Moral Corruption
So we're powerful. We can manipulate our environments - ever more so with each passing day. Soon very little will be out of our control.
But where do we stand emotionally? morally? Are we ready for this power? Are you? Am I?
The world as we see it; just sort of happened. Nature took it's course, and we ended up with trees, continents, koalas and lots of water. (some other stuff too) And then over the last hundred or so years we've begun absolutely tearing this place apart...
I don't really think that was nature's plan - if there's such a thing - and there probably wasn't. But suffice to say we fucked up, and are continuing to fuck up on a daily basis.
Why?
There are lots of possible answers, but I found myself staring at moral corruption (which in itself is sort of a misnomer).
I'll take the simple ones first; religion & the media. Do I even need to say brainwashing? What I find appalling is how the morals of a religion like Christianity have infiltrated regular, secular, atheist/agnostic life. People thinking it rude to indulge their natural insticts, vulgar to partake in them (ie. that masturbation is still somehow wrong). The current affair programs targeting teen drug and alcohol use as a problem; when most of the people I know involved in such activities are happy with their lives, and definitely not a menace to society. Even the 'open minded' people more often than not agree with the moral teachings of archaic power hungry 'religious leaders'. They had public meetings and texts to pass on their brainwashing, today the same assholes who were preaching back then are still preaching - but they have television and radio to reach more people, faster and using more refined techniques.
The worst bit is most of the people involved are themselves under the illusion that what they're doing is right because there's so many people around them doing it. Because they don't know any better.
But then, as I sit here, I can't help but admit that I take 30 minute showers. Throw rubbish on the side of the road when I'm walking home at 3am (sometimes even kick bins over). Steal occasionally, a chocolate bar here, a beer there. And justify to myself that it's ok. Because it is. You do it too right?
(virtually everyone thinks that... it's where the problem is hiding)
But where do we stand emotionally? morally? Are we ready for this power? Are you? Am I?
The world as we see it; just sort of happened. Nature took it's course, and we ended up with trees, continents, koalas and lots of water. (some other stuff too) And then over the last hundred or so years we've begun absolutely tearing this place apart...
I don't really think that was nature's plan - if there's such a thing - and there probably wasn't. But suffice to say we fucked up, and are continuing to fuck up on a daily basis.
Why?
There are lots of possible answers, but I found myself staring at moral corruption (which in itself is sort of a misnomer).
I'll take the simple ones first; religion & the media. Do I even need to say brainwashing? What I find appalling is how the morals of a religion like Christianity have infiltrated regular, secular, atheist/agnostic life. People thinking it rude to indulge their natural insticts, vulgar to partake in them (ie. that masturbation is still somehow wrong). The current affair programs targeting teen drug and alcohol use as a problem; when most of the people I know involved in such activities are happy with their lives, and definitely not a menace to society. Even the 'open minded' people more often than not agree with the moral teachings of archaic power hungry 'religious leaders'. They had public meetings and texts to pass on their brainwashing, today the same assholes who were preaching back then are still preaching - but they have television and radio to reach more people, faster and using more refined techniques.
The worst bit is most of the people involved are themselves under the illusion that what they're doing is right because there's so many people around them doing it. Because they don't know any better.
But then, as I sit here, I can't help but admit that I take 30 minute showers. Throw rubbish on the side of the road when I'm walking home at 3am (sometimes even kick bins over). Steal occasionally, a chocolate bar here, a beer there. And justify to myself that it's ok. Because it is. You do it too right?
(virtually everyone thinks that... it's where the problem is hiding)