Do we all have to be activists these days or at least do we have to support those activists?

[allanos]

There are 8 billion people on our planet, and counting. The majority are dirt-poor,

leading hard-scrabble existences and are pretty much doomed to keep on

living this way until they die.

 

They do not care a fig for fringe groups chanting about net zero, LGBTQ++, fossil

fuels, global warming or the green revolution. These things are a million miles

away when it's all they can do to stay afloat and support their families, let alone

get ahead in their miserable lives. 

 

When you don't know where your next bowl of rice or crust of  bread is going to

come from, or even if it will come, there is not much else of importance to be

concerned about.

 

Change, hopefully toward a better world (but in whose image?), is best left to

politicians, where, in those countries lucky enough to be democracies, direction

is guided by the popular vote; the "silent majority", let's say, and not a vocal

activist minority clamouring for much which is unattainable in the short run.

[Purdey]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

the really big changes in western society already happened

Good points but there are things like climate change that deserve a lot more activism.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

At least for me, and I guess for many others, the question is if an activist is really trying to change something (small or big) or if the main reason for the activism is virtual signaling - look, I am and activist for xyz. I show it clearly on my Instagram and fb and twitter.

 

I.e. if you have a colleague who is gay and another colleague uses derogative words in front of that person or behind his back, then you can stand up for your gay colleague and tell the other person that he shouldn't talk bad. That is action or (small scale) activism.

Having a rainbow flag on your fb page but then ignoring if the colleague talks bad, that is just virtual signaling. Look, I pretend to do something good. But in reality, I don't care.

 

For me it seems a lot of activism is just virtual signaling. 

How many people really care about gay rights in a country far away?

And, as bad as it is, we can also include the question: How many people care how many low paid workers from countries like India or Pakistan die? 

I am sure if a single (high paid) engineer from a first world country would die of a heat stroke that would create more news and sympathy. Like: he was one of us...

 

Let's stop pretending! 

 

Let us say that our aim as humans is to feel good. It's not hard to believe that some feel good when helping others - working for a charity, fighting for someone's rights, etc. Others feel good visiting a lady and taking some drugs and indulging their desires. Some feel good doing both and some feel good doing neither. 

 

One way to avoid cynicism is to say that we all selfish in a sense, in that we all want to feel good, but for some that 'selfishness' leads them to help others and fight for their rights because that is what hits' their spot. That s what is important to them.

 

It is arrogant to decide what others are feeling and thinking and to second guess their motives. Do you really think the majority of activists are pretending, or virtue signalling,  or is just that they are built differently than you, brought up with different belief systems, feel good doing different things.  

Edited November 24, 2022 by Fat is a type of crazy

[seedy]

1 hour ago, allanos said:

Change, hopefully toward a better world (but in whose image?), is best left to

politicians, where, in those countries lucky enough to be democracies, direction

is guided by the popular vote; the "silent majority", let's say,

Politicians ? 555

Those would be the men and women who win elected office by the large campaign contributions from special interest groups whose sole reason for backing said Politco is to advance their own agenda ?

Some people have a real blind spot when talking about 'Democracy' which is not present in any country anywhere on earth.

And presumably the Cosmos is on side also.

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, seedy said:

Politicians ? 555

Those would be the men and women who win elected office by the large campaign contributions from special interest groups whose sole reason for backing said Politco is to advance their own agenda ?

Some people have a real blind spot when talking about 'Democracy' which is not present in any country anywhere on earth.

And presumably the Cosmos is on side also.

So, no need for democracy then?

[OneMoreFarang]

5 hours ago, JCauto said:

That you find it odd that people would care about disadvantaged "others" in countries outside of your own

How many people do care?

How many of the do-gooders have any connection to any gay people over there?

How many donated anything to these people who they pretend to support?

How many do anything, even a tiny little bit, except wearing some band or shirt and posting images of themselves with those "look, I do something" items?

 

At least I don't pretend that I care about lots of things which I really don't care about.

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How many people do care?

How many of the do-gooders have any connection to any gay people over there?

How many donated anything to these people who they pretend to support?

How many do anything, even a tiny little bit, except wearing some band or shirt and posting images of themselves with those "look, I do something" items?

 

At least I don't pretend that I care about lots of things which I really don't care about.

Totally irrelevant, they only need to care, not fork over their life savings. In contrast are those who hate them. Filth.

[OneMoreFarang]

59 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Do you really think the majority of activists are pretending, or virtue signalling

Yes!

 

Let's take the football players, just as one example.

When they go back to their home countries and have dinner with their friends, how many of them do you think will bring up the rights of the gay people in Qatar? How many will discuss with their friends what they can actively do to support those people? Like: Let's donate money to that xyz organization over there. I met [insert name] and we should really support him.

