The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

[oddlots]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

firemen

Exactly! and don't get me started on nurses and teachers!!!

[oddlots]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

Oh yes, the big bad old Catholic Church, is that the one who promotes meekness, turning the other cheek, loving your enemy, and other subversive principles. The major reason why liberalism has been able to take root in the west is precisely because the Catholic Church has lost its traditional values.

Whats your beef against the church? What threat does it pose? Would a church/religion that fought its enemies, and didn't turn the other cheek but, fought aggressively back, suit you better?

I'm happy to admit that the most admirable person I've known was a devout Anglican aunt who devoted her life to bettering the lives of Spastics in Britain and succeeded magnificently. Was awarded an OBE for her efforts. Everytime I sound off about religion I feel like she's looking at me askance.

That said, the thing that keeps me at it is the apparent yawning chasm between the institutional aspiration and the institutional performance. Just once I'd like to see someone of significance in a religious organisation throw the organisation under the bus rather than some innocent, abused child. As an example, I don't think I've ever heard someone in authority in any Christian denomination say that their abysmal record regarding protecting pedophiles is a crime. Actually, I can't think of a recorded occasion when a church official's first thought was for the suffering of the abused child. This from an organisation that lays claim to such sanctity almost by right.

It's all a hopelessly compromised. They basically act like the pentagon on a good day. And the pentagon is a "fallen" human enterprise. It really makes me think that the whole mode of thought is just a black hole of unreason and unrestrained, institutional prejudice.

Please tell me, why should I give it any respect?

[Sharky]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

It becomes their subjective morality. It seems to me you are using objective morality. When I said all morality is subjective, I was more commenting on our lack of an objective morality. After all isn't one man's freedom fighter another man's terrorist?

If you're saying that an objective morality exists, but that many people have failed to discover it, and have instead adopted some pseudo-moral "subjective" code in it's place, then I agree.

In my view, all of the debate about the flaws in the financial system or in politics, government or unions or big business is really secondary. THE main issue of the day is actually morality. What the country (and the rest of the world) badly, badly needs is a proper, objective code of morality -- a set of principles derived from reality that helps reduce the vast complexity of human choices to simple, retainable units; which actions support human life, and which ones destroy it (a code of virtues and values).

With a proper code of morality in place, the rest of the issues we're facing would, for the most part, be easily, quickly and correctly resolved in a durable, long-lasting way. Instead, driven by the currently dominant philosophies of pragmatism and subjectivism, the problems will continue to escalate -- for the very simple reason that they do not have a foundation in reality.

[iThumb]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

How do you think these guys, the Libyan Investment Authority are doing right now. I am thinking they went the way of much of Gaddafi's oil pipelines outside of Benghazi. We all have to get ready for an Islamic Caliphate. I don't want to sound like a conspiracy nut, but it seems quite plausible.

[cjppjc]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

If you're saying that an objective morality exists, but that many people have failed to discover it, and have instead adopted some pseudo-moral "subjective" code in it's place, then I agree.

Perfect. Thank you.

[Andreuccio]

Re: The Yuppie Revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamic one has just begun

Exactly! and don't get me started on nurses and teachers!!!

Yeah, teachers, those b*st*rds. They work for years at a pay rate that would make a man rich, or at least middle class, in many 3rd world countries. All they have to do for it is not much more than glorified babysitting. As anyone who's babysat 30 or so teenagers (or kindergartners, for that matter), can tell you, it's a walk in the park, right? No stress at all. And not much responsibility, either. I figure most kids will learn on their own anyway. Another benefit: hardly any work to take home for teachers. And they get to deduct up to $250 of whatever they spend on their classroom and students without even itemizing. Can you say "special privileges"?

Then, after riding that gravy train for a few decades, they expect the state to stand by the contract they made promising them health care and a modest retirement. Ingrates.

And don't get me started either on those b*t*h nurses. Even the male ones. Especially the male ones. Imagine, striking over nurse patient ratios, insisting there be enough nurses on call to adequately take care of sick patients.

I say let the sick patients take care of themselves. Let the students educate themselves. Let the fires put themselves out.

Well, that's enough for today. Tomorrow's rant will be a re-examination of the proposal to allow parents of modest means to sell their children as food in order to ease their economic plight.