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Uplift · 05-06-2007, 12:49 AM

Interesting thoughts Dastrovia. I can only speak for myself. As I look around, and honestly assess the present, overall, state of the world, I feel that we definitely need to seriously think about what we are doing, and thinking...where we are heading. What we need as a whole, to thrive and be happy. What are we passing on to future generations?
I don't like to dwell on negatives, but see the value in honestly assessing things, so that I can keep moving in the right direction. I agree with you. I wonder about, and question our western values and ideals, including concepts like Alpha, competition, progress and success, and our slant on them.
Despite selling and promoting itself as the ideal, and then brutally forcing itself and its goals upon the rest of the planet, the Western ideals don't do too well under close scrutiny, nor have they in the past. The colonialists sought out lands that bristled with abundance. Often this was the direct result of the totally contrasting ideals, goals and values of the Indigenous Peoples who lived there. For instance, Australian Aborigines have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 to 60,000 years, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest 100,000 years. Along comes the self appointed, self grandiosing, western 'Alpha' culture. They found clean air, trees, fresh water, an abundance of food and resources, and cultures that were happy, healthy, didn't need prisons, banks, loans, marketing, counsellors, drug rehab clinics... and so on, and so on. The pattern is repeated in many places, including USA. Now an honest look around reveals 'epidemics' of crime, poverty, drugs, obesity, pollution, depression...no more clean air, water, trees, abundance of resources, abundance of self worth and happiness.
What really shapes our thinking. Are our Darwinist, Christian moulded ideals, including Alpha, really all they are cracked up to be? Is it really going to matter how many properties or boats we own, or how many sales we made, or how our high our viewer ratings, or what our Alpha score is. How many priests, popes, nuns, sisters, bishops and religious leaders we appoint, if we keep heading in our present direction. Could it be worth our while to examine some of the different cultures and ideals that we blindly anhilated. Are we following a persistant western pattern of self destruction. What do we all want? For our kids? Not just a select few, but all of them.

05-06-2007, 12:49 AM	#24 (permalink)
Uplift Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 734	Interesting thoughts Dastrovia. I can only speak for myself. As I look around, and honestly assess the present, overall, state of the world, I feel that we definitely need to seriously think about what we are doing, and thinking...where we are heading. What we need as a whole, to thrive and be happy. What are we passing on to future generations? I don't like to dwell on negatives, but see the value in honestly assessing things, so that I can keep moving in the right direction. I agree with you. I wonder about, and question our western values and ideals, including concepts like Alpha, competition, progress and success, and our slant on them. Despite selling and promoting itself as the ideal, and then *brutally forcing* itself and its goals upon the rest of the planet, the Western ideals don't do too well under close scrutiny, nor have they in the past. The colonialists sought out lands that bristled with abundance. Often this was the direct result of the totally contrasting ideals, goals and values of the Indigenous Peoples who lived there. For instance, Australian Aborigines have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 to 60,000 years, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest 100,000 years. Along comes the self appointed, self grandiosing, western 'Alpha' culture. They found clean air, trees, fresh water, an abundance of food and resources, and cultures that were happy, healthy, didn't need prisons, banks, loans, marketing, counsellors, drug rehab clinics... and so on, and so on. The pattern is repeated in many places, including USA. Now an honest look around reveals 'epidemics' of crime, poverty, drugs, obesity, pollution, depression...no more clean air, water, trees, abundance of resources, abundance of self worth and happiness. What really shapes our thinking. Are our Darwinist, Christian moulded ideals, including Alpha, really all they are cracked up to be? Is it really going to matter how many properties or boats we own, or how many sales we made, or how our high our viewer ratings, or what our Alpha score is. How many priests, popes, nuns, sisters, bishops and religious leaders we appoint, if we keep heading in our present direction. Could it be worth our while to examine some of the different cultures and ideals that we blindly anhilated. Are we following a persistant western pattern of self destruction. What do we all want? For our kids? Not just a select few, but all of them.