It's sickening

[DD86]

It’s sickening!

 

When you look at all the events in the world, you wonder what a bunch of idiots are doing to bring the world to hell.
Examples abound from the past where we may or may not have been informed correctly, but were told it was. This still happens in this day and age and time and time again we fall for it as gullible citizens on the assumption that Father State will arrange it all well for us.
Well, forget it because for decades the elites have been bending the world to their will at the expense of the citizens; the sheep. However, my post is not so much about this, although in fact politics seeps into all matters.

 

I want to talk about the lack of empathy in people, be they consumers, producers or politicians. People in general mainly look at what suits them best; so egoism. This manifests itself in many different cases, from small to large, from a white lie to outright deceit.
We all know it and it goes too far to list everything.
But now take a closer look at a few things. The burning of household waste and the fields after the harvest, the producers who apparently deliberately use wrong ingredients in their products or producers who know that what they sell is simply not acceptable. A simple example of the latter is all that deep-fried trade on the local markets, deep-fried in oil that has been finished in such a way that a diesel engine is not served by it. Sugar lavished in almost all dishes; sugar, the fuel for cancer cells.
Ok then, it largely lies with the consumer who simply wants to have/buy those products.

 

Or take specifically the people who, together with many others, ensure that air pollution is maintained. These are not only the arsonists themselves, but also the politicians and the police who look away with pleasure. The victims, the sheep, are powerless for whatever reason to do anything about this.
In fact, all offenders must be pilloried, literally or figuratively. What they are doing is actually a premeditated crime against humanity.
The result of their criminal actions is that many become ill and can lead to serious problems in the longer term, even leading to death.
Are those criminal people really that selfishly stupid? I am also of the opinion that this certainly does not belong to the Buddhist ideology.

 

 

 

 

 

[MrJ2U]

Absolutely nothing you can do. 

[OneMoreFarang]

23 minutes ago, DD86 said:

Ok then, it largely lies with the consumer who simply wants to have/buy those products.

That's the problem!

Many consumers have the choice between fresh food and processed food. With lots of sugar and salt or not so much. Sugary drinks or water, etc.

Lots of people make bad choices. And even if there are labels and warnings and experts who tell them what is healthy and what not, people still eat and drink lots of unhealthy things.

 

Most people are not smart. And most people don't want to listen and learn. So what do smart people do? Do they try to explain to the not so smart what they should do and fail with that message? Or do they sell to the stupid people what they want? And the stupid people are happy. 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

I would note these problems are much less so in wealthier countries such as Australia.

People call it a nanny state but a nanny who stops pollution, has rules about food etc, sounds good to me. 

It has one of those decisions I suppose you have to make assuming you come from a western country  - enjoy the country you are in for what it is or be possibly less happy in a western country but be able to believe a bit more in it's government accountability and fairness. 

[zzaa09]

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That's the problem!

Many consumers have the choice between fresh food and processed food. With lots of sugar and salt or not so much. Sugary drinks or water, etc.

Lots of people make bad choices. And even if there are labels and warnings and experts who tell them what is healthy and what not, people still eat and drink lots of unhealthy things.

 

Most people are not smart. And most people don't want to listen and learn. So what do smart people do? Do they try to explain to the not so smart what they should do and fail with that message? Or do they sell to the stupid people what they want? And the stupid people are happy. 

The dumbing down practices appear to be the rule. 

Accepted.

[soalbundy]

This isn't new, as far as pollution and disregard of human rights and suffering goes one could say its hay day was at the start of the industrial revolution and before that things weren't particularly rosy either, the peasants revolt in 1381 shows how catastrophic life was for the ordinary person. Things have actually got a lot better. What has changed is our access to information, we are overloaded with information and disinformation.

Our overlords aren't any more corrupt or stupid than in the past it's just that we get to know about it in real time. Indoctrination has become easier for the state and industry and the sheep all over the world are easily led, willingly almost, there is no political party, religion or philosophy be they so idiotic, that doesn't have its fanatical followers (see especially America in this respect, it's almost difficult to realize that they do have sensible people there). Patriotism, religion, fear and bigotry are the 4 pillars of control that make up our prison but it has never been so easy to see through them for what they are, self imposed illusions, it's up to you as an individual to ignore them.

[sherwood]

I understand where you are coming from OP and I also understand I have zero chance of making a difference, sad but true.

I live in Thailand and yep it's a dump, for the time being this is home.

[rose33]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I would note these problems are much less so in wealthier countries such as Australia.

People call it a nanny state but a nanny who stops pollution, has rules about food etc, sounds good to me. 

It has one of those decisions I suppose you have to make assuming you come from a western country  - enjoy the country you are in for what it is or be possibly less happy in a western country but be able to believe a bit more in it's government accountability and fairness. 

