Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. From a previous post:

Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily. - George Santayana 

Voters; news media; investors looking for a quick buck; advocates of the latest doom and gloom scam are prime examples of people who throw out their skepticism when faced with a charming personality.

I've thought a lot about why people are so inclined to sign on with the latest doom and gloom scheme (Y2K, overpopulation, Armageddon, etc.). They have been around forever but with the communication explosion their proliferation seems to be going at a faster pace. I originally thought it was like gossip- "I know something you don't know so I'm special." Now that everyone on the planet has instant communication with everybody else, people still sign-on to these schemes. I recently came across the following theory and I present my take on it here, not as Truth but as a thought to consider.

Most of us go abouts trying to improve our lives and the lives of our family. This is self-interest and it is what made this country great and gives us an ever increasing quality of life. On the other hand we are taught from the day we were born that the ultimate moral goal is to be perfectly altruistic (mother Teresa). This places a dichotomy in your personality, the result of which is quilt. You are supposed to feel guilty because you are successful and because of that guilt you need to pay alms to make amends for your sin.

The latest is the Global Warming scenario (Oh, I forgot, we are now supposed to say "Climate Change" because the evidence is pretty clear we are not warming). We are supposed to feel guilty, especially the developed world, and need to make amends by denying that which made us successful and the rewards it brings. Change light bulbs, buy a tiny car, use less, conserve more; not to save your hard-earned money but to amend for the fact you can afford things which make your life more pleasant. The science behind the scenario is not important - it can be bad and lead to flat out false predictions - but what is important is that you assuage your guilt. When the predictions prove to be blatantly wrong there is always another Doom and Gloom scheme to take its place.

So if you are like me these false predictions are troublesome and a diversion from reality. The solution then would be to remove the dichotomy and that can only be done by having an integrated set of morals. Do not  feel guilty for doing things in your self interest (and I don't mean to go out and cheat your neighbor - that would be in contradiction of your moral value of honesty). Let others do the same. Encourage and admire those who are successful (morally). Be generous when you can - as opposed to altruistic because you ought to be. You have committed no sin so you should feel no guilt.

Fried Chicken Sandwich Evironmentalism

This is Blog Action Day on Environmentalism so I am breaking with the normal post format and expressing my view on environmentalism.


When I was a kid my dad had a portable sawmill and logging operation. Yes, he cut down trees; sawed them into boards; hauled them out of the woods on roads he built himself. When the trees were all cut down he would move the mill and start in a new area.


Saturdays were the days to do maintenance and repair on the machinery and on occasion my brother and I were invited to go along for the day. It was a big deal because we got to get a pop from the little gas station and go to the woods with the men.


On one of these occasions we sat down for lunch with the crew on a stack of rough-sawn lumber and everyone got out their lunch box. I was not real excited about my lunch so when one of the crew (Vern) ask if anyone wanted to trade their sandwich for his fried chicken sandwich I agreed and we made the trade. His sandwich turned out to be a fried egg sandwich. I hated cold fried eggs - still do today. I then saw why he made the trade. He could tell from my tears I was disappointed and offered to trade back but my Dad told me to eat the sandwich like a man and to remember that things are not always what you think they are. I haven't forgotten.


It wasn't that long ago when the consensus was that the turn of the century (Y2K) was going to be a global disaster. People bought generators; put up a stock of food; took money out of their bank; bought gold; prepared for the lights to go out. The doom and gloomers did a good job of convincing the average guy it was going to be bad - and some made a lot of money in the process. I thought about fried chicken sandwiches and tried to convince some of my friends it was just a ruse. I failed because doom and gloom for most is more believable than milk and honey. It was put very well by Susan Jeffers:

We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic.

The current gloom is global warming. Think fried chicken sandwiches.