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Post by kj on Feb 7, 2020 12:38:02 GMT
My disillusionment and disinterest in democratic politics is fueled by remembering Ireland in the 1980s growing up. Back then, there were a tiny number of non-nationals, everyone was more or less Catholic, abortion was an unspeakable obscenity, and the pursuit of money was considered vulgar (outside of political circles anyway). That's just the way it was. In 2020 all of those things have been turned on their head - we have mass immigration, legalised abortion, money is all that counts, the Church is hated - and such views are regarded as equally normal. I'm not saying either perspective is 'right' or 'wrong', just the fact that 'normal' could be changed by such a 180 degree with hardly anyone batting an eyelid tells me that the vast majority of people in contemporary western societies do not think at all. Their intellectual horizons are coterminous with their visual fields.
End of rant.
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Feb 7, 2020 12:51:10 GMT
My disillusionment and disinterest in democratic politics is fueled by remembering Ireland in the 1980s growing up. Back then, there were a tiny number of non-nationals, everyone was more or less Catholic, abortion was an unspeakable obscenity, and the pursuit of money was considered vulgar (outside of political circles anyway). That's just the way it was. In 2020 all of those things have been turned on their head - we have mass immigration, legalised abortion, money is all that counts, the Church is hated - and such views are regarded as equally normal. I'm not saying either perspective is 'right' or 'wrong', just the fact that 'normal' could be changed by such a 180 degree with hardly anyone batting an eyelid tells me that the vast majority of people in contemporary western societies do not think at all. Their intellectual horizons are coterminous with their visual fields. End of rant. I find it disillusioning, too. The point about the pursuit of money is one I find particularly interesting. How did consumerism and entertainment become the accepted common ground of our society? I can remember in the eighties, there was even a certain pride that Ireland was a poor country, that we weren't used to "fancy" things, that we were more devoted to the arts and to spirituality than money-making. That seems to be totally gone today, and consumerism seems to be completely unabashed. We can't help being consumers, but there seems to be no healthy sense of discomfort to it anymore. |
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Post by kj on Feb 7, 2020 13:03:45 GMT
I'm aware that childhood memories can be starry-eyed and impressionistic, but I'm prepared to stand over my comments.
Re consumerism, I remember that in the area of Cork where I lived there were plenty of people on the dole and there was no shame to it. Indeed I admired the guys who were perfectly at ease in it, but didn't fall into drink or drugs as a result.
I suppose I would say that having recently experienced a soul-crushing grey weekend in a Belgian town where there were no shops open I can sympathise with how a measured consumerism would be welcome in response to a too oppressive atmosphere, but we have, as you say, gone the other way entirely.
But maybe it's the case that Ireland has always been a country of extremes. We don't do moderation, in any sphere!
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Post by cato on Feb 7, 2020 14:12:53 GMT
We also took pride in those days in being among the top per capita givers of charity to various famines , disasters etc . As a child from a very modest background, we were always encouraged to give away the few pence we got for odd jobbing. I remember fasting as a child for the Cambodian genocide of Pol Pot. That was probably child abuse I now realise
Contrary to moany Gretta T I was also concerned about Green issues but it was in the far off 1970s. I recall collecting milk bottle tops for charity, recycling glass bottles for 5p each and cleaning beaches and waste ground for free. I would be pleasantly suprised if modern Irish children had such civic pride .
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Post by rogerbuck on Jul 12, 2020 21:40:16 GMT
What a wonderful thread! : - )
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