Tolerance in a sociopolitical context – there is a point where it must stop.
I believe those who lived through the Second Great War just 70 years ago would have much to tell the people of today. They would pity us and our fairy-tale worlds. Have we forgotten our history? Have we forgotten how we have reached this place of privilege, this place of freedom? Have we forgotten the sacrifices by millions of our very near ancestors?
Wars are fought far from home. Thank God for that. But in the same thankfulness I also wish reality could hit home a bit. If the war was here, on our soil; everything would change. Everything. Those who sit in their comfortable couches drinking diet coke and eating chips in front of a large flat screen TV would quickly come to grips with actuality. They would stop their ignoble babbling against the military and their pathetic horror when they hear that the ‘enemy’ is being mistreated. Or when they sit comfortably at home appalled at people who dare to suggest that maybe torture should be legal. And call people absolutely crazy for suggesting preemptive nuclear strikes. Upon my head, I swear that all this nonsense will stop the day the first bomb lands within our borders. All this will stop the day we capture someone with information that could have saved hundreds of lives but couldn’t extract it because of our laws, our Media, and our stupid populace who protect the very people who want to hurt and destroy them.
When a car hits a cat or a cute puppy we are disgusted and even scream out in fright. I talked to someone last week who admitted that he is more affected by an animal being mistreated than a human. He was serious. Animal activists and lovers are the result of a complacent self-congratulatory society. Again, a fairy-land. Ideological tolerance is also the result of this kind of world, we don’t realize that all the benefits and freedoms that our western society enjoys are at the cost of incredible conflict, intolerance, and standing up for our beliefs – for our religion – for our democracy – and finally for our Reason. This is the foundation of our empire.
Today, we believe in nothing. We don’t talk about Truth, because people don’t even know how to do it. Everything and everybody is stronger than someone who doesn’t believe in anything (what does it mean to believe in science?). Western society is becoming that. We used to believe in something, and we will again when we wake up. But I fear that this wake-up will be brutal and painful. And we will look back on ourselves with great embarrassment. How can one be proud if one doesn’t believe in anything? Our “God” and our country should inspire the same passion as our favorite football team. But no, the media is a constant feed of negativity. The Media, in general, is an auto-immune disease. It is the message and therefore holds the responsibility of information, which is ultimately everything. It is only in a society that collectively believes in nothing that no one will stand up for anything. Not even its own church, its own army, or its own king. But this is our very heritage. This is why we are free today… this is why men and women are considered equal, this is why blacks and whites are considered the same, this is why there is a freedom of belief and a constant desire to search further into our universe to discover its secrets, this is why there is a general morality, and basic things that just aren’t done in our part of the world. Can we not stand up for this?? Can we not stand up when we see someone harming another human? Can we not speak up against things that we feel are wrong? Can we not be proud of our heritage, in the things our grandparents and great grandparents gave their lives for? What we have is not Free… I feel like this has been thoroughly forgotten… And that is sad.
I just like it – not the subject of this topic itself, but the fact You’re writing about it – it is so simple and obvious, but people around us just are not able to see it. I hope, there will be the sequel here soon!
interesting ideas, it is easy not to get involved with the wrongs of the world especially when it has no perceptible effect on my daily life, i can’t say i disagree with what was said above but it does strike me that, (if i understood you correctly) that we should be more like our enemies. our enemies, have passion, they are willing to die for what they believe is “right”, they are vocal, and don’t care about political correctness. tolerance is not in their vocabulary, but look at the grief they are giving our plump chip eating, big screen tv, couch potatoes, animal loving society. (i am stereo typing both sides of the fence i realize) but are you wanting to fight passion with passion, intolerance with intolerance, ?? i guess be like your enemy to conquer your enemy!!??
i would not be so harsh on animal lovers either,they are disillusioned with humans, it is easy to love an animal, they are happy as long as they are fed, they have no opinion, they don’t talk back, not racist, they live instinctively for the present, no thought about the afterlife. (possibly like our western society, apart from the racism )
now to try and tie this thought together maybe it is good that their are some of us easy going enough, tolerant, and have no belief system worth dying for, animalish life style, so that the world is not one big bloody slaughtering field??!!
