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If I want your opinion, I'll tell you it. |
| Welcome to The Chimp Blog, it is your choice to be offended. |
Scottish Independence – A waste of energy I have to ask myself why Scottish people want independence in an era of economic uncertainty, when the only country in Europe bucking the trend is the UK, and how a conquest over 300 years ago still grates the self-proclaimed William Wallace of politics, Alex Salmond. Don’t we all want the same things, the English, Welsh, Northern Irish and the Scots? Can this huge diversion of resources be justified? The nationalists have eluded themselves that they can follow in the footsteps of Norway when the reality would look more like South Sudan. The dream of getting rich quick on oil and building a fabulously wealthy nation is never going to happen. Trouble is, the money for the oil infrastructure came from UK coffers, not just Scottish, so the debate over who has rights to the oil would drag on for decades, if not indefinitely, a total waste of everyone’s energy. Of course the truth is that most Scots don’t want independence at all. The latest polls http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_Scottish_independence_refer... show that in fact Scottish Independence is but a dream of a minority of bitter and unrealistic Scots who detest rule from London so much that they would rather their children had no jobs but could burn images of the queen all night long. It’s also widely believed that most people who are undecided as of yet would generally vote against independence given the choice, making the margin even more significant. I’m glad that most people have the sense to realise what is truly important to their families, not a 300 year old grudge, but long run job security, healthcare and education. It disgusts me to think of the amount of time, money and energy that has been wasted on the dream of a minority of nationalists. Just think what could have been done with all that money? Better teachers, hospitals, more police, parks and facilities. An abhorrent amount of money has been wasted but things will be so much worse if Scotland ever does severe ties with the UK. From 1707 the nationalists have dreamt of governing themselves again, even though the benefits of the union are so vast. It’s rather like when the Romans invaded Britannia. At first the locals rebelled and refused to accept their new masters, but when, over time, they realised the benefits, such as warm houses and centres of commerce they realised the benefits outweighed the selfish reality of wanting to make your own decisions on every tiny issue. The difference in 2014 is that English people do not consider themselves rulers of Scotland yet the nationalist would have you believe that we do. The reality in 2014 is that we are the same nation to all intents and purposes, whilst keeping our unique history and local identity. The financial cost of independence would be stupendous. It’s estimated that the cost alone of having new embassies in every country would be in the hundreds of millions of pounds, and that’s British Pounds, not Scottish Pounds, or whatever worthless currency they’ll adopt because as soon as they go alone the market will flop on its face, house prices would crumble, people would be desperate to get over Hadrian’s Wall once again. It would be an economic nightmare. The cost of a new army, secret service, health service, police force would be just astronomical, wasted money when you already have those things in superior forms. There is no way Scotland could subsidise higher education in its current format with no tuition fees for local students, not to mention the health service with the high number of smokers and heavy drinkers in Scotland, let alone the crazy economic gamble of serving ties with the fastest growing economy in Europe. Countless top employers have said they’ll leave Scotland should they vote for independence such as RBS, Lloyds, BAE Systems and Standard Life to name but a few. Here is an apt quote from a concerned Scottish no voter, ‘I also believe that Scotland will go into economic doldrums for many years and that Scotland will operate in a very fragile and uncertain environment with the local, regional, national and European political parties all fighting for position and not worrying about the people of Scotland or businesses.’ But we’re looking at long-run prosperity! They argue, - like the oil that will one day run out? It’s not as if Scotland doesn’t already have a strong sense of national identity and political autonomy. Considering all the economic benefits, sacrificing the right to control tax levels seems a fair compromise. Mr Salmond is also a first rate hypocrite, refusing to acknowledge the Scottish islands’ claims for self-rule even though they cite the very same reasons he uses to justify leaving the UK. Explain that one? I respect that Scotland has a right to choose independence, but when polls suggest only a minority of people actually want independence can such vast amounts of time and money truly be justified? Is this good for Scotland? Many nationalists have a true grievance that dates back hundreds of years when Scotland merged with England in 1707, they see something humiliating that their laws and taxes are still made in London, even though they have a high degree of self-rule and a strong national identity and are the complete equals of every citizen of this great nation – we are still foreign invaders to them. How can toffs in London really know what life is like in Scotland? How can those rich businessmen 600 miles down south have any idea about Scotland? People with this false mind-set of suppression can’t be reasoned with but I just ask them - Are you really so different? I don’t think so. I for one hope they stay in the Union. We share the same values, we share the same modern history and we want the same future. To my mind we are equals with different accents but we want the same things in life. Together we are stronger, and anyone who denies that or would rather wave a flag but have no job has their priorities very wrong indeed. I just hope once this epic waste of resources is over we can all move forward as one nation and tackle the issues that really matter. |