How many of these virtue-signaling players will even spend 10 minutes of their time to actually do something - when no camera is there to see it?

Obviously I/we will never really know. But I would be very surprised if that is really an issue for even 10% of the people who now pretend it is important.

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes!

 

Let's take the football players, just as one example.

When they go back to their home countries and have dinner with their friends, how many of them do you think will bring up the rights of the gay people in Qatar? How many will discuss with their friends what they can actively do to support those people? Like: Let's donate money to that xyz organization over there. I met [insert name] and we should really support him.

How many of these virtue-signaling players will even spend 10 minutes of their time to actually do something - when no camera is there to see it?

Obviously I/we will never really know. But I would be very surprised if that is really an issue for even 10% of the people who now pretend it is important.

Ah, the old they don't REALLY care chestnut. I guess you want to believe that.

[OneMoreFarang]

9 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Totally irrelevant, they only need to care, not fork over their life savings. In contrast are those who hate them. Filth.

Interesting.

Now let's say I think gay people all over the world should be free to make love to their gay partners.

But it is not important enough for me to fight for them or support them with more than a sentence like that.

Does that mean I belong to the filth category?

And is everybody who does not support the rights from everybody "filth"?

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Interesting.

Now let's say I think gay people all over the world should be free to make love to their gay partners.

But it is not important enough for me to fight for them or support them with more than a sentence like that.

Does that mean I belong to the filth category?

And is everybody who does not support the rights from everybody "filth"?

In said those who hate them are filth. And those who are opposed to gay rights, definitely filth.

Edited November 24, 2022 by ozimoron

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Ah, the old they don't REALLY care chestnut. I guess you want to believe that.

Ok, please come back in a year and let us know what all these players who pretend to care so much did within a year after they pretended they care. 

[roo860]

8 hours ago, ozimoron said:

A great number, they were protesting. The entire German football team included. They seemed to care.

Seemed to work.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, JCauto said:

Pretty easy to tell from your responses. What are your main issues - the hypocrisy of "virtue signaling", gay people's rights outside of your country mattering to you somehow, worker's who are treated brutally outside of your country mattering to you somehow, "wokeness". These are all positions that identify you as an Conservative. "Virtue Signaling" was Alt-Right code invented to minimize people's feelings of empathy for others. That you find it odd that people would care about disadvantaged "others" in countries outside of your own demonstrates a similar callousness that is a trademark of Conservative commentary. The "war on Woke" is the latest Conservative rallying cry to minimize any discussion or understanding about the injustices suffered in the past by non-White non-male people.  It's not exactly something you are hiding carefully.

 

I care nothing for people that have "concern" about people in other countries, as long as they don't DO anything about it, and how many that have "concern" ever do anything about it, beyond a few coins in a collecting box for charity?

It's like the climate change warriors that demonstrate about it and drive to the airport in a petrol car and fly to a far away country to sit in the sun and get <deleted>.

 

As for being conservative, the leftists have gone so far left that moderate liberals are "conservative" in their beliefs.

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I care nothing for people that have "concern" about people in other countries, as long as they don't DO anything about it, and how many that have "concern" ever do anything about it, beyond a few coins in a collecting box for charity?

It's like the climate change warriors that demonstrate about it and drive to the airport in a petrol car and fly to a far away country to sit in the sun and get <deleted>.

 

As for being conservative, the leftists have gone so far left that moderate liberals are "conservative" in their beliefs.

That's plain, ordinary narcissism. Luckily, many people don't suffer from it and that's why we have charities.

Edited November 24, 2022 by ozimoron

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, seedy said:

Some people have a real blind spot when talking about 'Democracy' which is not present in any country anywhere on earth.

I think we disagree on some things, but we are together on that. I don't think people that claim we live in a democracy have any idea what a real democracy is.

Are country's that have Democracy in their names actually democratic? I think not.

Far as I'm concerned it's only a label to differentiate us from countries that are openly dictatorships.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, allanos said:

politicians, where, in those countries lucky enough to be democracies, direction

is guided by the popular vote; the "silent majority", let's say,

Is any government elected by an actual majority of potential voters? Perhaps Australia where the law says voters must vote, but other wise usually a minority of votes as many never vote.

[Hummin]

Part of these protest actions make common ground for countries like Qatar, Iran, Russia, and China. Also more “neutral” countries like Thailand, many African countries, Brazil among more (some prominent Italian politicians with power) and force them in to allied agains the “West” 

 

There is no doubt this pushing the limits and taking a toll on the polarization of the world. 
 

