This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.

Guest Post: Compassion – Killer Of Society?

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Submitted by Rex van Schalkwyk of Casey Research

Compassion – Killer Of Society?

In politics, it is the idea that counts. So also in philosophy, pop music, pedantry and philanthropy. The idea is everything. And between the idea and the reality, there lies that vast uncharted terrain of promises unfulfilled, of lies and deceit and of naked hypocrisy, all of which account for the failure of the public discourse and of public life. In short, this self-inflicted deception accounts for the failure of society.

Bertrand Russell, who is said by some to have been the greatest philosopher of the 20th century, and a notable socialist, proposed that in the one-world society he envisaged, the supply of food should be used as a lever to ensure social compliance. This is what he wrote on the need to prevent the increase of the world's population: "If this is to be done otherwise than by wars, pestilence and famines, it will demand a powerful international authority. This authority should deal out the world's food to the various nations in proportion to their population at the time of the establishment of the authority. If any nation should subsequently increase its population, it should not on that account receive more food…"

In this way, the philosopher would have contrived a one-world totalitarian dictatorship in a perpetual state of starvation. Russell did not even consider where the world's food, without which people were to be starved into submission, would realistically be produced. The most extraordinary thing of all is that he could suggest such an idea in pursuit of his ideal of the utopian life. Were it not for the fact that his work, The Impact of Science on Society, is no laughing matter, it might have been read as a malicious satire.

There is a conundrum here: why is it that so many of those who enthusiastically embrace a benign cause conduct themselves with such malevolent intent? The answer in Russell's case and many others besides is that the real object of their concern is not the welfare of the individual, or of the collective, or the world, as the case may be. The real preoccupation is the idea, and close by the idea is the individual who will see self-interest as synonymous with the public good.

And so it is easy for Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, George Soros, and others who have made their billions to adopt neo-socialist causes and to plead the morality of higher taxation because, having made their pile, they can with impunity identify with the perceived interests of the disadvantaged. They can adopt the mantle of compassion because there is no real cost involved.

The worst crimes in human history were committed in the name of the communist ideology, whose central premise was the brotherhood of men. Everyone was a comrade, except when they were not, which was practically all the time. Never included in the common definition were the rulers, although they were routinely referred to by the same fraternal denomination.

George Bernard Shaw actually visited Russia in the company of a clutch of like-minded intellectuals after the commencement of Stalin's infamous purges. When he returned to the safety of London, he proclaimed to have been well-pleased by the progressive nature of Russian society.

How did this man of letters come to a conclusion so perverse? The answer is that he traded his integrity in exchange for the acknowledgement of the intellectual establishment of the time. It was believed then, particularly among the intellectual classes of Oxford and Cambridge, that communism was the way of the future. In Major Barbara, Shaw had excoriated the wealth derived from machines of death and destruction. What better trade for a playwright of his inclinations than to feign ignorance of the depravity of Stalin's Russia. In this way he would find favor with the masters of the intellectual universe.

In a letter written to The Manchester Guardian on March 2, 1933, Shaw and 20 other fellow travelers made this observation: "We desire to record that we saw nowhere evidence of such economic slavery, privation, unemployment and cynical despair of betterment as are accepted as inevitable and ignored by the [British] press… Everywhere we saw the hopeful and enthusiastic working-class, self-respecting and free up to the limits imposed on them by nature and a terrible inheritance from tyranny…"

If Shaw were to be believed, he was well aware of the tyranny of the tsar but blissfully ignorant of the savagery of Joseph Stalin, of the ubiquitous secret police, the extermination of the kulaks and the mass deportation and starvation of vast swaths of the Russian population. On his visit, he did not even notice the ever-present apparatus of Stalin's propaganda machine.

Joseph Schumpeter, who was both a sociologist and an economist, had the measure of human nature. In every democracy, votes are exchanged for favors. As the democracy matures and as the prize of political office becomes ever more seductive, the promises become ever more extravagant. By this process the democratic bribe must, according to Schumpeter, result in government that becomes increasingly socialist. If practical proof of Schumpeter's thesis is required, it is to be found in the inexorable rise of socialism in Europe, Canada, Australia and in the United States.

Add to this the requirement of the bankers and of the lesser financial institutions to secure political advantage, and it becomes easy to follow the money. This also explains the paradox of capital making common cause with socialism. If there is hypocrisy in those who choose to ignore the contradictions of their actions, this hypocrisy is multiplied in those who regard such conduct as a promotion of the public good.