Their magic is killing us, tolerating religious fantasy and brainwashing in 2013 Why do we tolerate intolerance? Why does our society still protect the rights of oppressive and dangerous groups? Why does the right to freely practice religion outweigh the collective right of society to develop and progress? Why, in this modern age of reason, should fantastical beliefs lessen the quality of life for all? But our religious views don’t affect you? Leave us alone to pray in peace. Wrong. Your backward views are undermining our free society in more ways than most people care to realise. In America, Christian lobby groups successfully opposed the introduction of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, estimated to kill around 2000 women each year. These women die in agony because brainwashed bigots deem that the vaccine would encourage premarital sex. Their evil code of ‘morals’ would have you believe it is better to die of cancer that have premarital sex, for this is what their invisible god ordains, imposing their sick ideology on the whole of society. Christianity has actively encouraged the spread of Aids in Africa and across the world, such is their opposition to premarital sex that, as well as cancer, they would have you die from Aids. In May 2009, the Congolese bishops’ conference made an announcement: "In all truth, the pope's message which we received with joy has confirmed us in our fight against HIV/Aids. We say no to condoms!" In the face of unquestionable scientific evidence that condoms prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, it is hard to view this declaration as being anything other than evil. Stem cell research in America has been perversely held back by powerful Christian lobby groups to the detriment of society at large. The amount of suffering that could be reduced through stem cell technology is astounding, curing blindness, (ironically like the fantasy character, Jesus Christ, Christians so admire) untold aliments and preserving life. These Christian loons say that it is wrong to destroy an embryo. Using this logic every menstrual cycle is an act of murder, yet these warped views are actively holding society back right now, delaying tremendous advances in medicine by untold years. Sickening. A young mother, a Jehovah witness, lies on a hospital bed, haemorrhaging to death but refusing a transfusion in the name of her invisible god. The child will never know its mother. A tragic testimony to the evil power of brainwashing and religion. 28 Iraqi women are raped, deliberately shamed so that, their lives now worthless in the eyes of society, they will strap a bomb to themselves and detonate it at government checkpoints - thus restoring their honour in the name of Allah. Religion is directly accountable for untold wars, systematic child abuse and exploitation, fundamentalist terrorism, the oppression of women, persecution of homosexuals, witches, non- believers, believers of rival magical texts, a colossal waste of human energy and financial resources devoted to religion, the spread of aids, and the segregation and division of societies the world over. In the past religion was an important evolutionary tool for survival, bonding groups, explaining mysteries, imposing hieratical order on chaotic societies. With good intentions, parents brainwashed their children to believe what they had been taught by their loving parents themselves. Everyone believed in god. That process continued until this day unbroken, refusing to accept or modify their ancient views, refuting all logic and scientific evidence, demonizing those who opposed them. The chain of child abuse, of brainwashing helpless, vulnerable children needs to stop. Our society can no longer condone this evil that sustains these irrational religions. Young Muslims at madrassas are forced to learn the fantastical Qur’an in Arabic, kids at Catholic schools are brainwashed with talk of the devil and hell, and young Jews are taught that their faith is the only true one, that they are the chosen people of god. Only one magic book can be right, so breading centuries of hate between these peoples that live amongst us now. These dangerous groups have too much power in our society, so why do we tolerate them? Why do most atheists turn a blind eye to the true horror of religion, specifically Abrahamic faiths, in the face of these facts and detrimental effects? Is it better to offend a religious person or watch your daughter die of cancer? Is it easier to let thousands of Africans needlessly die of Aids than question the beliefs of your Jewish neighbour or Muslim friend? We cannot allow ourselves as a society to be cowed by threats and intimidation, we cannot be scared to offend when these groups are happy to condemn us to hell fire, to hold back technological advancements, to actively encourage the spread of aids and to brainwash children to believe their evil nonsense. This evil must end. I propose the abolition of all religious schools in this country. Further, though a near impossible demand, I would push for the ban on teaching a specific religion to children under 16 until they are of sound mind to decide for themselves, using logic, and without being brainwashed or pressurised, as to whether there is a god or not, and whether they can eat bacon, work on Sundays or that they must mutilate the genitals of their baby boys or not. Scientology is a case in point. Mark my words, in 200 -500 years that religion will be shrouded in as much myth and lore as current faiths possess. It