The ex-missionary position
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Having lived in former totalitarian states, I know how to handle this kind of thing. My language teacher in Poland was in her 70's but the photo on her ID card showed her at the age of 18. Another colleague was registered at the long-demolished address of his late grandmother. They complied with their oppressors' laws as unhelpfully as possible.
People in Britain are beginning to understand this. Checking in to an NHS hospital a native English colleague was asked to fill in a form stating his ethnic origin. He left it blank, saying he found the question as offensive as it was irrelevant. The commissar nurse told him he would not be admitted unless he completed the form. Grumpily (he wasn't feeling well, oddly) he said she could fill it in herself. "I can't do that," she replied. "What race am I?" he asked. "Only you can say," she replied. So he wrote "Chinese" and she had to accept it.
Elderly Christians probably feel the need NOT to lie, but they are being old-fashioned. They should see it as a powerful form of passive resistance. Had they each written "sadist" as their sexual orientation, all would be well (and I am sure their God would have smiled). We should be truthful to our Gods, our loved ones and (most importantly) ourselves, but there is no moral obligation to say sooth to those who use force against us. Let us subvert their systems by complying as infrequently and as unhelpfully as we can.
Perhaps charities should realise the price of government handouts subject to political conditions? Many supposedly independent "charities" are now government agencies in disguise, providing clandestine support to its agenda (and sinecure jobs to its toadies). Private schools are in danger of succumbing too. Every year another price is exacted for their charitable status. Parents struggling to pay school fees from income net of taxes from which they have paid for several state educations now have to watch the private facilities they bought being worn out by all and sundry. The point must soon be reached where it would be economically (as it has long been ethically) better to tell the Charity Commissars to go to hell.
I know these are unpalatable views, but once you take the King's shilling, you are a soldier. And this is now an "army" in which no honest man can serve.
The more I read the more apparent it becomes there is gross mis-understanding of the meaning of Freedom. Libertarianism is bantered about,covering a multitude of diverse ideas and beliefs.
So much is discussed regarding sex, religion,ethenicity.origin of birth, age and etc.bundled up under the unbrella of Freedom.As if Freedom is defined by these labels and descriptions.
The Principle of Freedom is not defined by ones value judgements relative to ones belief and thinking on any of these subjects.
For those of us who have a clear understanding of the true meaning of Freedom, surely we have a responsibility to define for those who do not know its meaning,if we are going to write and talk about it.
Anne Cleveland
Posted by: Anne Cleveland | Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Of course, I was being metaphorical.
How can you say that you do not believe in the laws , one assumes regarding censorship/freedom of speech/libel even,yet belong to a group who both preach freedom of speech and censorship in equal measure?
I am surprised that you would only find the culling comment offensive when what gave rise to it, the overt racism ,truly disgraceful. Not to mention one commen labeling my stance on the matter 'faux posturing'.
Myself I do not believe in censorship, save where people are making scurrilous and false allegations simply to intimidate and denigrate others. Not suggesting that you don't...but why would you back someone , as you have, that does just that- or a group that condones that?
That probably sounds more aggresive than I mean it to.
Posted by: ubermouth | Friday, January 02, 2009 at 02:23 AM
Happy New Year to you too. I try not to censor here, unless I fear that laws are being broken (laws which I, as a libertarian, do not approve but must respect for now). Though much offence has clearly been taken here, it seems to me that the only offensive remark in this exchange is that there are any people "who need to be culled." My dictionary defines culling as "selective slaughter," which does not seem much in keeping with your other, high-minded observations. Perhaps you were being metaphorical? I hope so.
Posted by: Tom | Thursday, January 01, 2009 at 10:42 PM
'Today, the most conscious are punished by the least.'
So true, Kinderling.
The giving of opportunities to the people who are most excluded is not a socialist hand out,though . We should not need to legislate quotas and equal opportunity schemes. People should have the opportunity to succeed based on merit,not held back due to any 'isms.'which many are because of the mindset and prejudices of people who need to be culled, quite frankly.
Colin,your talents are wasted blogging,you should be a politician.Such a heartwarming message of good will for all to see, conveyed only to carry your obvious dig unnoticed to the blind.
Happy New Year Tom Paine and kudos on letting people speak their mind on your blog without censorship or abuse.