In the big picture alot of wasted energy and possibilities, but for each and one individual who it matters for, I guess a win, and it should be a win for humanity, but its not that easy! 

[JCauto]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I care nothing for people that have "concern" about people in other countries, as long as they don't DO anything about it, and how many that have "concern" ever do anything about it, beyond a few coins in a collecting box for charity?

It's like the climate change warriors that demonstrate about it and drive to the airport in a petrol car and fly to a far away country to sit in the sun and get <deleted>.

 

As for being conservative, the leftists have gone so far left that moderate liberals are "conservative" in their beliefs.

LOL. I don't believe I was talking to you, but yes, you certainly would share those same beliefs. 

What both of you don't seem to "get" is the difference between an activist and someone who is in favour of something and provides verbal support. Those people (the latter) are not activists. They're like you, bystanders on the sidelines commenting and making their views known. Like wearing a Rainbow shirt or flying a Trump flag. Those are not activists, they're just people expressing their opinions. The "act" in "activist" stands for "action" meaning you take it beyond blah blah blah and into the streets to do something. The January 6 protesters were activists because they moved beyond attending a rally and into sedition against their own country for example. 

I am an activist - I do get in my petrol car to drive to the airport to fly to Southeast Asia where I work in issues related to climate change. Does this mean I should row a boat across the Pacific to avoid the carbon emissions? Of course not, that would be senseless in terms of efficiency. But you're not talking about me, you're talking about people who are not activists, just ordinary people who are concerned about the future.

As to your laughable attempt to move the goalposts, the Right is what has moved towards fascism far far far more than the Left has moved anywhere near communism.

[OneMoreFarang]

24 minutes ago, JCauto said:

I am an activist - I do get in my petrol car to drive to the airport to fly to Southeast Asia where I work in issues related to climate change. Does this mean I should row a boat across the Pacific to avoid the carbon emissions?

Is there anything you could do at home without flying to a country far away?

At home you also share the culture with the other people over there. Understanding each other is much easier.

Do something for your community. Become a local leader. Inspire people.

 

Or do you just need a reason to fly to a country far away with beautiful girls? Look at me, I am an activist. 555! 

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

As for being conservative, the leftists have gone so far left that moderate liberals are "conservative" in their beliefs.

Marxist here, the leftists (aka wokes) probably hate me more than they hate you.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

Part of these protest actions make common ground for countries like Qatar, Iran, Russia, and China. Also more “neutral” countries like Thailand, many African countries, Brazil among more (some prominent Italian politicians with power) and force them in to allied agains the “West” 

 

There is no doubt this pushing the limits and taking a toll on the polarization of the world. 

Polarization is definitely a big issue. And it seems radicals on the left and on the right do their very best to make the polarization worse.

There was a time when many people had different opinion on different issues. I.e. someone could call himself conservative and at the same time support the right for abortion. And people had different opinions about climate change, electric cars, medical support, and many other issues.

Now people in the middle are attacked from left and right because they don't want to support the left in all issues or the right in all issues. Sad!

 

 

[JCauto]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Is there anything you could do at home without flying to a country far away?

At home you also share the culture with the other people over there. Understanding each other is much easier.

Do something for your community. Become a local leader. Inspire people.

 

Or do you just need a reason to fly to a country far away with beautiful girls? Look at me, I am an activist. 555! 

Sure, but I decided over 30 years ago that I was going to work towards social justice (there's a phrase you know!) in the Third World and tried to go to Africa to do so but they sent me to Thailand. Fool that I was, I delayed trying to reroute myself back to Africa but that was for naught. Then found myself in Thailand wondering how I could be so clueless.

But, like me, surely you're also someone who got an engineering degree and came over here, learned the language and worked with the local folks in rural Isarn, right? You read and write Thai like I do, correct? You never married a bargirl, yes? 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Sure, but I decided over 30 years ago that I was going to work towards social justice (there's a phrase you know!) in the Third World and tried to go to Africa to do so but they sent me to Thailand. Fool that I was, I delayed trying to reroute myself back to Africa but that was for naught. Then found myself in Thailand wondering how I could be so clueless.

But, like me, surely you're also someone who got an engineering degree and came over here, learned the language and worked with the local folks in rural Isarn, right? You read and write Thai like I do, correct? You never married a bargirl, yes? 

Please try to do something good in Africa. That continent is big enough that you should find your place over there, stay there, and I am sure they have also an English language forum. 

 

About myself: I am a computer specialist. I made enough money back home. I came to Thailand for all the pretty girls and the nice weather and all that. And, believe it or not, I started learning the Thai language, including reading and writing, before I moved to Thailand. 