is, perversely, this passage of time that lends credence to these baseless fantasy tales, as facts are corrupted into whatever the church wishes them to be. Children now are being brainwashed with this fiction. Ask any Jew, Christian or Muslim if Scientology is a valid faith and they will laugh in your face. The reasons they deride Scientology, are the very same reasons I refute there equally baseless fantasy faith. Of course there will always be a large pool of stupid, vulnerable, mentally ill or wilfully evil people who would choose religion at any age, but there influence on society would be so limited as to make them a harmless group of crackpots who worshipped ancient fantasy books and are marginalised by society, let alone hold lofty positions of power as is the current situation. How can we claim to live in a truly secular nation without such measures? We live in a country that permits the brainwashing of children, how can this be right on any level? Recently, I came across a young Muslim preacher, about 12 years old, on an Islamic satellite station. He spoke with such vehemence and conviction that I was taken aback. It made me truly sad to witness such child abuse, and all perfectly legal under UK law. How can it be right that a young boy is so clearly brainwashed and filled with such hate and false ideology and yet we sit back and do nothing? Our free society must take measures now to stop the child abuse that is Abrahamic religion. Let them choose a faith if they will when of sound mind as they may choose a political party or to join the army or wed, other life altering decisions the government places age restrictions on. I appreciate now that my views may seem radical, but I hope that within my lifetime society will come to see the need of such measures to protect children and society from the horrors of religion. |
Afghanistan After 9/11 there was a wave of popular support to invade Afghanistan, to topple the Taliban and flush out Al Qaeda, shoot those damn evil terrorists who were plotting to blow us up from their caves. Progress was swift, the Taliban soon dissolved in the face of U.S. firepower and President Hamid Karzai was backed in 2004 to lead the country through a period of huge transition. But then, things started to go wrong. The insurgents changed tactics and started using more and more I.E.D.’s killing ever more NATO soldiers as violence escalated. In 2009 Obama responded by beefing the number of troops in Afghanistan. This was to address the main issue that every time they gained ground from the enemy they simply didn’t have the manpower to keep it, and fighting the same battle time and time again is never going to win you a war. To this end it was successful but, at the same time, reality dawned that the levels of manpower needed to maintain true order in the country were beyond the realistic scope of NATO, requiring an estimated half a million troops over five years. On this bomb shell Obama adopted a new tactic to get the hell out of there asap and let the Afghanistan army protect its own, after all, the job was pretty much done; the Taliban were significantly reduced in power and hopefully the new government would be stable enough to look after itself. It is just incredible that it took the U.S. government so long to come to this realisation. Initially I supported the war, but by 2004 NATO appeared to be treading water and I asked myself, as ever more troops were blown apart, what are they really doing out there now? Surely the only reason a force should remain abroad is to protect its citizens at home, to protect us. This was never meant to be a war of occupation, Imperialism is over, and as far as I can tell the primary threat from the Taliban comes from their evil ideology and the brainwashing of young men to try and kill citizens in the west. Identifying these terrorists is surely a job for the intelligence services, not the army. The army, through intelligence, can bomb training camps from drones, whilst the secret service should be keeping tabs on any radical Muslims who travel to these nations, or indeed, any home grown terrorists inspired by jihadist ideology. So, maybe this is why the troops are finally pulling out, resigned to the fact that the Taliban will retake the countryside in a matter of months, and that they have done all they can? NATO says time was needed to train the Afghanistan force into a professional army capable of defending its own people from terrorists, warlords, Al Qaeda and the Taliban, no small task considering 90% of recruits are illiterate, 25% desert within a year and Afghanistan is the second most corrupt nation on earth. These are frightening statistics. When American led forces pull out in 2014 it will be only this army between the people and chaos. Recent polls suggest the Taliban has about 10% popular support, with the vast majority enjoying their newfound freedoms such as music and education for women. However, political support is a very different thing to actively opposing such a terrifying organisation as the Taliban or indeed, any local warlord or terrorist cell. When masked gunmen come to your farm at night and threaten your family, running to the corrupt local police is not an option. Fear may spread like a cancer through the countryside, hemming in the protected cities, until they too fall to intimidation and corruption, dragging the nation to its knees again as warlords and tribes battle for control, slaughtering those who oppose them. In the ensuing chaos a hotbed of terrorism will inevitably form, aided by Pakistan, undermining the entire efforts of NATO and begging the question – was it all worth it? 3,169 coalition deaths for what? To rebuild the schools they bombed only to be destroyed again? To push the Taliban into the mountains only so they can remerge next year? To destroy the poppy crops only so they can plant them again in 12 months’ time? It seems that