a modern day problem
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 3:53 pm
in these modern times, what is the goal of existence?
it has been stated, time and time again, that the
goal of existence/life is wealth, power, material possessions,
titles, fame... and I have disputed this... but let us
take a further look at modern day goals of wealth...etc... etc....
in seeking out wealth and power and fame and titles and
material possessions... what ethical or moral acts are forbidden?
in seeking out wealth, the road to wealth is paved with unethical,
immoral acts... but the trick is not to be caught... if you can gain
wealth, illegally, and not get caught.. bonus points..
the goal is the wealth, not how one gets the wealth...
the ends justify the means...and this gaining of wealth,
regardless of the moral actions taken is what it means to
be a modern day person....now I would say, that it does
matter how we gain that wealth... the ends do not justify the means..
or said another way... it matters how we do things.. the means
of actions are important...would I rather be wealthy but having
to do immoral/unethical things, or would I rather be poor
and not have done immoral/unethical things?
as I am poor, the answer is quite clear....
I don't have to do mental gymnastics to justify my actions...
my conscience is clear.. but my pocketbook is empty...
and I am good with that....to do the right thing quite often
leads us to being poor or not being famous or not having
vast material possessions....my car is over 20 years old..
in fact, I have never bought a new car..
has my life been cheaper or has less value because
I haven't bought a new car? Now some might say yes,
Kropotkin, you are less of a human being because
you don't have a new car every 5 years...
IQ45 has made it clear that poor people have zero value...
and he judges people based on their wealth...
as do many people...but until we judge people based on their
character, we will not have an ethical, moral society...
so is it more important to have an ethical moral society or
is more important to have a wealthy society/state?
the answer to this question tells us what kind of a society/state
we have... the reason that the last 123 years has been "morally
challenged" is because we judge people, societies, and states,
based on their wealth, on their GDP...instead of thinking
about societies, states, corporations, groups in terms of
the wealth they generate, we should think about them in
terms of moral and ethical values....and Kropotkin,
on what standards shall we judge them on?
that they put human beings, indeed all living things first
and not the acquisition of wealth or power or fame or titles...
and as we put the acquisition of wealth first, in all our
judgements, we are creating an immoral, unethical society/state...
and the history of the last century and a half, has shown us
the cost of putting money, wealth first... we have had
two World Wars, a depression, the Holocaust, Vietnam, the My Lai
massacre...Abu Gharib tortures, 9/11, the insane invasion of
Iraq and Afghanistan... the acceptance of murder in
the guise of ''standing your ground" laws... the devaluation
of life in modern day America stems from our
refusal to be accountable/responsible for our actions
in terms of morals and values... because we put money
and fame and titles before ethics, before morals...
is there anyone who even asks today, what is the moral, ethical
thing to do, in our day to day lives? No, and that is what is
wrong in America today....
Kropotkin
it has been stated, time and time again, that the
goal of existence/life is wealth, power, material possessions,
titles, fame... and I have disputed this... but let us
take a further look at modern day goals of wealth...etc... etc....
in seeking out wealth and power and fame and titles and
material possessions... what ethical or moral acts are forbidden?
in seeking out wealth, the road to wealth is paved with unethical,
immoral acts... but the trick is not to be caught... if you can gain
wealth, illegally, and not get caught.. bonus points..
the goal is the wealth, not how one gets the wealth...
the ends justify the means...and this gaining of wealth,
regardless of the moral actions taken is what it means to
be a modern day person....now I would say, that it does
matter how we gain that wealth... the ends do not justify the means..
or said another way... it matters how we do things.. the means
of actions are important...would I rather be wealthy but having
to do immoral/unethical things, or would I rather be poor
and not have done immoral/unethical things?
as I am poor, the answer is quite clear....
I don't have to do mental gymnastics to justify my actions...
my conscience is clear.. but my pocketbook is empty...
and I am good with that....to do the right thing quite often
leads us to being poor or not being famous or not having
vast material possessions....my car is over 20 years old..
in fact, I have never bought a new car..
has my life been cheaper or has less value because
I haven't bought a new car? Now some might say yes,
Kropotkin, you are less of a human being because
you don't have a new car every 5 years...
IQ45 has made it clear that poor people have zero value...
and he judges people based on their wealth...
as do many people...but until we judge people based on their
character, we will not have an ethical, moral society...
so is it more important to have an ethical moral society or
is more important to have a wealthy society/state?
the answer to this question tells us what kind of a society/state
we have... the reason that the last 123 years has been "morally
challenged" is because we judge people, societies, and states,
based on their wealth, on their GDP...instead of thinking
about societies, states, corporations, groups in terms of
the wealth they generate, we should think about them in
terms of moral and ethical values....and Kropotkin,
on what standards shall we judge them on?
that they put human beings, indeed all living things first
and not the acquisition of wealth or power or fame or titles...
and as we put the acquisition of wealth first, in all our
judgements, we are creating an immoral, unethical society/state...
and the history of the last century and a half, has shown us
the cost of putting money, wealth first... we have had
two World Wars, a depression, the Holocaust, Vietnam, the My Lai
massacre...Abu Gharib tortures, 9/11, the insane invasion of
Iraq and Afghanistan... the acceptance of murder in
the guise of ''standing your ground" laws... the devaluation
of life in modern day America stems from our
refusal to be accountable/responsible for our actions
in terms of morals and values... because we put money
and fame and titles before ethics, before morals...
is there anyone who even asks today, what is the moral, ethical
thing to do, in our day to day lives? No, and that is what is
wrong in America today....
Kropotkin