Posted by: ubermouth | Thursday, January 01, 2009 at 06:56 PM
Elderly Christians probably feel the need NOT to lie, but they are being old-fashioned.
It's a dilemma all right.
Happy New Yer, Tom, if that is possible.
Posted by: jameshigham | Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 02:52 PM
The issue you comment on Mr Paine is... whether sexual preference and sexual Obsessive Compusive Disorder are two legitimate indicators of what constitutes an identity. I would say not, as much as what food I consume does not make me who I am. But true, for most people their food, skin colour, gender and ethnic roots do define them as who they are and without them they would feel naked... as it was once describe: naked before The Conscious. Thus Jesus' observation of 'in heaven there are no male and female' has no meaning to them.
In our rapid and vapid Socialist engineered-multiculture (rather than the slower and higher battle of cultural improvement) the State legitimises discrimination as a noble act. It takes capital from the most deserving to hand the least (rather than demostrating ways of creating wealth) it takes ethnic points from the most successful and gives to the least (rather than encouraging purpose and self-belief) and moral points to the lowest forms of animal-behaviour (rather than revealing discipline and sacrifice leads to character). What Socialists don't have... they simply take and give to someone in their favour.
So if I were a cunning fellow I would get my behaviour-of-the-few recognised with victim status. For Socialism is a rigid pathological victim mindset. Socialists hold a sense of birth-wronged while fascists are birth-righted, hence they fight everyone but themselves. So with the correct stimuli, every liberal reacts exactly the same way every time. It is only a decade away before Paedophilia is recognised as a non-harming-in-a-loving-environment culture and museaums spring up revealing the terrible Holocaust against them in less enlightened epochs. As Colin Campbell soothes "Peace and Goodwill to all men, women, dogs, and cats and creatures..."
Therefore, rather than a country immune and strong against the forces of victim-into-hero ideology we have now have patchworked, dysfunctional and weakened organisations everywhere.
Today, the most conscious are punished by the least. Our children are exposed. A crime most terrible. But predictable. For whilst corruption of the establishment is still possible, the people will feel a sense of benefit and distraction. But when there is no lower to sink, no more capable people to suck on, the masses will wake up in a pit of poverty... and it will be a bit late then to do anything about it.
Posted by: Kinderling | Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Peace and Goodwill to all men, women, dogs and cats and creatures of all ethnicity, gender, religion, colour.... May 2009 be a happy time for all those who comment in happy and productive ways.
Posted by: Colin Campbell | Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 10:48 AM
Oh and btw, whils great leaps have been made to treat both genders equally, we are a long way from that- so my gender is and has always been discriminated against.
As to your predictions that my ethnicity will be a negative factor as we whites become the minority, which is what I assume you mean, it would only be giving us whites a taste of what non-whites have had to endure since time immemorial.If they are not treated so badly, why should we fear wearing their shoes in the future? Let's just hope they won't resent us just wanting opportunities to make a decent life for ourselves.
We'll see how pro equal opportunity and minority quotas your ilk are then!
Posted by: ubermouth | Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 03:36 AM
Mr. Clown,
I can assure you racism is one issue that makes my blood boil.
Who is anyone to suggest some peole have less worth, less to contribute, based on colour, race, ethnicity?
JMB for all her ignorance on the subject, one she speaks out on far too often,would be the subject of both great prejudice and 'preferential treatment' based on her age, gender and immigrant status alone. Something she forgets, as she resents Canada's tax breaks/educational opportunities for the Native peoples of Canada!
Whilst she bemoans visual minorities getting some opportunities, something that is only legislated for because of people of yours and her ilk resenting them getting ANY opportunity, she is the benefactor, as a senior citizen, of many legislated 'preferential treatment' schemes, including tax breaks and free education that she resents others receiving.
Do you have any idea how much senior citizens cost any given country to keep them in a decent lifestyle? It's senior citizens who drain our society more than any other 'group'; the dollars thrown at them are never going to benefit anyone except the recipient.
When visual minorities are given opportunities they are contributing,not wasting the funds sitting in $50,000 a year nursing homes long after their savings have run out...and there are a few coins coughed up from the visual minorities who keep ppl like JMB comfortable in their old age.
I would like to see if JMB would refuse a blood transfusion if she ever needed one based on the inventor of the blood transfusion being a black American who likely had funding to pursue his studies.