operation Enduring Freedom would have been better named Operation Temporary Solution. And as everyone knows temporary fixes are never cheap, not just in terms of lives, but at an estimated cost of $621,000,000,000 to date, in Afghanistan alone, the U.S. tax payer is paying a heavy price too. I hope for the poor people of Afghanistan, for the world, that I am wrong, I want to be, but I think the statistics speak for themselves. The 170,000 soldiers of the Afghan National Army face a formidable challenge when NATO pulls out next year. They will face an enemy in the shadows whose indiscriminate use of the most appalling violence imaginable will prove a stern test to their resolve. It is estimated now that around 1,500 I.E.D.’s are planted every month in Afghanistan and it seems that figure will only increase once American surveillance is gone and the poor Afghan soldiers are the only ones scanning the roads and dirt tracks. I.E.D.’s accounted for more than 60% of all U.S. casualties but 85% of casualties for the poorly equipped regional forces. This does not bode well for things to come. I imagine a typical Afghan soldier in two years’ time will face a very bleak future if Iraq is anything to go by. Daily suicide and car bombs, roads littered with I.E.D.’s, gunmen blending seamlessly into the crowd. Threats against their family, offers of money to join the Taliban, an erosion of trust until all order collapses. This is a very real possibility unless – unless - President Hamid Karzai can maintain some semblance of order through his all but dictatorial regime. Many view the President as a U.S. backed warlord himself who will do away with democracy, if he has not done so already, as soon as U.S. forces leave. This could be a mixed blessing. In truth, as in Russia, sometimes a sham democracy is needed to maintain a stable leadership during periods of transition, just take a look at Italy now to see what good a fractured government does. Karzai is a ruthless man, but that could be the saving of Afghanistan from a worse fate should the Taliban ever gain power again. Perhaps, like the Chechen warlords employed by Russia to stamp out insurgents, a ruthless touch is needed to ensure a lasting peace, even if many innocent young men must die. When the U.S troops leave the spotlight will fade on Afghanistan, leaving Karzai free to massacre or buy off his rivals without the kind of unwanted media scrutiny that makes such operations so difficult. When a marine dies on foreign soil the media clamour for answers, when a village of peasants are abducted and murdered by government forces it might get a column in the broadsheets. This is how Russia was able to defeat insurgents in the North Caucasus. After 9/11 they had a green light to use any force necessary to eliminate terrorists, knowing America wouldn’t protest too much, too busy with their own illegal renditions, chasing Bin Laden, Guantanamo Bay and raining missiles on scheming Muslims. The young men of Chechnya were killed en masse, their houses raided at night, tortured, executed, before mortar shells were placed on their bodies and detonated to literally vaporise them. The Russians knew that those pesky mass graves were so damn incriminating. As history has proven this is the most effective way to defeat a rival. The Romans knew it, the British knew it, the cowboys and Nazis knew it, simply kill or enslave all men of fighting age until the threat is containable at police level. Maybe Karzai will adopt these tactics to maintain order in Afghanistan and stop his country becoming the next Syria, but, by then, no one in the west will really care too much as it won’t be their sons who are dying. So it seems to me that Afghanistan will face one of two futures. A future under the dictatorial President Karzai and his death squads, or a descent into anarchy as the army collapses in the face of mounting Taliban and terrorist attacks. I suppose given the choice, most Afghanistan’s would favour a stable if corrupt government if it meant they could go to market without being blown to pieces. In any event, the U.S. has removed the terrorist training camps and established a network of spies to keep you safe, I just hope it was worth it. |
| The church is keen to quell any rumours pertaining to the bizarre retirement of Pope Benedict XVI and move on as quickly as possible. The official line is that Benedict’s failing health left him unable to fulfil his duties, and that his retirement was a selfless act so a more able man could take the burden of office. Sources close to the Pope himself have actually called this claim into question. Apparently, when not in public, Benedict spent most of his time stroking his cat and playing the piano, a life of contemplation and leisure. I think the real reason is that he simply didn’t have the stomach to oversee the shake-up the church urgently needed. Perhaps the church hierarchy hope Benedict ascends to heaven as quickly as possible to avoid any embarrassing questions that may arise if he lives for another decade. I seem to recall that Pope John Paul II looked pretty damn far gone before he ascended. La Repubblica newspaper in Italy has hinted at a huge scandal behind closed doors, where influential Vatican insiders were photographed in compromising homosexual positions, leaving them open to blackmail and posing a huge risk to church security and integrity. Three days after an internal report into the matter Pope Benedict is said to have retired. Perhaps the sickening hypocrite cardinal Keith O'Brien is just the tip of the iceberg? In any event, the church is eager to put the past behind it, present a new image of modernity and positive change. Try and act as if paedophilia and homosexuality is not rife in the sexually repressed men of cloth that preach the need to abstain and stay pure until marriage. Do as we say and not as we do? In all sincerity I do hope the new Pope is