or not)" or "we are talking here and now. In America 95% or more of the land in is either owned privately or by the government" is to a certain extent missing the point.
Very little of our current system (in the broadest sense of the term that could possibly be relevant and all scales smaller) is a viable long-term option if we decide as a species that we would like to try avoiding self-inflicted extinction.
However, even in the here and now context you defined, there are plenty of apple trees that are in public places, and even on privately owned land, countless apples fall to the ground and rot where they land or are eaten by wild animals every year. If one were truly devoted to the nomadic apple gatherer lifestyle, it wouldn't be that difficult to avoid stealing the apples. I must admit that winter would be quite challenging for this applevore, but let's just say he has magic powers and he can make apples rain from the sky.
Missing The Point
Finality,
Thanks for the insight. Please do not take what I am about to write as a personal shot. I do not intend it as such.
First, thank you for pointing out the slogan to this site. Let's talk about remaking modern society, shall we. In order for us to remake modern society we have to first realize and accept where we are as a society at large. We must analyze the facts objectively and form acceptable plans and theories to move forward. Plans that will be positive ones for the maximum amount of people. This ridiculous apple feasting nomad hypothesis is sheer fantasy and not how the majority of Americans live(i.e. modern society). How do you expect to remake anything if you are not willing to accept the facts as they are. We can ask ourselves "What if?" But the "What ifs" need to be grounded in reality.
I, too, am in favor of change. So, I am assuming I am in the right place. However, if all we are going to do is complain about how things are based upon news headlines or form arguments based on folly, perhaps I am not. It takes very little effort to sit and critique our current situation. Yet we all do it, myself included. It takes intelligence, temperence, dedication, hard work and heroism to plan and effect change. Not selfish change for a select few, not science fiction. Change that will improve the lives of we as a people and for the good of the planet we live on. I am not talking about some Utopian fantasy. I know there will be resistance along the way. There will be those that can't or won't adapt.
I believe the first step is to keep an open mind and identify problems. Once a problem is identified. We should discuss reasonable solutions to the problem. Then find a method of testing the outcome. If we feel that the outcome is a positive one, the next logical step is to get the word out and try to get our idea to gain acceptance.
Or we can just sit here typing away, whining about how things are and hope for someone else to change things we don't like for us.
So I ask again. Knowing what we now know. What are we going to do to change the future?
Of course, if someone could please pass me the "Magical Apple Showering Scepter", the "Cloak of Warmth and Comfort"
and boat to cross "Denial" (yes, I meant to spell it that way) I will gladly sail of into the sunset.
Some good points, but I have
Some good points, but I have trouble with your statement saying that we are a united people. We are definitely not a united people and in fact, we are incredibly individualistic. While we certainly do have some group identity, there are many different groups competing for power and dominance over one another in terms of political views, religion, race, and ethnicity.
The problem with the people who make up the bulk of Katrina victims is that they come from the 'oppressed' demographic (blacks) and assert that status as a means of gaining power. This is not a new phenomena - blacks have been accusing white America, even white liberals, of institutionalizing racism into society, despite dubious evidence and constant attempts to address the concerns. What we are seeing with Katrina is a continuation of this theme.
Indeed
Indeed. I think Katrina and similar events, in honest people at least, help to dispel a lot of the prevalent mythology of being a United States "citizen" (or the empty notion of being a "citizen" of any abstract nation-state): this did not feel like my problem in any respect. GWB's rhetorical consolations about rebuilding a "great American city" is enough to make one cringe. It is understandable to lament the destruction of cultural or architectural heritage, but to unreservedly label the disastrous aftermath "American" without a hint of irony and stubbornly declare defiant rebirth is complete and mendacious meaninglessness.
I live near an area that experiences periodic catastrophic flooding as a result of being on a river valley at the bottom of an old glacial lake basin. I cannot imagine for a second the denizens of New Orleans reciprocating the overwrought pangs of guilt and dismay at any of these events; nor should it be expected. The logic of an abstract "humanity," however, tells us it should be otherwise.
I'm not saying America is
I'm not saying America is united and under the current circumstances it never will be. I'm also aware of the ethnic dimension to this, but the same truth can be observed among white communities: the parasites are taking over.
If society doesn't regulate which people are allowed to be considered citizens of the community, good people will be overrun by stupid, destructive and parasitical people. This is something we have to deal with, because the longer we wait, the more chaos will ensue from our passivity.