A warning on the future of music

[Danger Man]

There ya go. 🙃

[Glammerocity]

On 6/16/2022 at 8:31 PM, Danger Man said:

Every evil deed starts with a selfish desire and we're all born selfish and wanting constant attention. "Mine," "give me," "I want," "don't," "stop it---these are the words dominant to us when we first learn to talk. There's nothing more selfish than a small child. So I believe we're all born evil and the whole purpose of life is to become selfless before we make our grand exit. Few of us seem likely to achieve that goal.

 

I'm currently reading Humankind by Rutger Bregman, who dispels that myth that civilisation exists with a veneer of goodness, while underneath we're all as evil as a blocked toilet. Example after example throughout history remain ignored and old attitudes persist. If evil exists, it's in humans being so willing to resist evidence-based truths.

 

Hitler, Churchill and Roosevelt were all convinced a populace would crumble into anarchy under heavy bombing. The reverse was true: it brought people together, as many a natural disaster has also done. Plucky British spirit? Nope. Despite this evidence at home, a British army high-up convinced other high-ups that heavy bombing of Germany would demoralise the civilian population. Again, the reverse happened, just as it had in the Blitz, and they suffered far heavier bombing. That wasn't why they lost the war.

 

William Golding's Lord of the Flies was held up as a fine, Nobel-worthy example of children's inherent badness when the chips are down. It's still widely taught, perpetuating the myth. Bregman found an example of some kids who'd been washed up on a deserted island near Tonga. Many months later a passing ship found them, healthy, united and not at all descended into anything like Lord of the Flies anarchy. Unlike Lord of the Flies, they'd maintained a fire with vigilance and shiftwork. A medic was astounded at how healthy they were, including one whose broken leg they'd mended very well with a handmade splint. Golding later admitted his book was more about himself than anything he knew about children. He was a bit of a misanthrope.

 

Of course there are evil individuals who get into positions of power, then believe everybody must be as evil as them, so act accordingly. Jeffrey Skilling was the CEO of Enron. He believed it's a dog eat dog world and structured the company accordingly. We know what happened there, and Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Good work, that capitalist.

 

The National Guard was sent into New Orleans after Katrina to sort out an allegedly anarchic populace which hadn't actually occurred. Rumours had typically abounded, based on fear more than reality. Looting had happened in a social sense, as people shared what they could recover for those in need, not stealing for personal gain. It didn't stop some police officers shooting some people, for which they eventually received lengthy prison sentences when the truth was discovered.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Glammerocity

[Jac]

21 hours ago, Glammerocity said:

 

I'm currently reading Humankind by Rutger Bregman, who dispels that myth that civilisation exists with a veneer of goodness, while underneath we're all as evil as a blocked toilet. Example after example throughout history remain ignored and old attitudes persist. If evil exists, it's in humans being so willing to resist evidence-based truths.

 

Hitler, Churchill and Roosevelt were all convinced a populace would crumble into anarchy under heavy bombing. The reverse was true: it brought people together, as many a natural disaster has also done. Plucky British spirit? Nope. Despite this evidence at home, a British army high-up convinced other high-ups that heavy bombing of Germany would demoralise the civilian population. Again, the reverse happened, just as it had in the Blitz, and they suffered far heavier bombing. That wasn't why they lost the war.

 

William Golding's Lord of the Flies was held up as a fine, Nobel-worthy example of children's inherent badness when the chips are down. It's still widely taught, perpetuating the myth. Bregman found an example of some kids who'd been washed up on a deserted island near Tonga. Many months later a passing ship found them, healthy, united and not at all descended into anything like Lord of the Flies anarchy. Unlike Lord of the Flies, they'd maintained a fire with vigilance and shiftwork. A medic was astounded at how healthy they were, including one whose broken leg they'd mended very well with a handmade splint. Golding later admitted his book was more about himself than anything he knew about children. He was a bit of a misanthrope.

 

Of course there are evil individuals who get into positions of power, then believe everybody must be as evil as them, so act accordingly. Jeffrey Skilling was the CEO of Enron. He believed it's a dog eat dog world and structured the company accordingly. We know what happened there, and Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Good work, that capitalist.

 

The National Guard was sent into New Orleans after Katrina to sort out an allegedly anarchic populace which hadn't actually occurred. Rumours had typically abounded, based on fear more than reality. Looting had happened in a social sense, as people shared what they could recover for those in need, not stealing for personal gain. It didn't stop some police officers shooting some people, for which they eventually received lengthy prison sentences when the truth was discovered.

Rutger Bergman sounds a very interesting character, very deep thinker,, even taking on tucker carlson once !

l'll have to look at that book as it's sounds very interesting. l think he has done some TED talks, l'll have to go take a look. but it might be too political for me.

Does Rutger touch on the subject of 'population growth' in that book ?

[Glammerocity]

On 8/9/2023 at 1:23 PM, Jac said:

Rutger Bergman sounds a very interesting character, very deep thinker,, even taking on tucker carlson once !

l'll have to look at that book as it's sounds very interesting. l think he has done some TED talks, l'll have to go take a look. but it might be too political for me.

Does Rutger touch on the subject of 'population growth' in that book ?

 

He goes through the move from hunter-gatherers to the advent of farming, which is when populaion growth began and the problems seem to have started. Far from civilisation covering up innate evil, that appears to have been when evil started, because it's when individual ownership began. And of course, then kings, slaves and wars. If you like having ideas challenged, it's a good read. As Public Enemy wrote, don't believe the hype.

Edited August 11, 2023 by Glammerocity

[Jac]

1 hour ago, Glammerocity said:

 

He goes through the move from hunter-gatherers to the advent of farming, which is when populaion growth began and the problems seem to have started. Far from civilisation covering up innate evil, that appears to have been when evil started, because it's when individual ownership began. And of course, then kings, slaves and wars. If you like having ideas challenged, it's a good read. As Public Enemy wrote, don't believe the hype.

sounds very interesting, thank you, l will certainly read up on him. I'm a devout christian and  l believe in challenging everything, so he interests me a lot.

[Glammerocity]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:58 PM, buckoff said:

But what does this have to do with music ?

 

A fair question. Not much, on the surface. But I would say music is art and art is the dissemination of ideas, so it's a good idea to have ideas. All the best songwriters were avid readers. Bowie got his cutup inspiration from William Burroughs, who got it from somewhere else. The Jean Genie was about Jean Genet. And so on.