dedicated to tackling poverty, helping the poor and improving the living conditions of the brain washed masses that turn to religion where the government has failed. Although Christianity is undeniably based on an evil premise, eternal threats of violence on no evidence, and is complete fantasy of the highest order, the church does of course help millions of people to survive. And although their charity is used as a gateway to brainwash the vulnerable, for those that face an alternative of starving, it is, sadly, the only option. I vehemently oppose the evil ideology that underpins Christianity, but I am not fool enough to ignore the good it does; the trade-off between actually surviving but being pressured into believing a fantasy story is, I suppose, worth it, especially for them. And well, they seem happy enough. False hope was Pandora’s enduring gift, and, for the millions of impoverished, ignorant believers, it keeps them alive, physically through charity and food donations, and mentally, where life in the fictional next world is preferential to this one. It is a tragic situation, but one that does not seem likely to ever change. I am sure if I was in their shoes I would want to believe in heaven too. It was, for me, genuinely amazing to see thousands of joyous faces in St Peter’s Square, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the new Pope as if it was Beyonce or Bieber were about to perform. Just incredible. It was a real testament to the power of brainwashing, that these people are so far gone in their beliefs that they see this tubby old man as some kind of mortal manifestation of god himself. It made me sad to know that the grip of the church is so complete and powerful that I don’t think it will ever change. I suppose it’s no real surprise that the new pope is from South America; some 40% of Catholics live in this continent, mostly dirt poor, providing the perfect platform to ensure that grass roots Christianity – i.e. the poor and the young, continues to stay strong/brainwashed, ensuring the survival of fictional beliefs that are passed, or forced upon, from father to son. It’s also a way to show a break from the past, look! The new Pope is from bloody South America! See how open minded we are! Ignore the fact that Pope Francis is broadly conservative in his views, failed to speak out against Argentinian atrocities, and, surely his rotund appearance is suggestive or gluttony and sloth? Maybe he just has hormone issues….. As the church tries its best to break from the painful past, I hope, for the sake of the billion plus Catholics, that Pope Francis is a man of true human values, who wants to use the church as a force for good, for although I resent it, I can’t deny it is here to stay, and so, if it must, I hope it will do more to help the poor than harm them. |
| What do to with a problem like Syria? The on-going civil war in Syria doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon. Outgunned, the FSA’s guerrilla tactics are proving impossible to defeat whilst the Syrian armies discipline is maintained through terror and brainwashing. The International community is happy to sit on the side lines, after all, Syria isn’t a global oil player, and truth be told, no one really cares. For some reason Western governments are providing the rebels with limited armament and telecoms, being seen to back the eventual winners with token efforts. For there is little doubt the rebels will eventually succeed, it’s just a question of time. There best chance of victory is to cut the head off the snake; after Al-Assad’s death the regime would probably fall in hours, his lackeys falling over themselves to escape, but, sadly for Syria, he is probably the most heavily guarded man on the planet. And not just guarded by mercenaries, no, he is guarded by his fellow Alawites who represent the ruling elite, approximately 12% of the country. When he dies they too will be ruined and it seems doubtful he will be deserted like Sadam or Gadhafi until all hope is totally lost and the rebels are pounding at his palace door. That day seems very distant right now, but if it does come, I suggest suicide as an infinitely preferable choice to hiding in a hole or drainage pipe. I suppose now al-Assad rather wishes he’d implemented some political reform, I’m sure he could have created a sham democracy like in Russia or Africa and effectively still hold total control, but no, he played hardball and its gone somewhat sour. I think an important distinction should be made between President Bashar al-Assad and previous Middle Eastern dictators, namely that his army is much more professional, well-disciplined, better equipped and backed by Iran. Plus, the Alawaite generals and officers keep order through fear, after all, there’s nothing like being shot in the back to keep your rifle facing forwards. So it seems the war will continue until al-Assad jumps ship or gets blown apart, and millions of innocent civilians are forced to evacuate as brother’s fights in the street and parents bury their children. From the news reports and brutal online videos I’ve seen, both sides are committing equally heinous crimes. Extrajudicial killings, gang rapes, wide scale torture and murders are committed by both sides, plus, importantly, as the crisis in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia has shown us, I’m not sure what the people expect when al-Assad is finally removed, but well, I guess it has to be better than this, right? Iraq turned out ok, kinda…. Israel more than most will be watching as Syria implodes, its network of spies keeping tabs on any arms destined for Hezbollah and on stock piles of chemical weapons should a more anti-Israel leadership ever emerge. When Israel does eventually, possibly this year, strike Iran, the main threat won’t be missiles from Iran, but from the thousands that will be launched from Lebanon. The war isn’t bad