The following is part of a conversation I had today with a bloke at work. The conversation started about an article he'd read about how US citizens are up in arms that NASA has to rely on their old Cold War enemy for spaceflight seats now (at millions of dollars a pop). Then it diverged into politics - as usual. I thought this email was a good overview about how I generally feel about humanity and politics so it's Blog Fodder.
In the dictionary, under “Corrupt” it says “see politics”.
I think politicians have been corrupt since time immemorial. Look at the Roman Senate. Bunch of backstabbing bar stewards the lot of them. Often literally (in fact, that may actually be where the concept and term originated). Nothing’s changed in 2200 years.
Biblical times were no better, even from a cursory reading of the Old Testament (where men were men and wore big beards).
Essentially, humans are out for themselves and it’s pointless trying to convince anyone otherwise. Altruism is a theory. You put five pacifists in a room and put enough food in there for one of them – see what happens, probably within 48 hours. Strip away the thin veneer of society and the animal comes out to play a lot quicker than “society” would like to believe.
People are selfish, violent, greedy and paranoid. ALL people. You may think this is psychologically screwed up, but I always see other people as predators. They want what I have. I accept this as normal because if I strip away the values I was taught to believe in (my “principles”) then I’m exactly the same. “How do we begin to covet, Clarice? [...] We covet what we see.” I covet what I see all the time, but society tells me I can’t have it and can’t just take it. So I usually go buy it so I have one for myself. It’s the same with other, darker, aspects of the human condition. Crime – murder, assault, abuse, all of that – it’s a constant battle for everyone to control that natural instinct. Take the popular description of the adrenaline reaction - Fight or flight. Notice how “fight” is always mentioned first?
The ten commandments are proof positive of mankind’s true nature, as each of them is designed to suppress the natural animal base instincts that make us “antisocial”.
So look at a [British] politician, sworn in to service under the monarchy and swearing to serve “under God” and tell me how hypocritical that is... After the customary stuff is out of the way, then it’s everyone out for what they can get.
People lie because that’s what civilisation teaches us. Being “civilised” and having “principles” is just lying to yourself 24/7 about what and who you are.