Random News Stories

[David]

Much of this comes down to whether you side with Hobbes or Rousseau: is human nature inherently savage, and only capable of being tamed by civilisation? Or is it the brutality of advanced society itself that breeds violence and cruelty? These monkey torture connoisseurs didn't grow in a lab, after all; to some extent or other, they're products of a society that fetishises violence in entertainment, treats its outcasts (prisoners and the homeless) in dehumanising ways, and teaches kids to bully the weak from an early age in the schoolyard. For the Westerners involved in particular, there's the power of Western money and the added frisson of having impoverished foreigners to treat as puppets on a string.

Having said all that, I'm no anarchist, and I probably still lean more towards the Hobbesian side of the equation. But the trouble with placing our faith in law and order to keep us safe from one another is that that's often the sphere in which the largest savageries end up being perpetrated (see George Floyd and American police in general, Don Dale and other prisons and detention centres, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, Ben Roberts-Smith, and police states the world over). One of the best ways to corrupt someone is to give them a gun and a badge and the right to tell others what to do.

So we face the paradox that we may need to be constantly reined in by authority, but also that giving other human beings authority to wield power over us is a recipe for further violence and cruelty. Perhaps the only solution, then, is to hold those things in tension. But it remains an open question whether the worst human impulses can actually be bred out of us, or whether the only solution is to suppress them and only allow them to come out in the shadows.

[stui magpie]

I'm not a student of any of that stuff, I'm only vaguely away of that concept of noble or savage, but I do know that every culture I can think of, every time that humans have congregated in tribes, they've created rules and delegated authority to someone to enforce them.

It's an interesting concept that many of the 10 commandments have been comon rules across most if not all cultures.

The inherent savagery has always come into play when different groups collide. Group A see's themselves as superior to group B, thereby dehumanising them and enabling them to do things to them that they are forbidden to do to each other

[pietillidie]

^Some huge percentage of cultures have been every bit as brutal on their own. Slavery, caste systems, social cleansing, religious progroms, civil war, the abuse of women, the abuse of children, human sacrifice, political oppression, brutal punishment systems and on are just as readily directed inward.

[stui magpie]

^

Agreed, but that still fits in the loose framework I outlined, that's just groups within groups.

[think positive]

Much of this comes down to whether you side with Hobbes or Rousseau: is human nature inherently savage, and only capable of being tamed by civilisation? Or is it the brutality of advanced society itself that breeds violence and cruelty? These monkey torture connoisseurs didn't grow in a lab, after all; to some extent or other, they're products of a society that fetishises violence in entertainment, treats its outcasts (prisoners and the homeless) in dehumanising ways, and teaches kids to bully the weak from an early age in the schoolyard. For the Westerners involved in particular, there's the power of Western money and the added frisson of having impoverished foreigners to treat as puppets on a string.

Having said all that, I'm no anarchist, and I probably still lean more towards the Hobbesian side of the equation. But the trouble with placing our faith in law and order to keep us safe from one another is that that's often the sphere in which the largest savageries end up being perpetrated (see George Floyd and American police in general, Don Dale and other prisons and detention centres, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, Ben Roberts-Smith, and police states the world over). One of the best ways to corrupt someone is to give them a gun and a badge and the right to tell others what to do.

So we face the paradox that we may need to be constantly reined in by authority, but also that giving other human beings authority to wield power over us is a recipe for further violence and cruelty. Perhaps the only solution, then, is to hold those things in tension. But it remains an open question whether the worst human impulses can actually be bred out of us, or whether the only solution is to suppress them and only allow them to come out in the shadows.

not sure whether to laugh at the first or just be pissed off at the second, third and fourth!

as with every profession, the majority are good people, (except maybe journo's and umpires!!)

[What'sinaname]

Melbourne the 3rd most liveable city.

It scored a 100 in infrastructure, which tells me the ranking is totally bullshit. Anyone who lives here will tell you we have horrible infrastructure.

[think positive]

Truth! The damn Westgate and tunnel situation right now iso laughable, it’s a complete shambles!

Our trains! Ugh

[pietillidie]

^I've always felt these rankings are biased towards wealth. If you have money, Melbourne and Sydney are without doubt brilliant. If you get pushed to the outer suburbs, not so much. They might draw city boundaries narrowly, and may rate quality as in roads without pot holes, clean trains, etc. (Not sure if they do, but I am forever thinking things here are substandard and dirty compared to Melbourne).

The grass is always greener, remember.

[David]

Totally agree with all of the above. How can you possibly get a 100 for infrastructure when your train network is leagues behind most European capitals?

[think positive]

Everything in Perth is better except the footy,

Ditto Qld

[roar]

^^ Lol, not sure I could disagree more. Perth is a clean city with nice beaches and I'm sure Qld has nice beaches, too, but I can't think of much else.

Serious question: Is it proximity to kids that's stopping you from moving there?

[think positive]

^^ Lol, not sure I could disagree more. Perth is a clean city with nice beaches and I'm sure Qld has nice beaches, too, but I can't think of much else.

Serious question: Is it proximity to kids that's stopping you from moving there?

I love Qld! I’d love to have a place up there for winters! WA is too far. Yes being near my girls stops me moving for sure. Nothing in the world means more to me than my daughters. Literally nothing! !

[What'sinaname]

So Hollywood is on strike with spokesperson Fran Drescher taking aim at streaming services taking advantage of hard working actors / writers who are fighting against disruption.

So Fran, who earned $1.5m per episode in the last season of The Nanny is taking aim at the million dollar salaries of streaming service execs.

It seems people embrace disruption until is directly affects them.

[David]

For more info on what’s actually going on:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66208226

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

[What'sinaname]

As I said, the industry is being disrupted just like taxis and hotels with Uber and Airbnb. Adapt for be left behind.