news for everyone though. The media love a good war and come a slow news day the spotlight can be shifted at any given moment, reporters highlighting enough bloodshed and carnage to make Mexico look attractive. Isn’t it deplorable, sponsored by coke. The sad reality is that there isn’t really anything we can do. It’ll just play out to its tragic conclusion, with Sky news recording all the juicy bits for us to watch on the sofa shaking our heads. I guess half the problem is that both sides seem equally deplorable to many, despite the effort of western governments to paint the FSA as some kind of liberation force simply because they know they will eventually win. It is always a good idea to be friends with the winner though. “Remember, we gave you those fancy radios.” The question is really how many more people will die between now and then, how many families will have to live in refugee camps not knowing if their sons are alive, no one knows, no one really cares. |
| “You can’t love animals if you eat them.” This is the amazing statement my vegetarian friend said, and believed with all her heart. She truly thinks that if you consume animals or their products you are party to a great wrong, where animals are mistreated before being brutally and cruelly slaughtered, where millions of animals suffer just so we can have a juicy burger or Sunday roast. I see her point, her logic, and on some levels I agree with her, some food production chains undoubtedly cause extreme suffering, but, on the whole, I disagree with her view. I agree that some people have become so detached from the reality of where food comes from that they don’t even associate that wrapped chicken with a once clucking animal. If they don’t know its origins how can they even consider its welfare? To this end I agree with my friend. Many people are happy to eat a bacon sandwich but if they had to slaughter a pig themselves I’m sure they couldn’t do it, yet, this is not their fault but simply the way our culture has evolved, a life of easy shopping at the supermarket, no need to ever set foot on a farm or slaughter house. I think it’s vital to educate people exactly where and how animal produce is created, ultimately leading to more respect for the animal and industry and an increase in animal welfare. Many people hide behind their wilful ignorance, like the Germans of the 1930’s who didn’t ask too many questions as to where all the Jews suddenly went. “How is this chicken so cheap?” They ask, knowing the answer in their hearts. Intensive farming, so called ‘torture chickens’ or battery chickens. So, I think people, myself at one time included, who eat this produce, (even though it has next to no nutritional benefit compared to organic produce) are supporting what is effectively the mistreatment of animals. “So what! It’s just a bloody bird!” “I’ve lost my job, chicken A is £3.50, free-range chicken B is £12, and my kids are sick to death of carrot sticks.” I’m sure this is a prevalent attitude amongst many people, one that is easy to empathise with on some levels and one that I think won’t ever change. People are innately selfish, and if you look at all the other justified wrongs in the world today animal welfare may seem like a low priory. Luckily, people that know about food, that can afford choice, know that quality meat has to be raised with love, and with ever more cooking shows people are becoming aware of this, so maybe things are slowly improving. Also, when people buy that £2.50 chicken sandwich, it’s just so easy to forget the disgusting reality of where that chicken has come from. Disgusting not just because the animals are probably reared in a Brazilian cage unable to turn or walk, shitting on their legs until they burn away, but because these cheap birds are typically injected full of water, glucose and additives and if you knew what really went into that cheap sandwich I’m sure most people would stop eating them. Goie gras is always controversial. It is obviously exceptionally cruel, caged geese force fed corn until their lives near explode, but, it’s just so damn tasty – guess this tells us everything about human nature. Just hope I don’t come back reincarnated as one. For me, the wakeup call was the horse meat scandal here in the UK. Before, well, I guess I was like most people, I had some reservations about what went into my burger or budget sandwich but what you don’t know can’t hurt you right? Also, it was just the fact these huge companies had lied for so many years, counting their cash as I munched back a tasty horse burger – there is just something so disturbing about deception and food. What else haven’t they told us? So now, I won’t eat any processed meat or any meat I can’t be sure is reared in the UK. Some people have said so what? What’s the difference between a cow and a horse? Four legs and eat grass. Well, aside from the deception, being unable to trace an animal’s past (maybe it’s full of steroids?) I actually have somewhat of a problem with the actual slaughter of horses over cows. Fact is, horses are simply much more intelligent than cows, their senses are unquestionably finely tuned and I don’t believe they have evolved the same symbiotic relationship with humans as cows – i.e. cows, and especially sheep, have evolved to rely near totally on us for their survival. There is no doubt that there is a great mass of cows and sheep on this planet than if they had not been farmed by us. Horses are different to me, they are meant for riding or working, but not eating, although, if I was hungry enough I would certainly kill one myself, I just resent that I have been made to eat it. Here in the UK, I can genuinely consume sourced beef without a guilty conscience. I believe the cows live a good natural life, are well fed and reared by caring farmers in mostly open fields. I grew up opposite of a field of cows and I can guarantee you they were happy. The