Quote:
Originally Posted by Ignitionnet
Interesting comments from Paxman here.
Somewhat amusing that the top two most recommended comments are both from ex-pats living in Thailand. |
I would much rather somebody who supposedly decides to portray a collective guilt was not a person who had supped more than adequately from the supposed cornucopia.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...-four-years.do
I would rather a person who was obviously educated to a very high level did not generalise as though the levels of education afforded to him and his like were commonplace. Amongst my dozens of peers I can count the numbers who went to university on the fingers of both hands and the one who went to Cambridge on of a single digit.
We, the boomers were born at the end of an era and that era saw the two world wars in which 10's of millions were slaughtered in the globally anarchic pursuit of power. In my formative years the spectre of having to serve under conscription played a part in the decisions made regarding career choices. It was withdrawn before any actual impact but for his age group did not figure in any equation.
I have said periodically, to my wife, over the past two\three decades that in our case through hard work and sacrifice we are rich beyond our wildest dreams of avarice compared with our teenage year expectations. Being a lifelong cynic I added that at some point the establishment will try to take it all back and here we are, on the threshold of the reclamation.
I disagree with every single element in the look back in anger or envy over the past. Compared to the two generations before we did enjoy release from the shackles of being cannon fodder suffering the multiple diseases that ravaged mankind and most importantly the non threat of hunger. To think that the more modern technological advances were showered like an endless stream of gifts is outside of my experience and most of my peers. The only good thing about that era was I suppose that during the long tedious period of saving for a freezer, you actually appreciated the thing when it could be afforded and didn't throw it away when the warranty expired.
IMO, it's over and that era is on its way out. Nuclear weapons ended the prospect of global wars because you cannot subjugate and enslave people if the environment will not allow life. Money is the new control factor coupled with the twin control of supply.
As a new world order emerged from the war era another is emerging and those favoured must do what is needed to benefit. Looking back in anger will miss what is often in front of one's nose, if forward looking and is a pointless debilitating exercise anyway. It is easy for a boomer to think back and wonder if alternative decisions could have yielded better results. When I so indulge the answer is always mitigated by facts. It takes time to amass what people see as credentials and that is money and asset collateral. Just like today without either an individual is only worth their last salary cheque and that isn't worth much as this week I have spoken to three people who have either drawn their last or shortly will.
Perhaps the insight into social engineering is something that comes with age. I am truly disappointed to see how readily sections of the community are so easily duped into the blame game by less than subtle political manoeuvring. With so many factions of the community overtly blamed for all of the ills it more than difficult to know where one should be positioned to be one of the good guys. What a good job is being done to create the divide and conquer scenario. What a shame that the public are so gullible. All of this stuff is 101 psychology for beginners which is distract, divide, cause tensions and squeeze the lot in the knowledge that they will not form a collective response.