When, as Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson went down on his knees in his abject supplication before Nancy Pelosi, the high priestess of Congress, was it for the survival of the economy or his share-option scheme that he most fervently prayed? Whose interests was he guarding when he provided his banker friends and colleagues with insider information about the imminent collapse of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae – a possibility that only weeks before he had publicly and emphatically dismissed?

The "liberated" South Africa is governed by the African National Congress (ANC), which comprises an assortment of socialists, communists, trades unionists and a sprinkling of pragmatists. The one thing that this unruly crowd has in common is its conspicuous consumption. In the process, billions of rand are misspent, unaccounted for or simply stolen. The chief in the office of former president Thabo Mbeki, Smuts Ngonyama, once proclaimed that he had not engaged in the liberation struggle to be poor. Candor of this kind is, however, rare; far more likely, a critic of government corruption will be met with the accusation of racialism.

The poor and the dispossessed are routinely exploited for the social and political ambitions of their rulers. Winnie Mandela, the former wife of the idealized former president, was convicted of the common-law crimes of kidnapping and assault. Were it not for an opportunistic appeal-court judgment, she might have spent many years in jail. Although she no longer goes by the moniker "Mother of the Nation," she still cuts a prominent and elegant figure on the many occasions she appears in public. Her kidnap victim was found dead, but her compassion is always on display: she never misses a photo shoot opportunity in the immediate presence of misery.

If the politicians and intellectuals are masters at the art of hypocrisy, Hollywood actors and pop stars have a sublime skill in the promotion of humbug. One such practitioner is Paul David Hewson, also known simply as Bono, the lead singer and lyricist of the accomplished Irish rock group U2.

Bono has turned his talents and his genius for publicity to the international populist causes of the day. He has organized many benefit concerts, eagerly supported by the "me-too brigade" who make up much of the entertainment industry. The most woebegone victims invariably attract the greatest artistic support, which is always provided for free.

For his efforts, Bono has consorted with presidents and kings and accumulated an assortment of titles and awards. Formally granted an honorary knighthood in March 2007 and thrice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the former Time Person of the Year has been described by Paul Theroux as a "mythomaniac"; a person who wishes "…to convince the world of (his) worth." The sociologist and political commentator Muhammad Idrees Ahmad has condemned Bono's conduct as "…a grand orgy of narcissistic philanthropy." So we have it on good authority: narcissism and philanthropy can coexist.

If the hypocrisy of the pop stars is nauseating, the grandiloquent but meaningless oratory of the aspirant political "leaders," of which much will be seen and heard in the coming months, is almost certain to produce results, the very opposite of what is pledged.

Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and others besides have fallen into the trap of bribing their electorates with promises that become ever more unsustainable. In each of these states, expectations have been created that cannot be met and that cannot now be undone. This is surely a recipe for social unrest.

These will not be the only countries to succumb to failure. The national debt, the unaffordable long-term cost of social security, health care and a myriad other entitlements and the mounting evidence of the insolvent state point to the same outcome for the UK and the US. Failure is ensured; the more pressing question is, what happens next?

 

- advertisements -

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:42 | 2528540 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

A US citizen on this site had it another day on another thread:the thinkers of the future are to be found here.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 04:24 | 2528567 TheFourthStooge-ing
TheFourthStooge-ing's picture

AnAnonymous said:

A US citizen on this site had it another day on another thread:the thinkers of the future are to be found here.

...with AnAnonymous standing on a pedestal wearing a laurel wreath, expecting to be crowned as the modern day Confusious.

Made me very much laugh.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 06:26 | 2528611 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

Crowned by whom? US citizens?

Ummm, better that than being dead. Many things are better than death. After all.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 12:32 | 2529663 akak
akak's picture

But not many things would be better than YOUR death.  After all.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 04:26 | 2528568 TheFourthStooge-ing
TheFourthStooge-ing's picture

Cosimo de Medici said:

Zerohedge sure knows where to find them.  All the smartest people in the world write guest spots on the Hedge.  They know EVERYTHING.  They like NOTHING.  They are expert at telling us what is wrong, and damn if EVERYTHING isn’t wrong and NOTHING is right, except them.

So when can we expect your guest spot?

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 04:57 | 2528579 onebir
onebir's picture

And even Tyler has his own little hangups along these lines ;-)

(Or perhaps it's one/some of the Tylers?) 