end of course is brutal, but not to my mind cruel. Stunned, they are unconscious in seconds before being sliced, painlessly, to bleed out. It’s not pretty, but it’s natural and more than a fair trade off. A nice happy life, trip to the slaughter house, quick end. Christ, I’m sure many humans even envy them. No lingering end, no perception of death, just a swift sudden finish to a happy life, and great food for us. There may be some unavoidable fear at times, but I think the trade-off is worth it for us and them. In an ideal world I’d personally raise my animals on a free range farm, then sneak behind and put a bullet in their head while they looked the other way, the perfect end, never knowing – but life is hard, life comes from death, this is the way the world works and It will never change. So yes, I love animals, all animals, but I can eat them too, just as long as they are properly reared with respect and love, and killed in a humane way. Yet this argument doesn’t seem to wash with my veggie friend, I think she is so adamant in her views than nothing can justify the killing of a living creature that she is blinded to the fact that it is human nature to consume meat, it’s in our DNA, meat is life. These people often seem to highlight brutal videos of animals being mistreated or cruelly killed, but like any warp of life evil will sadly appear, but I do believe that such incidents are rare here, abroad, maybe less so. My friend hopes so much that people will stop consuming meat and that we become a society of plant eaters, but actually, I think the world would be a much worse place, not just for the amazing juicy steak, but I believe that when done properly, the animal human relationship is truly win-win. Write on. |
Sermon of Truth Religion: The Three Evil Abrahamic Faiths You’re a good person, you’re kind to animals, you give to charity, you help others and you go to church every Sunday, pray for a better world with more love and compassion, why can’t everyone else see what you can see? Religion is love, its sharing, its forgiveness and understanding your fellow man, helping each other on this journey to the afterlife. How can people be so wicked to one another? Why can’t everyone be like me? Only – in reality, you are supporting, albeit with good intentions, something that is fundamentally based on a very evil premise: Believe in an ancient text, or burn in the flames of hell for eternity. The ultimate threat of violence. Divine intimidation. Can’t you see this is WRONG? That religion is sanctioned lunacy. “But you don’t have ‘Faith.’” Faith! What a word – a gold star to whoever invented that word! A single word to dismiss any reasoned argument, genius. Faith, miracles, magic – call it what you will, just don’t force it upon on me, my country, our vulnerable children. People have always looked to the stars and asked where, why, how? How do I fit in? Where does it all end? Having no answer is terrifying; it’s enough to drive a person mad. It’s enough to want to believe any answer people will suggest with the flimsiest of evidence, especially people in authority. I am rather inclined to agree with Jesse Bering and his book ‘The God Instinct’ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1857885600/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8... Which argues that religion is actually a natural part of human evolution – how we evolved religion as a survival tool – uniting groups, answering terrifying questions – fulfilling our innate need to answer questions such as who we are and where we came from. The Indians danced and prayed for rain until it came – proof of God! So I understand why so many people still believe today, they are basically scared of an unknown alternative, and hey, there are millions of people who think the same as me, so I can’t be wrong! Right? Of course religion does a lot of good in the world, that can’t be denied, it brings hope to millions and helps people deal with life, helps them to explain the inexplicable. It’s the ultimate wishful thinking, an evolved coping method. The African child born with AIDS, parents slaughtered before them – well, they can at least look forward to the Kingdom of Heaven to be reunited again, give them something to look forward to when this world is their hell. I remember once some Jehovah’s witnesses came knocking on my door, I could see the genuine pity in their eyes as I informed them that I had indeed read the bible, that I had studied ancient history and that I had come to the glaring conclusion that they were quite wrong. But instead of the usual anger they encounter I think they were a little taken aback at the pity they saw in my eyes, at their wasted lives, at the evil they spread. However, the only true people of faith I can respect are indeed those who try to convince others to join them. Think about it. You truly live in a world of angels and demons, a vengeful god and his divine son, a real devil! Christ! I’d be genuinely terrified! I think I would actually go mad. But if I didn’t, I would surely look around at all the millions of lost souls destined for the flames and try my all to save them! I’d do anything, anything! To prevent their terrible fate – but no – most followers seem content to cherry pick the best bits of the bible, i.e. V.I.P. pass through the pearly gates, go to church once a month and not worry about my soul, how very Christian of you! “Oh I’m a Christian, of course.” “Have you read the bible?” “Well… I’ve read the important bits” “I see…. So you attend church, avoid sinning, and pray for my soul?” “Well, I live a Christian life yes, I mean, not like that, as such, my faith is more personal.” “Oh, ok, I understand.” Surely in a universe of angels and flames religion could only be an obsession! How can you partly believe in something as totally fantastical as religion and not fully embrace it?! In many ways I can see how the faith