"The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

 

Back in Oz now, with immense gratitude for so many things here that I had previously taken for granted ????☮️????. 

 

[Lee65]

1 hour ago, sherwood said:

I have zero chance of making a difference

Help or even just be kind to someone  - or do something useful - and you will have made a difference.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Lee65

[simon43]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That's the problem!

Many consumers have the choice between fresh food and processed food. With lots of sugar and salt or not so much. Sugary drinks or water, etc.

Lots of people make bad choices. And even if there are labels and warnings and experts who tell them what is healthy and what not, people still eat and drink lots of unhealthy things.

---

^^^ This....

 

I'm in the UK for the past couple of months.  I see TV programmes about the cost of food and how people can't afford to eat healthy foods, so they eat processed krap instead and end up fat and unhealthy.  Well, when I compare the cost of fresh, healthy foods (salads, fruit, muesli cereal etc) with the processed krap in my local supermarket, lo and behold the processed krap is more expensive than the healthy foods!

 

People are addicted to sugar and flavourings.  The food manufacturers know this.  They also know that the vast majority of the population has little will-power or self-control to avoid easting the krap.  They seem happy to to get fat, unhealthy and to die in their 60s from diabetes, strokes and heart disease.

 

You can't fix stupid...

[1FinickyOne]

You should post about this on this forum...

 

That will show them..

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

This isn't new, as far as pollution and disregard of human rights and suffering goes one could say its hay day was at the start of the industrial revolution and before that things weren't particularly rosy either, the peasants revolt in 1381 shows how catastrophic life was for the ordinary person. Things have actually got a lot better.

The problem is that it is a lot easier to have a peasant's revolt when it is the case that the middle/upper class are exploiting the working class.  What you have in Thailand is everyone at it at all levels.  Thai people would essentially have to revolt against themselves.

 

Many Thai people complain, but the change that would need to be brought about to address these problems would be change that many Thais would not want to see, as it would make things more difficult for them as well.

 

Possibly things might change as the current youth matures, but it seems that cheating, copying, no-fail, and no consequences are still pretty popular in schools.

[Screaming]

2 hours ago, sherwood said:

I understand where you are coming from OP and I also understand I have zero chance of making a difference, sad but true.

I live in Thailand and yep it's a dump, for the time being this is home.

So true Sherwood, I have tried so hard in the past to make a difference in Thailand but to no avail. I'm with you, Thailand is certainly a dump, but its home until I leave.

[FritsSikkink]

Jeez, bored to death. shouldn't' have read this.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

You think too much...thai response

 

courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know the difference--AA response

 

pass the sangsom--MY response

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

The problem is that it is a lot easier to have a peasant's revolt when it is the case that the middle/upper class are exploiting the working class.  What you have in Thailand is everyone at it at all levels.  Thai people would essentially have to revolt against themselves.

 

Many Thai people complain, but the change that would need to be brought about to address these problems would be change that many Thais would not want to see, as it would make things more difficult for them as well.

 

Possibly things might change as the current youth matures, but it seems that cheating, copying, no-fail, and no consequences are still pretty popular in schools.

I can agree with you only to a certain extent because corruption in Thailand is almost innocent in its openness, as you say, everyone is at it, it's like a national sport. Of course it is harmful to society as a whole but in most cases it isn't done to crush and harm, in 90% of cases the harm done isn't excessive compared to the overall sum involved. It even has a certain charm about it, the official may open his left hand for the tea money and then open is right hand with an engaging smile as if to say, "OK that was the bribe but what about the Bakschisch".

 

The government purse is, like everywhere else, normally the target. I used to live in Bavaria, Germany, the minister president of the state/county was Franz Joseph Strauss, a firebrand of a businessman/politician who was regarded as a bit of a scoundrel on the quiet. He once said that a little alcohol (what he meant was corruption) kept the wheels of industry turning, he turned the state of Bavaria from an agricultural economy to the richest industrial area of Germany, when he died he was given what looked like a princely state funeral.

Thailand, compared to its immediate neighbours, is doing rather well, the people are generally happy and one doesn't see abject poverty, there is no state terror as in Mayanmar, things roll along with slow progress despite hypocrisy and corruption, they have arranged themselves with the middle way, not too white and not too black, I rather like it the way it is. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by soalbundy

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/11/2023 at 1:17 AM, soalbundy said:

Indoctrination has become easier for the state and industry and the sheep all over the world are easily led, willingly almost, there is no political party, religion or philosophy be they so idiotic, that doesn't have its fanatical followers (see especially America in this respect, it's almost difficult to realize that they do have sensible people there). Patriotism, religion, fear and bigotry are the 4 pillars of control that make up our prison but it has never been so easy to see through them for what they are, self imposed illusions, it's up to you as an individual to ignore them.

