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The Forum > Article Comments > Choosing between life and lifestyle > Comments

Choosing between life and lifestyle : Comments

By Peter McMahon, published 30/4/2007

Our lifestyles have become increasingly absurd: growing mental illness, poor health, social alienation, and now environmental catastrophe.

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Dear Friends,

The views of the original author must be respected. These are times of great concern worldwide as the critical problems facing humanity mount up. And it is quite understandable that there should be calls for us to look for new solutions. But we must look for the fundamental underlying reasons for them and not just look on the surface at the symptoms. In the quest for solutions it is essential to have a hopeful perspective on the future. Cynicism is just going to add to the problems. Sure, there is going to be short term pain, it may even get much worse. But as solutions appear the prospects for a long term future for all human beings become ever brighter. We must not allow ourselves to think that humanity may slide into barbarism. This is defeatism of the very worst kind. We have to have faith in the human spirit to rise to the challenges. These are not utopian solutions. We are capable of coming up with a global order that is much, much better than the present one. The present world order may have previously been ok , but it is hopelessly out of touch with the needs of this age. We live in a global age and we must search out global solutions. This requires a radical change in human perspectives, away from the narrower loyalties of the past, political, national, racial, etc, and the adoption whole heartedly of global perspectives based on humanity as one race inhabiting the surface of one small and fragile planet. Here is the fundamental cause of all our problems. It requires a new paradigm shift in the human mind and heart. It is possible, just as it has occured in the past as humans moved from tribe to city to nation. Overall, each such move was in the direction of greater human unity. Each posed challenges and the surmounting of difficulties. The only difference in this age is the global scope of the issues to be addressed.
I repeat, the long term future of humanity is very bright.
GRN
Posted by G R, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 10:24:56 AM
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Interesting about that Lessing story Clink, will have to look it up. You might like ..
Religion and Peak Oil: The City of Progress by John Michael Greer
http://www.energybulletin.net/29177.html

I increasingly think rational plans of action are snowflakes on Bondi, given the superficiality and freq. error that our supposedly rational minds deal in. What we need are some benign cults (ie. not the Moonies, christian 'prosperity gospel' or economic rationalism) that incorporate a much restored sense of responsibility for what we owe the world and all that does or may live in it.
Posted by Liam, Thursday, 3 May 2007 6:06:16 PM
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Required is a new paradigm shift in the human mind and heart of politicians, for it is politicians who need faith in the human mind and heart of voters.

Present mock debates amongst politicians taking sides for the sake of being different rather than any real commitment or belief in any need for difference.

Long heated political debates ignoring the voters, all so as to leave decisions to these parties, leave decisions to these our elected representatives.

Ideologically so different and so same, politicans believed voters not knowing or understanding issues to make a decision on whether or not to sell Telstra;

Ideologically so different and so same, politicans believed voters not knowing or understanding issues to make a decision on whether or not to be involved in Iraq, Timor, Vietnam...

Ideologically so different and so same, politicans believe voters do not know or understand issues to make a decicion on whether we develop nuclear power stations in Australia.

The only solution in minds of politicians is "vote and elect me to decide for you" Even the Democrats are drifting down this path, perhaps as result into some minamilist oblivion.

Australia's Constitution only requires one house of Parliament to vote in favour of a Section 128 Constitutional Referenda, so a single House can let voters decide on an issue. [OK the single House may need vote on it a couple of time, but one determined House can send a bill to the voters.]

For this would open the floodgate to popular involvement in self-government...
Posted by polpak, Friday, 4 May 2007 12:31:55 PM
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Liam, the title is "Report on the threatened city" published 1971 in a book of short stories. Here's a short extract.

"‘The trouble with this species is not that it is unable to forecast its immediate future; it is that it doesn’t seem to care. Yet that is altogether too simple a stating of its condition. If it were so simple – that it knew that within five years its city was to be destroyed, or partly destroyed, and that it was indifferent – we should have to say: This species lacks the first quality necessary to any animal species; it lacks the will to live.’

The problem, for the extra-terrestrials is working out why this is so. They conclude, with mounting horror, that among human beings ‘Fear is not experienced, or not in a way that is useful for protecting society or the individual. No one sees these facts, because all the sets of words that describe behaviour are in contrast to the facts. The official sets of words are all to do with protection of oneself and others, caution about the future, pity and compassion for others’ – but the reality is that human actions simply don’t bear it out. The visitors retreat in despair: ‘We have been able to achieve nothing…There is no species like this one on any other planet known to us’."
Posted by clink, Friday, 4 May 2007 2:16:04 PM
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McMahon is kidding himself if he believes changes in western society would make any difference to climate change. The awakening economic giants of China and India are about to dwarf the West and no matter what we do it will be negated by those two countries; both of which are not signatories to the flaccid and useless Kyoto Protocol.

So are we doomed? Who cares? History graphically shows that all civilisations rise and then fall. Modern civilisation will crash and burn. I, for one, couldn’t care less whether it happens tomorrow or next century. After all, the meaning of life is death.
Posted by minotaur, Saturday, 5 May 2007 12:15:22 PM
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"...a new paradigm shift in the human mind and heart of politicians, for it is politicians who need faith in the human mind and heart of voters. "

Well said polpak... comments like this give me the strength and heart to engage in this forum. Thank You polpak!

A gift polpak - for our hearts and mind, may we ALL show strength for the people on the street right now..

http://www.miacat.com/ART_Hope_IRAQ.html

And if only we truely had a ...House that aimed to include the popular involvement in self-government...

I think "self-government" needs re-explaining as individuals don't seem to understand we are talking about them as well as their governments in politic's...

Power comes from the Bottom right?

ie: The politics of everyday life has been blunted as something else. Pity.

Perhaps it will change...eventually eh?
.
Posted by miacat, Sunday, 6 May 2007 12:53:23 AM
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