another point maybe while i am at it if you allow
our grandparents, our church, our king,had very strong vocalized opinion, but many where wrong and looking back, an embarrassment, and will be judged severely (if one believes in the after life) ie king Leopold in congo, the churches thinking of the roman catholic church, and how much of our freedoms and riches have come from past abuses at the expense of others, but these were fearless men of action, men of passion, conquering for queen and country. getting off their couches, turning off thier TV’s and making europe and n america’s the super powers of the world… at what cost.
i have no answers, i know not much, but for every mile (or km) of road their is two miles of ditch. thanks for your views, if you can;t be tolerant, stay compassionate.
Dear Devil,
thank you for your responsive thoughts.
So – this seems to be an age old critical response to concepts that are universal and completely inclusive. Such as tolerance, relativity, and the principle of uncertainty. let me begin by quickly using Love as a metaphor. To be Love. to be all-loving.. means to only be able to love and be love? so that ultimately, Love, in order to be love, must love evil and must love hatred. But obviously this makes no sense, Love is defined by the very fact that it cannot stand Evil (that it is its opposite), that it cannot stand hatred. For that is exactly what defines love. So that one could say that Love must hate… or else it is no longer love. for if you tell me that ‘Love’ loves evil, then we have a serious problem… then we actually have nothing. Love looses its very meaning.
So this is my issue. People started to define tolerance in a way that tolerates everything, even intolerance! well now we have the same problem… For tolerance means nothing if it ‘tolerates’ intolerance. It looses its very meaning. A tolerant society cannot tolerate intolerance. point-finale. To remain faithful to itself and its meaning, it must tolerate everything that is tolerant, and nothing that is not. i am going around in circles – it’s so logical to me that i get frustrated..
now, the only reason i begin this blog the way i did is because people in our world think that as a tolerant society we must tolerate everything. hence being apathetic to everything… even ‘hatred.’ (now we are far from being Love, but just for arguments sake).
anyhow. so no, we fight intolerance with Tolerance! even if it appears to be intolerance as you say. can you honestly think that Tolerance should be tolerant of Intolerance?
And we are certainly not like our enemy. And we have to fight in order for this Not to become the case. (if the situation arose – although i would dare to suggest that it has started a while ago).
What if this non-believing, freethinking, easy-going society was at the brink of extinction? would they remain so? what if this society lost all the freedom that allowed them to be freethinking, easy going, and non-believing? would they just think to themselves “ah, whatever, it’s cool.” The only reason they are so easy-going is because they have never had to do anything to have this Freedom, to have this unique autonomy. It was given to them by our grandparents… The worst thing in life is getting something for free, for it loses all its value.
And finally, when looking at our passed with embarrassment, as often there is good reason – we forget that we have lived and learned. look at how much society’s values and prejudices have changed in just the passed 70 years. We live forward and Understand backwards. If these men, who we are embarrassed about hadn’t done the things they did – often bringing awareness and forcing change, we wouldn’t enjoy the fruits of those who had the courage to fight against evils. (George Washington Williams – congo) Ofcourse if everyone starts believing and being passionate, so will evil people… but So will Good people. And no one could ever say that we haven’t learned anything from our history. Our history as much as it sometimes shames us; has given us everything that we have today, from technology to equality. It has crushed ancients ideas of class, ancient ideas of prophets and angry gods, crushed ancient ideas of random mysticism, and finally given us beliefs about universal humanitarianism. Are we not proud of how we have developed? could it have happened another way…? perhaps, but unlikely if you consider how society’s were in ‘ancient times’ and… well look around.
PS> i am very tolerant. : )
well said… i enjoy your thought process, and appreciate the time you spend jotting down your thoughts, these are important things to think about, even though it may bring us to a place outside of our comfort zone.