Killing wild animals

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The Trump administration last week reauthorised the use of controversial poison-filled traps to kill wild animals, such as coyotes and foxes, that prey on livestock, despite strong opposition from environmentalists. The spring-loaded devices, dubbed “cyanide bombs”, eject a capsule containing sodium cyanide. The Wildlife Services’ use of the traps, which last year killed 6,500 animals, more than 200 of which were unintended targets, was being reassessed after a teenage boy was injured and his pet dog killed by one in 2017.

On Monday, in a move lauded by industry, the government also announced changes to the way the Endangered Species Act is implemented, weakening protections for threatened species and allowing, for the first time, “economic impact” of factors such as lost revenue when deciding if a species warrants protection.(The Week, 18 Aug 2019).

The concept of sharing seems to be alien to the current regime in Washington DC.  We share the planet with a host of other creatures, most of whom, if they are not already on the endangered list, soon will be. They all play their part in the ecology of the Earth, and pose very little risk, if any,  to humans.  We are, or should be, custodians of this corner of the universe.  But no, anything that affects the ability of business to make increased profits is being scrapped.  Which is curious, because I always thought conservative government was about creating a level playing field and ensuring a fair deal for all living creatures.  But that was the old Republican party, which was cautiously conservative, but, as I saw it at the time, cooperative and honorable, Nixon apart.  Now we have people in power for whom money is god, and who care for nothing except the magical bank balance. What empty people they must be!

Evangelicals for Trump

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For ten years of my early life I went to compulsory chapel every day of the week while at school.  This is what I learned about Christianity, as preached buy the moderate Church of England:

Christianity means love your neighbour, forgive your enemies, help the old, the hurt and the sick, be unkind to no one, be loyal to your family and friends; do not be greedy; do not tell lies, be thankful to those who provide for you; never betray your friends or your country; treat people of different backgrounds, colours and faiths as equals; support the rights of women and minorities  to live the way they want to, undirected by anyone else. Be polite and thoughtful of others  Oh… and do no harm. (have I missed anything?)

The British evangelicals I know are very good people who would probably agree with my above list, but add evangelising.   Why is it that we hear no mention of the above Christian teachings from American evangelicals? They seem to be preoccupied with sex (don’t do it), politics (divisive), immigration( ban it) and getting to heaven (really?). The question is: Do they understand christianity at all?

Evangelical leaders and anti-abortion groups are now ramping up their efforts to reelect President Trump.  The Faith and Freedom Coalition (FFC) will spend tens of millions of dollars on a voter mobilization effort that aims to register 1 million Christians in key battleground states and reach 30 million people nationwide.

American evangelicals are told to attract people to Christ, to convince them, to witness to them, to speak the truth in a way that invites strangers in, welcomes them, makes them feel loved.  But what are they welcoming newcomers into?  A caring, loving social movement, devoted to caring for all Americans and righting wrongs?  Or are they in reality a political party- cum-lobbying group that is very white and very resentful, and whose resentment has been caused by the very right- wing national policies they support.  Baffling, isn’t it?

 

Ideologies of the extreme Right

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White replacement theory is said to be the driver behind much of the gun violence in America. It claims that white people will be systematically replaced by black and brown migrants, and comprises two sub-conspiracies:

  • the so-called “great replacement theory”, originating in France: western identity is under siege by massive waves of immigration, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, which is going to alter the culture and demographics of the West forever.  Followers believe racial mixing weakens the fabric of society and is an imminent threat to the stability of majority-white , western nations.   Others in this belief system believe in a shadowy Jewish group that aims to rule the world and wants a homogenous society they can control.
  • “the white genocide conspiracy” comes from the US and originated in the Reconstruction era, after the abolition of slavery. It claimed that the US was on the brink of a “race war” in which the former slaves would rise up and kill their former masters.  Strange though this now seems to us, this theory is merging with the “great replacement“ theory online, and focuses these days on migrants from south of the border,  purporting to be a call to arms to protect the white race.  Many of the 250 mass shootings in 2019 were rooted in this idea, mainly espoused by young, white men.  (synopsis of an article in Guardian Weekly, 9 August 2019)

With climate change you can be sure that the migrations will gather pace, along with sympathy for the white replacement theory. At the moment it attracts people of low IQ, poor, badly educated and often unable to find work.  Trump, an expert in resentment politics is making it sound “respectable”. Apparently, no amount of harassment and cruelty towards innocent Latino children crossing the border, for instance, is enough for his base.

Global wealth

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Imagine lining up all the riches in the world and distributing them evenly to adults across the globe. Every adult on Earth would end up with $63,100, according to the 2018 Global Wealth Report from the Swiss bank Credit Suisse. The figure puts global adult average wealth at a record high.

But, of course, our world’s riches aren’t distributed evenly. The boom in global wealth over recent years has lined the pockets of the already rich, particularly those with fortunes worth at least $50 million. The ranks of these “ultra-high net worth” individuals have quadrupled since our new millennium began.  (Chuck Collins, for the Institute for Policy Studies Inequality.org team).

Climate change is already causing political upheaval and mass migration.  Massive amounts of public money will be needed to help the hungry and displaced, if violence is not to grow.  The super-rich have fixed the system so that they pay minimal tax, but do “contribute “ to the expenses of politicians everywhere, and thus have huge political power.  We can expect them to continue to shrug their shoulders.  Anyone who has studied history knows that this is unsustainable and will end in tears.  Stupid? yes.

 

Alexander McCall Smith on teachers and the taught

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“Below are comments from the writer, Alexander McCall Smith, in his article in the June 2015 edition of “Prospect” magazine, the British magazine designed for those who think and who have a sense of humour, under the title “If I ruled the World”.

“Teachers too would have their authority returned to them. Children would be taught grammar, and in particular encouraged to use the accusative properly and to put verbs in their sentences, where possible. They would be told what a verb is. They would be taught not to use the word “like” every 10 seconds. They would be taught not to run alltheirwordstogether. This would mean that when they got jobs announcing flights at airports people would be able to understand what they were saying.

“Epicurus would probably agree that the “What the hell – let them speak the language any way they like” gang who have dominated education in the English-speaking world since baby-boomers were invented, should, like, be pensioned off and our language restored to what it used to be – the universally understood and agreed way of communicating and which created a vibrant community.”

The above post first appeared on the blog in 2015, and is the most visited posting in five years. It clearly resonated with the readership, who have difficulty, for instance, following actors who gabble, like, on the stage and TV and mangle English, and particularly Shakespeare – one of many modern challenges.  Mind you, the people who are really into philosophy are often no better.  Why is it that in trying to communicate philosophical ideas they have to use inaccessible language and come across so humourless?   I suppose they think it adds something, a je ne sais qua, to their reputation. Well, no, actually.  What is the point of philosophy if it is written in bad English and is not easily understood?  “Get thee gone, varmint!” (from somewhere in Shakespeare.  I’ve forgotten).