Is It Time To Go Small?

Size matters. Ask anyone and they’ll all have their own reasoning:

“I enjoy a larger size” says Mark.

Nadine disagrees: “A small one packs more punch. All you need is a shot of caffeine in the morning. That’s why I like an espresso.” Mark of course, is into his frothy latte so enjoys the ‘grande’ beverage offered by some.

Now what I’m going to write about is probably impossible to achieve in this day and age but what I hope to provoke is thinking! Think about the possibilities of downsizing society. My reasons for doing so can obviously be debated, and I may be taking the most extreme examples but I believe extreme is what works. There’s so much out there today that makes us say “oh. That’s terrible” and click to the next news story.

So here it goes.

I believe that a downsizing of society is necessary. I believe that we are proving ungovernable as sizable entities and I believe this is being shown by countries like Greece, Spain and even America. It is too hard to govern from one particular city, a vast country with so many differing political philosophies. I believe that it is easier to corrupt someone who is far from their electorate than someone who lives and works amoung their voters. I hope my following examples will help my cause of why I’m beginning to believe that less is more.

The nation state system we currently live in emerged after the Treaty of Westphalia. We had defined borders, ones which other states could not interfere in. All well and good until the transnational ‘person’ came to be: the corporation. The world we live in right now is being overly influenced by the power of the multinational corporation. Their size and their power are massive influences on so many lives. Most worryingly, their monetary influence in democracies is ever increasing. America is going to have the most expensively bought presidency this November. The figures being mentioned are just frightening and sickening. Not wanting to state the obvious, but when you invest millions and millions of  $’s, €’s or £’s in a parties or individuals campaign, then it’s expected they repay your ‘generosity’ by passing laws that benefit you, the donor.

But it seems to have come to a stage where the laws and bills passed, are nothing but a gigantic benefit to corporations and are eating away at our humanity. The mantra is now consistently ‘profit before anything’, be it humanity or the environment. And personally I find this very troublesome. Capitalism has taught a large section of humanity to care, not about each other, but about their ‘stuff’. People’s concerns now are about their property. While laws are passed that “don’t affect me” people don’t care. This apathy is allowing big business buy control so much of what affects us and what we do. People who want out of this society and want away from the corporate bought governments are finding that laws written to protect them, are not there for the people any more.

In regard to the environment, well it truly is frightening what corporations are doing. Bad news? Lets just buy silence. Artic is considered off limits for oil drilling? Let’s buy our way to that limit. Lets prove that everyone has a price. It’s hard not to write they’re proving that everyone is corruptible, but for the most part, people live in the here and now, for themselves. If someone offers them facilities that they previously didn’t have, they accept. No thought is given to the generations that we’re passing this earth to. It’s going to be in some state. There are some victories for the small guy, but they’re becoming so rare and localised that it’s disheartening for the society we live in. Look at some of the other battles that are on going and you realise the relentless push corporations engage in. They have the means to keep on fighting in the courts and as shown in this amazing documentary they are becoming less able to lose, if indeed they lose at all.

Smaller society could prove more difficult to buy as individual communities would need to be negotiated with. A government based in Dublin for example, couldn’t just sign away the rights to an oil field in Cork. Responsible governments like Norway’s for example, are increasingly difficult to elect. Lies are told to get people into power and so it exists until the next lying, sorry, election cycle. Look at what is possible with a government for the people. A solution where society as a whole benefits, and the people get a little bonus also. But how many countries firstly have the ability to stand up to corporations, backed up by the countries governments they’ve bought, or are brave enough to do so?

Now I know downsizing what we have is nigh impossible, but what I hope to show in this writing is that it is possible; small victories have been won but we need to want this change to last. By having smaller society, communities will be willing to fight for each other more. I think this would lead to a ‘decommercialising’ of our lives, but what we would lack in capitalist consumerism, we could enrich our humanity with. I’m not asking for a return to pre technological era, I think that technology could only improve the community experience. We are all, after all, one big worldly community. But I believe energy needs can be met locally with the improvements in solar energy, wind power and wave energy. My examples above of small victories, I believe more are possible in smaller society. Local, small victories make nice stories in a national press. Nice stories that are forgotten about a few months down the line by all those except those that fought.