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 01:24 | 2528413 blindman
blindman's picture

it's like that quote about being born on third base
and thinking you hit a home run. that is the state of
mankind today. we are all born rounding third base,
but in this game there are land mines in front of
home plate. most step on one. those who don't
still think they hit a home run, and some did.
those would be the ones that know the score, have
the humility and passion , compassion and pity for
them that happened on the land mine right before
they themselves came along. not that anyone much cares
about that, back to the daily dose of the hunger games,
brought to you by our sponsor, maker of fine foods and
beverages, scientifically enhanced with the newest
organisms, and some old, known to man.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 01:25 | 2528416 Oliver Jones
Oliver Jones's picture

Frank Herbert really said it best: "Kindness is the beginning of cruelty."

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 02:11 | 2528466 Joe A
Joe A's picture

So what is this author suggesting then? That we should leave the unemployed, the sick and the unwanted to themselves? Let them die? Does he want social Darwinism? Social security might have gone astray but suppose you one day become sick? Nice then if then there is some sort of safety net, right? Or not?

Altruism is part of human nature. It is not only there to make you feel good about yourself (as the author suggest is the case with Bono) but also for a social reason: to secure families/communities/countries. Altruism is the reason why there is Christianity and any other religion that expresses care for people. Altruism is also the root of socialism but socialism doesn't work because it is vulnerable to the likes of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Socialism is also dilusional in thinking that you can provide 100% employment and socialist economy is inefficient. Capitalist economy is also inefficient but capitalism had unlimited access to credit but that is over now.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:41 | 2528538 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

So what is this author suggesting then? That we should leave the unemployed, the sick and the unwanted to themselves?

_________________

No, cant do. Those are profitable assets in US citizen class warfare.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:59 | 2528550 Joe A
Joe A's picture

And paid for by these same citizens I presume?

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 05:02 | 2528580 onebir
onebir's picture

Does he want social Darwinism?

Sounds like it. So everything goes to privileged, rich, healthy and strong, as opposed to the politically influential, privileged, rich, healthy, and strong.

Progress, libertarian style. ;-)

Tue, 07/10/2012 - 03:36 | 2601311 Oliver Jones
Oliver Jones's picture

No.

The author is saying that the world is a cruel and unforgiving place, and those who shield people from the wrath of Nature ensure they are completely vulnerable and unprepared.

It is not rocket science, but it is beyond the intellectual grasp of most people today - who claim to be "enlightened" - but are, in fact, brainwashed.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 02:18 | 2528467 blindman
blindman's picture

we always end up back here.
Nick Lowe & Daryl Hall, w/ T-Bone Wolk-Cruel To Be Kind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a30Uo5sJWSQ
.
it is just fucking sad
and beautiful

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:39 | 2528537 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

Copy cats exist.

It is part of US citizen nature to use the lower class, the poor as a stepping stone for the ambitions of the King class in US citizenism, the US citizen middle class. Classical US citizen class warfare.

Others, later, copied the recipe as copy cats exist.

But the originality of the method lied with US citizens.

Communists have one good thing: they are gone.

But US citizens are still here, kicking and rearing, ruling the world as a dominating force never seen before.

The US citizen author can not help himself: he has to masquerade cruelty as compassion, just like US citizens are used to masquerading coercion for freedom, propaganda and fantasy for truth, and injustice for justice. US citizen way.

US citizens are not compassionate. They are duplicitous and as such claim to be compassionate to hide their cruelty. Cruelty has nearly been banned from US citizen vocabulary. At best, in a strange twist, a cruel US citizen might refer to himself as a cynical. Funny.

The government? Nope. US citizenism. So many examples. Ummm, autistic kids. So US citizens claim they are going to help autistic kids. Private firms are raising funds to develop technology allowing eye movements tracking. So noble.

A few years later, the project is given up and woops, the target of the project appears: marketing for example as the eye tracking device is now used to better understand how to create in a customer a better compulsion in buying things.
To decrease the hesitation of a buyer when she reads an ad, a product package.

US citizen middle class using the poor, the destituted, the wretched, as a stepping stone for their ambition.

As it has been done since US citizenism inception.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:50 | 2528545 Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar's picture

Would you do me a favor AnAnonymous and break down a few issues I have been struggling with for a while:

  1. Vaccines: do they really cause autism?
  2. HKD: should we buy it in advance of the inevitable moment where the CNY becomes the new world reserve currency?
  3. Lindsay Lohan: talented and troubled or just a drunken whore?

