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    a propos of nothing, and everything. and how can we justify an opinion on anything? Archived Message

    Posted by John Monro on March 12, 2023, 1:19 am

    I don't know if any of you read "Bella Caldeonia"? Mike Small and others' web vehicle for discussion on Scottish independence. I follow Scottish affairs with great interest here in NZ. I consider Scotland my spiritual home. I even wear regularly a kilt in Monro tartan and hiking and walking in a kilt is an airy and romantic pastime.

    Anyway, Mike Small published an article taking up Monbiot's criticism of Russel Brand. https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2023/03/10/off-brand-the-problem-with-ego-charisma-and-conspiracy/#comment-626540

    Mike Small is entitled to his opinion - some of which I agree with, some I don't. Just the same with Jonathan Cook's (long) opinion. Just the same as with posters to this site.

    Anyway, this is what I wrote.

    John Monro
    12th March 2023 at 1:07 am

    I’m having huge difficulty following so many of these arguments. Commentators, pundits, web based opinionators who I follow, that’s people ,who are on the moral side of the political and social spectrum, (I have long since abandoned left wing/right wing analysis of politics or of social thinking) seem, like the Ukrainians in Bakhmut, to have constructed deep defensive lines, silos of thought; all I see, gazing Earthwards from my orbiting satellite, or perhaps nowadays it’s a balloon, are human beings who should be sharing the same trench shooting at each other over some imaginary no-mans-land and not thinking the rather more important, and existential question, “why the hell am I here?”

    Jonathan Cook’s very long article dissecting George Monbiot’s dissection of Russel Brand, and pretty well everything else about George Monbiot, am I the only one feeling verbally punch drunk? Does Mike Small’s earnest article bring me any enlightenment? Do I even know what to think any more?

    There’s only one conspiracy worth talking or writing about now, and that’s the conspiracy that has abandoned moral and ethical behaviour and simple humanity and charity in nearly every powerful state institution (through law and the practical application of force), in private institutions and corporations (with the power of obscene wealth) and the captive media (who facilitate both). Power without morals is not just corrupting the people who control us, but is corrupting the societies and citizens who they control, a sort of trickle down of moral and ethical sociopathy.

    I wish I could provide an answer, but there used to be a movement called “Moral Rearmament” Now, I am as ignorant about MRA as the next man, but Wiki provides an overview. Here’s a small snippet “Buchman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Buchman) was a pioneer in multi-faith initiatives. As he said, “MRA is the good road of an ideology inspired by God upon which all can unite. Catholic, Jew and Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Confucianist – all find they can change, where needed, and they can travel along this good road together.”. The very name, Moral Rearmament, suggests the two most important principle – the moral stance, and the willingness to fight for it.

    I am not religious, but I strongly suspect if our economic system does collapse and enough people are impoverished, that such a movement and a religious revival might supplant the more dangerous push to totalitarianism and fascism. It might additionally provide a sufficient and effective moral partnership with our planet that we might even survive. .

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