tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post5972869749320839364..comments2024-03-29T04:06:37.402-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: A Faustian Bargain?Stuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-51467415675824821802014-12-30T17:10:11.542-08:002014-12-30T17:10:11.542-08:00I find it hard to believe that atheism is ascendan...I find it hard to believe that atheism is ascendant. If it is, it won't be for long, as liberals/atheists are highly unlikely to reproduce. <br /><br />Don't believe me? Consider the following scores so far:<br /><br />Mitt Romney, 18<br />Bill Clinton, 1<br /><br />Michelle Duggar, 19<br />Sandra Fluke, 0<br /><br />Need I say more?sestamibinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-74906909297470965962014-12-28T11:45:36.754-08:002014-12-28T11:45:36.754-08:00The normalization of behaviors and policies that d...The normalization of behaviors and policies that denigrate individual dignity and devalue human life is evidence that we are approaching a dysfunctional convergence. Perhaps an inevitable conclusion for every civilization as it adopts an atheist faith (i.e. narcissistic) and a libertine religion. A progressive dissociation of risk only diversifies and accelerates the convergence. The corruption of both the top and bottom of society, thereby squeezing the productive middle, reduces any opportunity to avoid this fate.<br /><br />There are other societies that are further progressed, which may serve as canaries in the wild, while we hide our psychopathy in the privacy of a clinic.<br /><br />That said, while the social misalignment and inertia are enormous and progressive, the dysfunctional convergence will likely be caused by liberal spending habits, as well as an accumulating inertia in the nearly 20 trillion dollar and growing debt. Either the financial bubble will burst, and take out many of the world's economies, or we will struggle to overcome a seemingly insurmountable wave. We may need another world war to reset our current trajectory.n.nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04252447117532342957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-54979674165509905972014-12-28T09:00:56.598-08:002014-12-28T09:00:56.598-08:00I much agree with this collective prognosis and in...I much agree with this collective prognosis and individual prescription for ethics and relationships. But what does this really look like? <br /><br />The problem would seem to come down to abdicating personal responsibility, allowing our attention to focus on access to money by any means.<br /><br />I think of a 20 year old quote from Wendell Berry's prescription for saving rural culture.<br />-------<br />... If we think this task of rebuilding local economics as one large task that must be done in a hurry, then we will again be overwhelmed and will want government to do it. If, on the other hand, we define the task as beginning the reformation of our private or household economies, then the way is plain. What we must do is use well the considerable power we have as consumers: the power of choice. We can choose to buy or not to buy, and we can choose what to buy. The standard by which we choose must be the health of the community - and by that we must mean the whole community: ourselves, the place where we live, and all the humans and other creatures who live there with us. In a healthy community, people will be richer in their neighbors, in neighborhood, in the health and pleasure of neighborhood, than in their bank accounts. It is better, therefore, even if the cost is greater, to buy from a small, privately owned local store than from a chain store. It is better to buy a good product than a bad one. Do not buy anything you don't need. Do as much as you can for yourself. If you cannot do something for yourself, see if you have a neighbor who can do it for you. Do everything you can to see that your money stays as long as possible in the local community. If you have money to invest, try to invest it locally, both to help the local economy and to keep from helping the larger economy that is destroying local communities. Begin to ask yourself how your money could be put at minimal interest into the hands of a young person who wants to start a farm, a store, a shop, or a small business that the community needs. The agenda can be followed by individuals and single families. If it is followed by people in groups - churches, conservation organizations, neighborhood associations, groups of small farmers, and the like - the possibilities multiply and the effects will be larger.<br />-----<br /><br />Berry offered his suggestion as a sort of desperate position of "what do we really need to do to get the world we think we want?" But the reality of complex society is everything is interconnected and its nearly impossible to identify the "ideal" boundaries to fight for local autonomy over central government or corporate powers who can offer high short term rewards for compliance.<br /><br />If I thought things could continue, that the positive we know now would always be with us, most namely individual freedoms, and a promise that hard work is nearly always rewarded, I admit I'd be tempted not to rock the boat, and play an honest game.<br /><br />But that shows some of the problem. What is "ethical conduct" in a world where hype and selling yourself to the highest bidder is the path to financial success? And what are "improved personal relationships" when we're too distracted by technological toys to take the time?<br /><br />But the trick is it might be impossible for us to live in a world of integity now. That is to say, you have to accept there is a zero-sum game going on now, and even if you can afford integrity, you'll be dealing with others who can't, honest or dishonest thieves who believe they are acting to provide for their family.<br /><br />Or like the Sinclair Upton quote:<br />"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."<br /><br />So the Faustian Bargain means we benefit now from corruption, and there's no way around that, and things will fall apart because of that, so somehow we have to be able to "afford" to not always take the cheapest route to our success, because that hides our future vulnerability when things break.<br />Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.com