My personal thoughts are:

  1. yes
  2. yes
  3. talented and troubled

But WTF do I know?  You seem to know more than me so please opine.  Tnx in advance buddy.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:58 | 2528549 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

1- no idea.

2-USD will remain world reserve currency and will only see its decline due to the decrease of goods to be traded in the world (as parts of the world will have no longer stuff to be traded[depletion of resources as aimed to by US citizens], they will less and less use USD, withdrawing this part from the world, making it so USD could no longer be deemed the world reserve currency

3- not knowing her and guessing: a US citizen entrepreneur, business woman? as a third option then.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 04:15 | 2528559 Vic Vinegar
Vic Vinegar's picture

Tnx for the reply.  A few follow-up comments:

  1. That's a fair response.  You seem to know a lot of things but it's worth looking into the link between vaccines and autism.  That's another thing you could become an expert on.
  2. You started to lose me on this one.  I started to think "there's a thought in here somewhere but I'm lost by the end".  Apologies in advance if I'm not able to comprehend what you are saying.  But my definitive answer on this one is: yes.
  3. I gotta call bullshit on anyone who pretends not to know who LiLo is.  It's the same reason I stopped reading Taleb.  It's one thing for that cat to say "Ben Bernanke doesn't know what he's doing"...I can look past that for a while and pretend this guy's an academic that I should look up to.  But to feign ingornance of Lindsay Lohan...sorry dude.

A douche who gets off on his own wisdom is not worth listening to.  NNT falls into that bucket.  Please tell me you do not!

 

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 06:31 | 2528616 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

My ignorance about that woman is not feigned.

Been a while I gave up on the 'cultural' world provided by US citizens.

I could barely name one current hollywood star.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 12:22 | 2529628 akak
akak's picture

Not only am I shocked --- SHOCKED!, I say! --- by the actual (and rarely encountered) coherence of your comment here, but I am thrown into abject terror by the fact that I must concur with you, as I have no idea whatsoever who Lindsey Lohan is (nor do I care). 

Weather Alert: Hell has just officially frozen over.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 06:37 | 2528621 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

Vic, I have to admit I also have no idea who that woman is... IMHO we have a cultural gap, there... ;-)

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 08:49 | 2528806 Ident 7777 economy
Ident 7777 economy's picture

 

 

AnAnonymous :

...

" It is part of US citizen nature to use the lower class, the poor as a stepping stone for the ambitions of the King class in US citizenism, the US citizen middle class. Classical US citizen class warfare. "

 

More 'populist' crap ... where does this sh*t come from?

 

From the 'oppressed-only-in-their-own-minds' crowd? (The "Oh woe is me" drama-queen group? )

 

Must be ... for them I have no sympathy, only derision ...

 

 

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 03:45 | 2528539 blindman
blindman's picture

@.."what comes next?"
that is always the same, life, love
compassion and
sympathy (symphony)

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 04:50 | 2528575 onebir
onebir's picture

The problems identified are corruption, dishonesty, cowardice, egotism and short-termism amongst the political/celebrity class.

So why blame 'compassion' in the headline?

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 06:33 | 2528619 AnAnonymous
AnAnonymous's picture

Because US citizens would like to sell the idea that the current state of the world is the result of truth, justice, freedom, peace etc as US citizens love to introduce themselves of Champions for truth, justice, freedom and peace?

One point to never forget: the cure for all the ailments of US citizenism is even more US citizenism.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 08:52 | 2528813 Ident 7777 economy
Ident 7777 economy's picture

 

 

This is an "AnAnonymous" un-sponsored CRAP ALERT.

 

Reading his/her material will have the effect of turning your brain to mush and rob you of precious life - precious minutes you will never get back!

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 05:12 | 2528585 blindman
blindman's picture

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/music_blog/...
Video: Wilco, Nick Lowe and Mavis perform The Band's classic... the weight
Posted at 7:30 PM on January 9, 2012 by Bill DeVille
.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 08:46 | 2528797 solidus
solidus's picture

Articles such as this one are the reason I feel guilty every time I read Zerohedge without having to pay for it.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 11:24 | 2529421 mickeyman
mickeyman's picture

The frustrated idealists are the most dangerous ideologues. They have to punish mankind for not being able to live up to their ideals.

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 22:25 | 2531222 blindman
blindman's picture

Nick Lowe - Love's Got A Lot To Answer For (Album Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR2Tx8L5T3c&feature=BFa&list=AL94UKMTqg-9...

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!