He died btw, when he needed one as they did not accept 'blacks' at the hospital that benefitted from his invention/contribution to the world, which saved millions of lives,but not his.
JMB resents immigrants in Canada, even the Natives,being affordd any respect or opportunity, yet is an immigrant herself who did not mind capitalizing on the opportunities she is still reaping there.
And you....are just a clown.
Posted by: ubermouth | Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 03:23 AM
I was going to comment on this post but JMB's offensive,anti social, thinly disguised racism left me fontless.
Sadly, it hasn't. All this faux posturing about racism will come back to haunt you. It may take a decade, it may take less, but at some point in the future your ethnicity or gender will become a negative factor in your life. All in the name of diversity and equal opportunities.
Posted by: Obnoxio The Clown | Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I was going to comment on this post but JMB's offensive,anti social, thinly disguised racism left me fontless.
If you object to the way Canada has to legislate to appear to give native peoples some opportunity that immigrants like you oppose, you can always go back to Oz and subjegate your own native peoples, JMB.
Funny though how you don't even yawn over your BP member making scurrilous accusations that other blogger's dead fathers are incestuous rapists!
I would have thought being a WASP,from a long line of WASPS, I would have been handled better at Blogpower.
Posted by: ubermouth | Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 02:53 AM
I read this story this morning, and was dumbfounded. The pace at which freedoms are being lost in the UK, and state interference is growing, is simply staggering.
I can see why Pilgrim Homes are asking for state funding - running care homes is a very expensive business. I suppose we should be grateful that they have not simply been closed down by the government - yet. If my memory serves me rightly, there was, in the not so distant past, considerable support within the Labour Party for nationalising all private schools in Britain.
Posted by: John | Monday, December 29, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Excellent post, Mr. Paine.
Especially the bit about private schools. You echo something I've been saying for years. The screw will be tightened until they are State property in all but name.
As the great Natalie Solent said in the context of Oxford University: "Go private. Now. You fools".
(Though the quote has a certain ring... I think the wizard said it first, in yet another context)
Posted by: Andrew Duffin | Monday, December 29, 2008 at 01:43 PM
I first saw a "Ethnic Monitoring Form" some 15 years ago when applying for a management position at a University. I honestly thought it was some kind of joke, but as I was required to fill it out in the reception prior to the 2nd interview, felt that at least it wouldn't be used to disadvantage my application. When queried the HR Director accepted that these forms were unnecessary and unwanted, but were being forced upon them by legislation.
I know from recent experience that these kind of monitoring forms are now delivered as part of the "Application Pack" send out to job applicants. I would recommend that all applicants discard them on receipt - they can only be used to your disadvantage.
Posted by: Polaris | Monday, December 29, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Well at least those elderly ladies stood up for themselves. Too often people of that generation respect authority too much to question such an intrusion.
Ethnicity sometimes gets you a preferential treatment. For example here, being Native Indian (or rather belonging to the First Nations' group) gets you some wonderful perks, like paying no income tax if you live on a reserve, or free university education and free drugs, not available to others. My daughter found in the States that being afroamerican or hispanic (or other ethnic minorities) often qualified you for different (preferential) treatment in the universities, especially as they fill their minority quotas as far as jobs are concerned.
Ethnic origin has crept into every "official" form it seems.
On the other hand, there is great sense for including the question in a medical history form. There are certain diseases which affect some ethnic populations far more than others which might alert medical personnel to a correct diagnosis and/or treatment. eg sickle cell anaemia, Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease are a few extreme examples. In fact scientific papers are published about the connection of ethnicity with even more common illnesses like asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes (much more prevalent in some ethnic minorities)and even prostate cancer.
But I'm sure that nurse was far exceeding her authority to say your friend would not be admitted if he did not complete that area of the form. However in these circumstances one is usually not in a fit state to argue this statement.
Posted by: jmb | Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 07:22 PM
A few months ago I applied for a job and the application form had a box for ethnic origin.
I described myself as Anglo Saxon/Norse/Celt.
I was not called for interview.
Perhaps I should have acknowledged the Norman part of my ancestry as well.
The correct answer to the ethnic origin question,of course, would have been 'Don't be so damn stupid.'
But that might not have led to an interview either.
Posted by: Kevyn Bodman | Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 03:47 PM