Worthy or unworthy?

What are we? Just an accident of nature (but then what is nature?) or is there some design and purpose behind the creation of life? Nobody knows!

And further to this conundrum I add that we human beings, generally, seem to be hell-bent on destroying the very environment that allowed all life to propagate.

I know I have written about this before but when it comes to understanding the “Tragedy of the Commons” it is well worth reiterating the facts. These “commons” are those resources which benefit all and that we all rely on, water (including those species that live in and on the water), the soil and the air. Free access and unrestricted demand for finite resources (minerals) ultimately reduces those resources through over exploitation. This exploitation occurs because of the financial benefits that accrue to individuals or groups, hence a desire to maximise the use of the finite resource without regard to the deleterious effects borne by all – even those unaware that such voracious exploitation is taking place.  

The fact that money appears to take precedent over what is best for all is pure greed. I am thinking particularly of the current, apparently intractable, divide between the political Left and Right and the socially unacceptable imbalance between the very wealthy and the vast numbers living in poverty, together with the deniers, generally those whose affiliated to Right-wing politics, who oppose political reform and who have an apparent inability or unwillingness to accept the we, humans, are destroying the very environment essential for survival.  

It would be well for all to reflect on the fact that all wealth – the economy that politicians love to invoke – is totally dependent on the air; the soil and water, both fresh and salt. Without these there would be nothing.  

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity––then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.” (David Suzuki)

I will now quote extracts from a speech attributed to Chief Seattle of the Suquamish and Duwamish people in what is now the State of Washington DC (though there is some dispute as to whether or not this was “ghost written” for him):- 

“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected ….. 

….This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected ….. 

….You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator. 

The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Contaminate your bed and you will one night suffocate in your own waste. ….

….Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the eagle? Gone. The end of living and the beginning of survival.”

And so it seems to be. The sea ice is retreating; the permafrost is melting; much of the World’s ground water is contaminated. Many millions of square kilometres of the land is now so degraded that huge quantities of chemical fertilizers are required to get anything to grow. Many square kilometres of cropped land is sprayed with insecticide and weed killer. Many millions of square kilometres of forested areas are burning in drought-ravaged areas. Many millions of tonnes of waste, of all types, now pollute the oceans. Many millions of tonnes of chemical and noxious gasses are polluting the very air we breathe. 

But all this is accepted because of money; because of the “need” to grow the economy; that same “economy” which only exists because of people whose very lives depend on clean air, unpolluted, productive land and unpolluted water.  

 Makes me wonder!

Is “Civil"-"isation” in jeopardy?

At this time of year when we wish for “Peace on Earth and goodwill to all”, I ask the question, “Is civilization as we know it in jeopardy?”

Today, December 23, 2018, trust is “missing in action”. Trust has been absent without leave – AWOL - for quite a while and trust is desperately needed. Right now. And trust is such a subjective, fragile thing. It cannot be bought or sold. It has to be earned.

Trust in governments; government trust in the electorate; trust in parliaments; trust in politicians; trust in financial organisations; trust in big business; trust in religious institutions; trust in all these, so vital for the smooth running of societies is no longer there. In consequence no one is considered trustworthy.

Trust evaporates when secrecy prevails, with closed meetings, and when cameras are banned from recording; trust evaporates when money takes precedent over humanity; trust evaporates when greed takes precedent over compassion; trust evaporates when veniality is condoned or simply ignored; trust evaporates when those in positions of power tell lies; trust evaporates when meaningless words -“spin”- take the place of policy action; trust evaporates when there is an attempt to indoctrinate with lifeless words.

People – the populous – citizens (the “civitas”) are not stupid. For any leader to consider them as such is a massive mistake. For any leader, anywhere to ignore the will of the people is to do so at their peril. The old saying, “even the worm turns” is very true.

The answer, in my view, is very simple – just treat people, others, the way you would like to be treated. It is an ethical thing.  That is what a “civil” society is based on. That is what “civilisation” is based on. Being “civil” to each other. No matter what colour or creed the “other” may be. All are Human Beings.  That is why it's called the "Golden Rule". 

Is that so difficult?

Oh! And Merry Christmas.