Oh so true.

 

People in western countries have no excuse as all went to school ( or at least had the opportunity ), but still engage in bad practices.

 

The Romans perfected divide and rule and it's been used ever since to control the mob. Only difference between us and the Roman mob IMO is that we exchanged simulated death in media for real death in the circus.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:29 AM, simon43 said:

People are addicted to sugar and flavourings.  The food manufacturers know this. 

I certainly was. I loved sugar in all its guises, and I ate mountains of it till I had to stop. If I was able to would I eat loads and loads of the stuff again, of course I would.

The Arabs used to think that honey ( sugar ) was a gift from God, but they never envisioned commercial amounts of sugar that is making so many diabetic and rotting their children's teeth.

[Goat]

On 4/10/2023 at 6:58 PM, DD86 said:

for decades the elites have been bending the world to their will

And we will continue to do so. 

But we also do a lot of good also.

[swissie]

No matter what political system mankind lives in. There is always an "Elite" forming. (Even in old Communism). Accumulating a nations wealth in no time at all. As far as as our written history goes back, it has always been that way. Until today.

To summarise: "Man is mans wolf".     "The freedom of the wolfes is the death of the lambs".

Or, according to my 2 Thai stepdaughters: No matter who is in power, we still have to go to work every day.

[StreetCowboy]

The internet is a great tool for control.  People can vent their spleen about the injustices of the world, and think that they have done their bit.

Back in the day, we had to consider whether it was nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up arms, and by opposing, end them.  Now, we can pretend that a bit of bleating is the same as a sheepdog’s barking.

[John Drake]

On 4/10/2023 at 7:02 PM, MrJ2U said:

Absolutely nothing you can do. 

Turn off the TV and read some books instead.

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Turn off the TV and read some books instead.

I've got a Kindle. 

 

But I've also got two younger children. 

[ravip]

"I want to talk about the lack of empathy in people..."

 

Today, this seems to be the norm, Internationally. It is not localized to one country or a region. Best examples are The Big Pharma, Health Sector, Multi Nationals. The damage and the suffering they cause all over is unimaginable.

[transam]

I think the OP is talking about our modern times progress..............????

[HappyExpat57]

On 4/10/2023 at 8:17 PM, soalbundy said:

This isn't new, as far as pollution and disregard of human rights and suffering goes one could say its hay day was at the start of the industrial revolution and before that things weren't particularly rosy either, the peasants revolt in 1381 shows how catastrophic life was for the ordinary person. Things have actually got a lot better. What has changed is our access to information, we are overloaded with information and disinformation.

Our overlords aren't any more corrupt or stupid than in the past it's just that we get to know about it in real time. Indoctrination has become easier for the state and industry and the sheep all over the world are easily led, willingly almost, there is no political party, religion or philosophy be they so idiotic, that doesn't have its fanatical followers (see especially America in this respect, it's almost difficult to realize that they do have sensible people there). Patriotism, religion, fear and bigotry are the 4 pillars of control that make up our prison but it has never been so easy to see through them for what they are, self imposed illusions, it's up to you as an individual to ignore them.

I'd disagree that it's always been this way. In the 1950's, in the US, a man could have a basic job (my dad delivered milk to homes) and still afford a stay-at-home wife, a house, and to send his kids to private school. The Teamsters Union was very powerful, mostly honest, and everyone profited. These circumstances created the greatest economy this planet has ever seen. Bridges/roads were build, healthcare was available to most - hell, we even sent a man to the moon. Reasonable corporate management pay was the norm.

 

Enter corporate greed. That shameful "Raw Knee Ray Gun" bullsh!t of trickle down economics and union busting started to corrode the system. More and more, profits over people became the word of the day.

 

This was SUPPOSED to be the golden age of The Jetsons. We are on the verge of flying cars, technology is performing menial jobs. There are now McDonald's restaurants with NO EMPLOYEES. There are enough resources on this planet to give everyone the basic necessities of food, housing and healthcare. Corporate greed has literally gone off the scale and those at the bottom of the human social ladder are dying of starvation and/or thirst.

 

Something's gotta give. As a species, this is not sustainable.

[talahtnut]

The relentless fearmongering often resorts to propagating

outright fabrications which are then replicated ad nauseum

as hard facts. Repetition turns these fabrications into

culturally accepted truths. Our enemy is in fact a handful of occult

oligarchs that have bought and own the Western governments

and their news medias. Constant wars ensure poverty, loss of

human rights, loss of free speech, loss of dissent, and eventual

slavery.

Edited April 17, 2023 by talahtnut
missed a 'p'