Some People Are Catching On...
You have to admit that the debt crisis IS something to take notice of...hell, many of us do something similar WEEKLY, if not MONTHLY when we muck about with our OWN budgets (and funds).
And there are those that are taking to streets in order to loot and pillage cities in the UK as well as here in America.
The recurring "theme" we're hearing is that POVERTY is at the bottom off all this.
Not as much as you would think.
Poor people, if they are of GOOD CHARACTER, will seek to extricate themselves FROM poverty, by gainful employment or even bartering their ability to WORK...for food (or shelter).
Poor people of bad character will attempt to wrest for themselves what others have, in order to SUSTAIN themselves.
The average poor person in THIS nation (America) is FAR from what we used to think of as being poor.
And that's the problem.
Are you poor because you DON'T have an X-BOX?
Or a pair of the latest "athletic shoes"?
What about a cell phone?
Or perhaps a car?
Not having any (or even all) of these "THINGS" does not constitute poverty as it should be defined.
It just means you don't value, or COVET the possession as much as others do.
Maybe YOUR priorities lie elsewhere..perhaps with seeing your CHILDREN have food and clothing...or a roof over their heads.
Now, not having these items is certainly NO reason to RIOT and BURN DOWN city blocks.
Hell, it's not even a good "excuse"...but still we have problems like this.
In London last night, with over 16,000 police on the streets, incidents, such as they had over the last 4 nights were scattered and few.
So far, over 1200 have been arrested there.
But, it took FOUR days to quell the crowds (for the time being)...not a "good response time" (imho).
Still, the situation is "contained" for the moment.
And wouldn't you just KNOW it, a recent study shows that INCIVILITY is...ON THE RISE.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.themortonreport.com/home-away/life/bitchy-crazy-mean-incivility-on-the-rise-and-not-just-at-work/
I've said that for damn near DECADES.
And I wish to hell I knew WHEN it all went south, because it was insidious in the way it crept into society. It wasn't like someone just "turned off" the CIVIL switch in society...people have been working at this for years.
I believe a lot of it boils down to having this entitlement mindset...you "believe" you DESERVE what the next person has...because you're ALSO a human being. But you haven't worked to get it as the other person did, or saved to afford it (whatever "it" might be)...you just WANT it. Thing is, your NEEDS must always come BEFORE your desires. It makes life a LOT easier (and less expensive).
Often enough, when you have your NEEDS met, your number of desires seems to diminish.
yet, for some, that is NEVER the case...they ALWAYS want MORE...and more after that.
Now, didn't that song go: "You can't always get what you want" ?
But you can most always get WHAT YOU NEED...no cause to loot stores, beat down citizens, or burn cars, right?
What some folks have to realize is what a NEED is, versus what a DESIRE is.
Solve that issue, and a lot of this crap goes away. Fail to recognize THIS as the most determining factor in a lot of lives, and it will CONTINUE, and quite possibly escalate (into what we're seeing NOW).
But some people are figuring this out, just not enough, and certainly not soon enough.
The dumbass ones are still rioting (under false pretenses), and causing untold MILLIONS in damage (estimates in London are over a BILLION right now), while the ones that are wising the f$ck up are getting busy doing the RIGHT things when it comes to needs and wants.
Now, we know that trying to CONTROL the (chaotic) people takes us down the wrong road, but we have to do something when it comes to the undesirables in our society.
If we institute a "police state" we risk losing a LOT more than just the bad people on the streets.
We can kiss liberties and freedoms goodbye, that's for certain.
And, I'm also positive that a LOT of LEOs out there would be adverse to becoming such an entity (that would become a local thug-army), intent on bashing skulls to maintain order. They'd just up and quit, and then THEY would also be at the receiving end of whatever "new" force would be created to deal with the populace.
Then we devolve into civil war, plain and simple...if we're even able to wage such a fight by then.
You see, it becomes a very slippery slope quite quickly, and we'd best watch our steps these days.
I still say that our technologies (mostly designed for entertainment) have created a disconnect when it comes to social intercourse.
We're already trying to do away with cursive writing (so much for love letters an postcards), and we've dumbed down SO many systems within the BIG system, it's no longer amusing.
We've replaced having to walk or take a bus to a friend's house with gas-assed people who are texting while they drive...
We just HAVE to be "in contact"...with someone.
And if we look at this carefully, we can see that people WANT to reach out more than ever, but with the advent of technology, we have "depersonalized" it to such a degree, that face-to-face encounters (which used to be oh so commonplace) can turn UNCIVIL at the drop of a hat (or instant message)
We are "expected" to follow the herd and get with whatever program is thrust at us..we ALL "need" these things to make us "better".
Becoming a better person is never about HOW MUCH crap you can accumulate over time.
Maybe "He (or she) who has the most toys WINS", but at what cost?
Becoming a better person means rising above the trivial, seeking loftier goals, and not instant gratification, and certainly includes treating one another as YOU would like to be treated.
It means never stopping your pursuit of knowledge, and thereby acquiring wisdom along the way.
It's not about taking from those who have MORE, but seeking to increase YOUR worth so YOU can receive more through YOUR efforts.
This whole "something for nothing" is a sham, and anyone that falls for it is a fool. You might as well chain yourself to the damn government, because you are now a "ward of the state".
You get out of life that which you put into it...good OR bad...it's always a work-in-progress.
But the operative word here is WORK...as in APPLYING ONESELF.
Even those on the dole should be "encouraged" to do something for all they receive...that breeds a true sense of APPRECIATION.
And when you appreciate something, it means more to you. It becomes "worth it".
If anyone in this nation can be called poor, it would have to be those who are of POOR character...period.
Now THAT can be addressed and taken care of, and for a lot less than the current crop of "give-aways".
The best part, is that it has a much POSITIVE and LONGER-LASTING effect...for everyone.
That's a good thing.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.