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December 30, 2003
A society in turmoil?
Reading through the posts on "An Englishman's Castle", a fellow countryman's blog, I am struck again by the feeling that we live in a society which is so torn apart by the politically correct and their psuedo-scientific and anthropological claptrap, that we are teetering on the verge of falling into the abyss! The rise of demands for "separate cultures" is being fuelled by a lobby who are more vocal than informed. Think carefully, these are the same people who, ten years ago were waving placards demanding the end of "apartheid". I wonder if any of them realise that this Afrikaans word means "Separate"? Somehow I doubt it.
An Englishman's Castle reminded me of the Afro-American Nationalist movement, no doubt spawned out of frustration with the injustice of some sections of society, which even gave rise to the creation of alternate feasts, welcomed by the liberal press, such as Kwanzaa. . I suggest anyone who even gives this passing thought as a legitimate concept (and there are those in the UK who think it should be!) would do well to read this post, under the title Why I won't be celebrating Kwanzaa"".
In similar vein, I wonder at the thinking which underlies the shibboleth that has crept into use in our legal system, that proclaims it is founded on the principle that "better ten guilty men go free than one innocent person be convicted." No legal system, and especially the English legal system has ever been founded on such idiocy! This is a canard that has crept in since 1945 and is now rigorously promoted by the bleeding heart faction that would rather see murderers (unless, of course, they happen to be householders defending their property!) given community service than be locked away for life.
This crosses over into the whole ethos of "civil disobedience" by the vociferous minorities who always seem to have some axe to grind, usually at your and my expense. These people seem to have immunity from the penalties of breaking the law that apply to anyone else. Ergo, on the flimsiest of psuedo-scientific halfbaked theory, they are able to rampage across the countryside destroying crops "to protect" the countryside! The fact that most of them haven't the faintest idea of the science underlying anything at all, let alone the sheer hardwork that the farmer has to commit too in order to raise anything at all, doesn't seem to enter into the argument. Then you get idiots in the legal system who find them guilty of willful damage, and then commend them for their "public spirit"!
Other examples abound. Greenpeace's outright fabrication of figures to prevent the Brent Spar oil mooring and storage facility being sunk in a deep trench mid-Atlantic - which resulted in a hugely expensive and far more polluting dismantling ashore. We will live with the cionsequences of that for generations, but the safe alternative of sinking it, with all the naturally radio-active mud that came originally from the seabed still on board instead of having to extract it and expose workers to that and the other toxic material in it - all of it natural. The claims of thousands of tons of oil still being aboard they have now admitted were false - but only in small print on the back page of a newspaper.
Friend's of the Earth are at it as well, with the example of the so-called "Ghost Fleet" as a good case in point. Again, the hype of "thousands of tons" of "toxic" waste aboard, was trotted out on the flimsiest of information. Again, the mass media promoted the lies. I doubt we will ever hear the truth of this one, but I am inclined to believe the official estimates that put the amounts of harmful waste materials at under a hundred tons for the lot.
Any society which allows itself to be gulled into bending the rules for those who, no doubt believing they have a good cause, flout the laws which bind a society together, is in danger of having its legal system fall into total disrepute. This is already the case when it comes to burglary, the law apparently regards my property as a "cash and carry" outlet for any enterprising burglar who cares to break in and help himself. "Property" crime is not apparently seen as meriting police time. Just don't get caught driving your car 5 mph over the speed limit!
Posted by The Gray Monk at December 30, 2003 12:32 PM
Comments
Thanks for the mention - what an excellent analysis you have done.
Happy New Year.
Posted by: Tim at December 30, 2003 01:36 PM
The ghost fleet problem is more of "not in my backyard" syndrome. What makes me laugh is that most of the people opposed to it being done in the UK have no problem with it being done in some 3rd world country. But in a 3rd world country safety protocals wouldn't be followed, disposal of the hazmat wouldn't meet the U.S.'s EPA requirements, so it would harm the earth more. That is why America is paying more money to have it properly done in the U.K. instead of Costa Rica.
Posted by: Matthew at January 1, 2004 01:00 AM
Yep, a definite NIMBY award for this one. Don't forget that many of those kicking up about it are unemployed ex-shipyard workers or ex-miners (unemployed!) who don't want to have to go back to work if the yards reopen!
Posted by: The Gray Monk at January 3, 2004 12:02 AM