We need to have more than symbolic victories which corporations simply show their cunning and patience, in order to win at all costs.

My argument is currently thin, it needs fleshing out, but these are just my formative thoughts!

Gear Grinding

A famous cartoon personality once had a famous phrase “you know what really grinds my gears”?

Well, you know what grinds my gears? Religion. It is just something that the more I read about and try and learn about, the more ridiculous the whole thing becomes to me. I’m going to write about a few personal experiences that are leading me to a life of pure Atheistic bliss.

A few things recently (and one thing a few months back) have led me to write this non-too controversial blog. I have always been a quiet observer on religious issues and tried to keep out of any debates or discussions on religion and didn’t want a label of an atheist, agnostic or secularist. I didn’t feel the need to involve myself in learning more, or exploring more. No idea why – I just didn’t. That began to change when I attended a debate in UCC back in February where Michael Nugent spoke, and spoke very well, about the need for a secular state. Adnan Rashid was also in attendance speaking for Islam. What really got through to me at this debate, was Michael Nugent speaking without the need to force his beliefs on anyone in attendance. He spoke about the need to keep religious belief separate and private. No belief system should make or influence the making of rules in a society. Nothing at all wrong with that. What got through to me from Adnan was the need for RADICALISATION. DEATH TO THE INFADELS! Ha! I jest! …..hey it’s my blog – I’ll jest when I want. But seriously, he spoke eloquently and clearly, but the points were all stemming from the same belief. That good comes from his religion, that his religion helped create scientific advances. That you need religion for your morals. That Islam does this and it does that. Maybe it does for him – but what I’m asking today is:

‘Why can’t people give themselves the credit’?

Yes - we are a miracle; but of science! We are supposed to be rational beings. Why can’t we give ourselves the credit for what we do?! I went to hear Richard Dawkins speak in the National Concert Hall in June and his talk inspired me to join Atheist Ireland. I find it more important than ever to support causes that are societal driven. Fighting for a secular state merely means fighting for equality for all. You can have your beliefs, but in the private sphere.

Now here’s where I get controversial. Throughout history, different societies have had different gods. All as fake as the next. The only thing I do not doubt the existence of is a man, yes a MAN, named Jesus. There is evidence to suggest that a man named Jesus was around in the years he is said to have been. But he was not and is not a god. What is my reasoning? Well let’s look at how unique his story is:

Not very unique is it? As for the ‘god’ argument? I’ve always been amazed by the fact, the two ‘great’ religions of today, Christianity and Islam, began in the Middle East. It also amazes me that for an all knowing all powerful ‘being’ who wanted all of humanity to know about him, he didn’t do a great job of exporting his message to places like Asia….. Australia…… Europe……. The Americas. Especially as ‘he’ ‘created’ the first two people. I mean, that’s a really bad game of Chinese whispers if your message is passed on by the people you created and you end up with lots of different religions, and hundreds if not thousands of different churches a few thousand years down the line. Where’s ‘his’ voice to remind people of the right way?! Where was he during the Lutheran, Calvinist reformations? How about the major one of Henry VIII calling bullshit on the pope and his power? If the pope truly was and is this gods mouthpiece on earth – why no comeuppance for England as a nation? Why did this god not smite this heathenous nation?  There’s one simple reason – he doesn’t exist. Why would he have allowed the gigantic hunt for witches? Why would he not have given a simple hint as to the world’s position as a planet in a solar system orbiting the sun? Why not a quick whisper to the pope, or to any of the priests of whom so many hear his ‘calling’ but then don’t hear much else. So many questions – so much proof as to the stupidity of it all.

The above reasons are merely a slight peek into my thoughts on the ridiculousness of the Christian religion. There are obviously newer examples to use as to why this god doesn’t exist but that will be for another blog, another day. This little rambling will lead nicely into another blog on religion for a close date in the future. I’m writing my thesis on religion and law and I might condense some of my findings, writings on the matter into a short blog post here. It’s made for a fascinating research topic so sharing would be good! So remember: