Tuesday 7 June 2011

Two possible reasons why society will never change

The source of the following quotations is unknown, but nevertheless probably explains why, as a society, change will never happen; and is more than likely the reason why the political elite remain supreme.
"Once you get used to being perpetually disappointed, life become so much more enjoyable"
"Unless you have fire within, you cannot set others ablaze"
Discuss.................

14 comments:

TomTom said...

"Unless you have fire within, you cannot set others ablaze"

That is true. Look around at how dopey people really are, especially the products of the school system. Loud but ignorant, and so uncoordinated physically and mentally as to be gawky and rambling.

There is no disciplined self-awareness and the population below 48 is seemingly lethargic - not a great band of Followers

Sue said...

That is why Cameron's Big Society will NEVER work unless applied to small mainly indigenous populations.

Asian and African led communities do very little to help one another, indeed there are always a shortage of blood supplies and foster parents in those sections of society.

Rather than banging your head against the wall trying to fight these horrific autocracies, many find solace in drink and drugs.

In such a political and economical climate, it's every man for himself and damn the rest.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

TT: I am glad I will not be around to see the type of society those below 48 will have created.

Sue: Perhaps I should have used the word political in front of society as that was the reason for the post.

James Higham said...

Ethiopian and Somali type disappointment comes to the UK.

A K Haart said...

"Unless you have fire within, you cannot set others ablaze"

Yes - and the comforts and distractions of modern life douse the fires of discontent pretty effectively.

PeterCharles said...

TomTom you are definitely correct. I noticed through my work as a Technical Officer back in the eighties that 'professionals' under the age of forty/fortyfive no longer really knew what they were talking about, they could walk the walk and talk the talk but their 'knowledge' had no depth, it was just a veneer sufficient to give the impression they knew what they were talking about but anything outside the basics was beyond them.

Since the 60s schools and universities have excelled at getting students to memorise and regurgitate 'facts' but they no longer teach people to think. Indeed, from what people say to me 'thinking' or dissenting from the 'facts' dictated by the curriculum is an excellent way to drop grades.

As is always the question, did the education establishment do this by accident, blinded to consequences by their ideological prejudice or was it deliberate?

I have long scoffed at NWO and 'reds under the bed' conspiracy theories but since I have seen and recognised the modus operandi of both the UN and the EU I am not in way sure I was right to scoff.

However, back to the point, I don't think WfW's two reasons hold water. The problem we have is life is quite comfortable for most people and that makes the effort, and is an effort, to become politically involved outside of the political class, too much work for probably little gain. Thus people moan and complain, can occasionally be moved to join a protest, but never really get involved. They look back at the fuel protests, the Countryside Alliance marches, the mad women of Greenham Common, CND and so on, see how little, if anything, they achieved and give up before they start, sitting on their disapproval until they can get revenge at the next election, if they remember.

Only when life becomes seriously uncomfortable will people start to become more active, probably when the coming global economic collapse hits, only then are we likely to see politicians hanging from lamp posts or running for their lives as they most certainly deserve.

PeterCharles said...

It's a pity there is no 'edit' feature for our responses, especially as I left a word out.

I also meant to say that the political elite remains supreme not because of lethargy, or not just because of it, but because outside of the political elite and the Establishment there is no effective way to challenge them, short of bloody revolution which is thought, at the moment, too big a step. They reign supreme because they are effectively untouchable except from within their own class. Back to our faux democracy, democratised dictatorship or elective oligarchy whatever you care to call it.

TomTom said...

Only when life becomes seriously uncomfortable will people start to become more active

Never before in the history of the world has it been possible to live so well doing absolutely nothing.

Never before in the history of the world has a girl fared so well being a single mother

Never before in the history of the world have Unskilled had a standard of living so close to that of the Skilled

Europe has the highest standard of living on earth for the Unskilled and Inactive but at the expense of saddling the Skilled with some of the lowest living standards by having to pay twice for public provision such as Education or Health

Europe has inverted the pyramid and put the Skilled and Industrious at the service of the Indolent and Ignorant

WitteringsfromWitney said...

PC: Apologies, but I beg to differ in that the two quotes do hold water because of the hold the politicos have on our system of democracy. The two quotations are linked.

People are disappointed, but having accepted the disappointment then make the best of a bad situation, no longer worrying which thus reduces their stress levels, thus they become happier.

Because of that acceptance they no longer have any desire to complain (fire within) and like everyone else they become no better than sheep.

Two things can change that disinterest: one is the ability to be able to recall MPs and/or councillors and the other is a recourse to binding referendums. Either those two happen or a revolution will occur.

If the first two do not happen, I agree something will occur to start a revolution and it may well be when the lights go out whilst we are still paying through the nose for an energy policy which is not working.

Back to your comment about people seeing protests which produce no result, resulting in their not bothering to protest themselves or to become involved in politics. This is solely due, I would argue, because they know that there is no mechanism by which they can bring instant change to any situation. Bring in referenda and they will have that chance. Give them the right to haul back politicos for 'instant questioning' and those two steps will increase people's interest in politics and political events.

Apologies if I have repeated myself...

WitteringsfromWitney said...

PC: Just seen your follow-up comment, one which I believe bears out the points I tried to make in my reply to you.

TT: Could not agree more and that, as you say, is the problem; caused by our politicos being of and listening to the leftie clamour for social justice.

PeterCharles said...

WfW we are not disagreeing, our differences on this point are little more than semantics and emphasis. I was up late last night so I'll use that as my excuse :-).

I agree public recall and referenda provisions would be a powerful and effective solution, I also agree that once people saw that their input did have some relevance they would, or at least most would, quickly become more interested and more active.

I simply believe there is more chance of water spontaneously running uphill than the political elite conceding such power without bloody revolution.

TomTom hits the nail right on the head with his comments extending my ".... only when life becomes seriously uncomfortable ...." point, social liberalism and social democracy are the drugs that keep the mass of the people quiet and thus saps any dissent. The political class recognised that after WW1 ended and have implemented it since WW2 ended. They have no liking for, or any intention of, change.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

OC: Ah, glad we do see eye to eye - I obviously misunderstood you, apologies.

I also do not believe the politicos have any intention of really devolving power either, hence my belief an uprising/revolution will, in the end, be necessary.

I have just unearthed another example of 'central control' in the localism bill, on which I am blogging.

TomTom said...

my belief an uprising/revolution will, in the end, be necessary


but ironically a modern state is not difficult to capture, whether a major uprising is necessary remains to be seen.....I suspect the cortex of this society is crumbling and that it does not have a loyal Praetorian Guard

WitteringsfromWitney said...

TT: Agree that a modern state is not difficult to capture and this society is crumbling - its just that I'm an impatient bastard! If something needs to be done then lets do it!