America

Below is copied, from a book of Max Ehrmann’s poems, a piece called “America” that I believe should resonate with the many wonderful people in the USA. But remember that this was written early last century – I believe sometime before 1910. But what has changed?

America

Lincoln, rise up from out thy tomb today,

Thou lover of the lives of common men,

America has work for thee again.

Here women want in sight of wealth’s display,

Man grinds his brother down and holds sway

As in the times of bloody lash and den,

Save now the flesh is white, not black as then.

In toiling holes young girls grow old, decay.

Though thou art dead, could but thy soul return

In one who loved his fellow-men as thou;

Instead of greed that we might justice learn,

Love character in place of gold as now,

Write far across our native land’s sweet soil,

“Here none shall live upon another’s toil!”

An alternative view of capitalism.

Having grown up and lived all my life within a Democratic, Capitalist System I know no other and am the beneficiary of the System in many respects but this does not mean that I am blind to its faults. Not at all! As my one loyal reader has pointed out there is much in a capitalist system that creates injustice – great disparities in income between the “rich” and “poor”, for instance. And greed. While greed is certainly not confined to the capitalist system it seems to offer greater opportunities – just recall the antics of Wall Street brokers and financiers in 2008. This was just pure greed – and look what happened! Millions of people forced out of work; millions of people forced out of their homes as (greedy) banks and mortgage providers foreclosed loans.

Then there is the globalisation of Capitalism. This is where my one loyal reader is greatly puzzled. Why, he asks, should Australians, as an example, be paying more for their bread just because there have been poor wheat harvests in Russia, Ukraine and the USA forcing world wheat prices to record levels? There is (currently) no shortage of wheat in Australia. There is (currently) no drought in Australia.

I agree. Our Australian (domestic) wheat price should not be set by financiers in Chicago or where-ever.

I know I will be told that the “free market” will set the price and that it will all balance out in the end. But the thing is that the market is not “free” and it never has been. Many American farmers receive subsidies; French farmers are paid not to plant crops; the Chinese Government keeps the value of the Yuan artificially low to encourage exports; God knows what the Russians and Ukrainians do but I am sure it is not strictly legal; dumping products (selling produce at below cost) happens world-wide; subsidies and other currency manipulations are common throughout the world and distort the “free” market. So the “free market” is not free at all.  

The same argument applies to the general price of any food product. It is never that there is an actual world-wide shortage of food. It is just that we waste so much and store so much that food is not available where it is needed most – mainly sub-Saharan Africa.

Food is often stored – removed from sale – by unscrupulous (greedy) “free-marketers” who will keep the food until the price has increased to a level that they feel is appropriate. This is wrong! To withhold food from starving people because the price is not high enough is immoral, appalling and plain wrong! Food is a basic human right and should never be withheld. To withhold food because some poor people cannot pay the price demanded is obscene.

This happens in a “free market”. This is “allowed” by the Capitalist system but still does not make it “right”.

Ethics, Big Banks, the Catholic Church and big Pharma – what ethics?

Oh boy! What a week this has been for the public exposure of unethical practice, fraud, total disregard for the welfare of human beings, pure unadulterated greed and moral bankruptcy.

Whistleblowers have done their good work again!! Greg Thorpe and Blair Hamrick – their names should be written in gold for exposing the unethical practices and fraud in the US division of the giant British based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKiline (GSK). This big-Pharma is now $3 billion (repeat billion) poorer after being fined for healthcare fraud in the US.

It would appear, again, that “insider information” – in other words whistleblowers, alerted the authorities in the UK about the Barclays Bank fraud and corrupt practices (manipulating the benchmark London Interbank Offer Rate, known as LIBOR) which has resulted in the bank being charged with a $400 million fine.

Then  there is the Catholic Church and its outrageous conduct regarding the cover-up of priestly paedophilia (that is a real oxymoron if ever there was one!).

From a psychological point of view it is known that when many people gather together to share one common emotive experience (or organizational culture) the level of consciousness experienced will be well below what would be expected of individuals in a similar situation – just look at football crowds where “mob rule” seems to apply. Mixing with and being influenced by the wrong crowd or “bad company” is a well-known phenomenon. In other words take an individual out of that particular group situation and he or she will behave quite differently. Most parents will identify with this.