I live in the middle of Bangkok, I don't like up country.

And about the girls? Cute brown Buriram girls are perfect. I like them, and a few others. But what's the point of marrying them?

[OneMoreFarang]

16 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Sure, but I decided over 30 years ago that I was going to work towards social justice (there's a phrase you know!) in the Third World and tried to go to Africa to do so but they sent me to Thailand. Fool that I was, I delayed trying to reroute myself back to Africa but that was for naught. Then found myself in Thailand wondering how I could be so clueless.

But, like me, surely you're also someone who got an engineering degree and came over here, learned the language and worked with the local folks in rural Isarn, right? You read and write Thai like I do, correct? You never married a bargirl, yes? 

And I almost forgot. I am also an activist. I support people in need. Especially if they are female, young, brown and cute. Buy now I guess I donated to those people in need already more than a million THB over the last decades. Yeah, look at me, I am an activist. ???? 

[Hummin]

27 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Polarization is definitely a big issue. And it seems radicals on the left and on the right do their very best to make the polarization worse.

There was a time when many people had different opinion on different issues. I.e. someone could call himself conservative and at the same time support the right for abortion. And people had different opinions about climate change, electric cars, medical support, and many other issues.

Now people in the middle are attacked from left and right because they don't want to support the left in all issues or the right in all issues. Sad!

 

 

In many cases or maybe most cases I see both parts views and can argue for more than one point of view, and often find myself in the middle.

 

Now I find the noise to loud, and more or less giving up voicing my views on clima, racism and feminism as all the other he, she, it, them, hen, they or whatever. 

 

It is just deleted distraction to keep us busy, and it evolves naturaly without almost any obvious control. People have to many uppertunities and to many choices, and most er angry because their wasted their chances. Social media gave all of them a voice, and here we go as we see today. 

 

Internet and Social media seems to kill the best time for the west ever, creating keyboard monsters with lost uppertunities and lost future that threats the democrazy

[JCauto]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And I almost forgot. I am also an activist. I support people in need. Especially if they are female, young, brown and cute. Buy now I guess I donated to those people in need already more than a million THB over the last decades. Yeah, look at me, I am an activist. ???? 

Yeah, yeah, look at you, paying girls who could be your grandchildren for sex, what an activist! This is another Conservative trait that I've observed; when seeing a "Lib" who is actually doing what they say they should do and dedicating their working life towards improving the planet, then make fun of it and attempt to coopt it because there's nothing that annoys them like people not living up to their negative preconceptions. The ol' Swiftboat manoeuvre, another part of the new Conservatism where there are no principles other than "winning" and "pishing off the Libs". 

For the record, there's nothing wrong with your choices to move to Thailand and become a sexpat and indeed I hope that the girls who put up with you are profiting fairly from the commercial exchanges you have. Good choices to learn the language and not to marry one, that's seldom something that works out. My chances for working in Africa are gone as I've worked entirely in Southeast Asia for over 30 years now so have some reasonable expertise to offer, language skills and have lots of work available. Sometimes the winds of fate take you where you didn't know you wanted to go.

[JCauto]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks. I was really waiting for your approval. Now I feel so much better.

 

Just in case someone asks: Is everybody who supports cute brown girls a sexpat?

Did you ever have sex with a not so rich girl or boy or whatever in SEA? Did you ever give them any money, i.e. to buy food or books or whatever makes you feel good? Does this make you a sexpat?

But then I guess they girls only sleep with you because they look up to you. He is such a nice guy and such a great activist. I admire him and want to be near him. 555

Just basing what I wrote on your response, where you mentioned setting up multiple girls, your preference for the ones from Buriram, your intentions to never marry but to continue to support your various paramours. As I said, that's your choice, nothing wrong with it. 

I have a wife I've been with for almost 30 years and have never regretted that decision. I don't hang out in the bars any more, although I used to, but I am not claiming sainthood. Sounds like you're feeling a bit sensitive about your lifestyle - understandable, I'm sure there's lots of chatter when you go back home, just ignore it. 

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, JCauto said:

But, like me, surely you're also someone who got an engineering degree and came over here, learned the language and worked with the local folks in rural Isarn, right? You read and write Thai like I do, correct? You never married a bargirl, yes? 

Engineering degree ........... check

Postgrad .......... check

Learned to read and write central Thai ...... check

Work with rural folk in Nakon Nowhere ......... not for anything.

 

But I have put two rural girls through high school and University using my own money.

Now working on high school for number three.

 

How much of your own money have you spent on Thai people?

Or are you just here working for the NGO wage and lifestyle? 

Gotta love the 'activists' that spend other people's money.

Edited November 25, 2022 by BritManToo