Many large organisations arrange group training, or bonding sessions for new staff to be indoctrinated into the “culture” of that particular organisation – boot camps are used for similar purposes.  In these sessions “conformity” is the rule – whatever you do must be the group way, must be the company way.  A person often yields to group pressure because they want to fit in with the group or they may conform because of fear of rejection by the group. This means adopting the culture – the “social” norms of the group (or organisation).

In group or organisational situations, by doing what everyone else is doing, an individual generally feels no responsibility and also no fear. There is anonymity and a safety in numbers.

The first casualty in these situations is ethics.

In the case of GSK (above) not only did the company commit fraud but they placed the lives of millions of people at risk by deliberately promoting the use of their drugs for unauthorised purposes – uses not approved by the Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) and they also committed fraud by over-charging. In this case greed (commissions) and profits took precedence over the lives and well-being of vulnerable people - the very people the drugs were designed to help. Another thing – aren’t these drugs called “ethical drugs” because they need a doctor’s prescription to be administered? In this case it is another oxymoron!

This appalling behaviour is not only immoral but is also unethical. By engaging in such behaviour GSK has not only damaged its “brand” but also, crucially, trust. Consumers of the GSK products (and those of other similar companies) will now have, justifiably, an element of doubt about the efficacy of the drugs they use.

Similarly greed (commissions), profits and maintaining shareholder dividends would all have featured in Barclays Bank’s extraordinary and outrageous conduct in colluding with other banks in manipulating the LIBOR. Barclays is guilty, with other banks, of collusion, of corruption, of veniality and grossly unethical conduct. Obviously “Group Think” took hold and like sheep those guilty of the manipulation complied with the attitudes of the group without an apparent care in the world.

No wonder I and others “bash” banks. They deserve everything that is thrown at them! Their “culture” of profits before service to their customers is a continual complaint of mine. Again, not only has Barclays activity damaged its “brand” but also weakened whatever trust people may have had in Barclays, in particular, and banks generally. The old Australian saying that ‘banks are bastards’ would seem to be holding up quite well!!

Then there is the Catholic Church – what a mess. It is rotten to its core and needs a clean out from the top down! Paedophilia is an abhorrent practice that damages the most vulnerable of all – children. Didn’t Jesus say “Suffer little children to come unto me”? Isn’t it a Christian Commandment that “Thou shalt not covert”? Isn’t it a Christian Commandment that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”? Isn’t it a Christian Commandment that “Thou shalt not bear false witness”?

The Catholic Church leadership has broken every rule in the Book (the Bible) and ignored secular law by allowing these awful people to remain in the Church and worst of all, allowing them to go unpunished. Paedophiles need to be tried and convicted by a court of law – not an in camera church organised “enquiry” set up to protect its “image”! By condoning paedophilia within the ranks of its priesthood the Catholic Church is breaking the Commandments of the very Man, the Son of God, whom it professes to follow. No wonder Church attendances are falling!

Large organisations without exception have Codes of Ethics so I am sure GSK and Barclays have theirs. The Catholic Church has the Bible which should be even better. But unless ethics comes from the heart it becomes a disposable item – “use it if you feel like it” sort of thing.

Ethics is very simple really. Always treat other people the way you would like to be treated AND if everyone did what you are doing or propose to do, would the World be a better place? If you cannot answer both in the affirmative then you are not being ethical.

The Goose with the golden eggs

I have said this before, but I wonder at the fact that people never seem to learn from the past. We seem to have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to our relationships with others and our ethical conduct.

I am particularly commenting on the ABC TV Four Corners programme screen this evening (27th July) about the education college scam.

Some 3000 years ago in Greece a freed slave called Aesop collated hundreds of wise and pithy comments saying and stories which have come down to us as Aesop's Fables. They are as true today as they were then - human nature does not seem to have changed a bit does it?


Aesop’s fable (CIV)

The goose with the golden eggs


Their was once a man who was lucky enough to own a goose that laid him a golden egg every day. However, since the process was so slow and since he wanted the entire treasure at once, he became dissatisfied and eventually killed the goose. After cutting her open, he found her to be just what any other goose would be.

Moral:- The more you want the more you stand to lose