of Islam produces such radical followers following this logic – generally, their religion seems so much more immersive in day to day life: pray five times a day, eat certain foods, religious schools, it seems many Christians are happy to be part time worshipers, doing the very minimum to call themselves Christians and still being able to look in the mirror. Surely it’s an all or nothing thing? I mean, you believe in a god! In a devil! Fuck! Religion is child abuse. Fact. I’m not talking about sexual child abuse, although of course that is practically encouraged in some religions, I’m not even talking about the mutilation of infantile genitalia that under any other pretext would be a revolting crime, no – I refer to the literal brainwashing of children from the day they are born – depriving them of the freedom to choose, and perpetuating the evil of religion for all time. I believe in the freedom of worship, it’s an important human right – but at what cost? That every child is brainwashed to believe an evil fantasy story? Scared beyond death to obey a fictional god? How millions of sexually repressed Muslim men grow up to hate and despise women? How millions of Jews believe they are a chosen race, a superior people? How millions of Christians spread the word of their god that plans to burn my soul forever while they systematically abuse children, warn against the use of condoms in Africa, oppose abortion and repress women and homosexuals? You are a party to this evil. Sometimes I meet people who try to say that religious texts should not be taken literally! That it’s all a message that is hard to understand in this modern era. So, I ask them what parts should I not take literally? Adam and Eve? The talking donkey? Creation theory? – oh ok! These are just figurative messages – ok – so, what about the fundamental, nay, the very pinnacle of the Christian faith – that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead – how should I interpret that? If literally – then, to me, you are saying you believe in magic – (you say miracles) – you live in a world of magic and gods and eternal hell! Wow! – if you say that it’s more of a message about sacrifice – well, then how can you believe anything at all in that old book written by self-interested old men? Wake up! Get real! I love fantasy books, I’m even writing one myself (Not a Scientology type one) But I couldn’t help but notice a flaw in the plot of your story. It seems Judas gets a very bad press indeed, everyone seems to hate him, epic snitch! But……. If he hadn’t gone to the Romans…… if Jesus hadn’t been caught and had died peacefully in a rocking chair – well, perhaps Christianity and Islam wouldn’t quite be as in vogue as they are now? So, really, Judas is the unsung hero of Christianity? Because without him, if he ever even really existed, maybe you’d be worshiping Jupiter now? I think Jesus was a very clever and totally insane amateur magician, telling people what they wanted to hear, guess it worked! Maybe he was a bit like David Koresh? Apart from the same barber? After a while, after the lie goes so deep, you believe it yourself, and if you’re a gifted manipulator and orator, well, the gullible masses will swarm to you like flies on shit. “Heaven? really? Wow! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear! Here’s all my money.” It’s easy to see how with the passage of time facts become myth! I can see it now! How in three hundred years, then three thousand years L. Ron Hubbard will be the new Jesus! And Tom Cruise a saint. I’m sure Pontius Pilate didn’t think twice that the madman he killed would ever be thought of again! I wouldn’t have a problem with people choosing to believe in fantasy aside from the fact that this evil affects my world too – my life, everyone. I really am fascinated by religion; in this modern age of science its remarkable how many people maintain a faith. I think many are too scared to admit the truth – scared to acknowledge that their forefathers have lived a complete lie for countless generations, scared to accept that maybe when we die there is just a black void of nothingness – but don’t be afraid or embarrassed for the choices others inflicted upon you, be brave! Stand up for common sense. Make a rational choice to free yourself from the oppressive yolk of religion. I’ve often wondered why such a powerful God would demand to be worshipped? It’s such a bizarre concept to me. I’ll create this world and the heavens, free entry – just as long as you totally praise me, and my cool son, (that you killed,) and make me feel so damn valued! Yes! Worship me! P.S. if you don’t hell forever! At least that threat is not just in the small print, it’s hard to escape the fact after reading the Bible or Quran than ¾ is stick and 1/3 carrot. I guess this was a good ratio to control the peasants two thousand years ago, terrify them into submission, abuse them, extort them, grant them access to a celestial fantasy club……and repeat. Even if god appeared before me now, irrefutably, and demanded I join his merry band of followers – I’d refuse! Because - the premise is fundamentally evil. Religion is a threat. It’s bullying on an epic scale, nothing more. I could never be part of something evil. Something that purports to be loving and merciful yet casts you down for not believing! What if I was born in Pakistan and my entire family are devout Muslims, I’m brainwashed from birth to believe totally in the Quran, but the answer is the Bible! D’oh! What choice did I have?! Never mind, I’ve time to regret that decision my parents made for me in hell, forever! Such a loving God. To the brainwashed that read this shaking their pious heads, perhaps thinking me a demon trying to steal their souls – I won’t try and reason with you, as I would not try and reason with my cat, for those who use the word ‘faith’ to justify their beliefs cannot be reasoned with – but maybe this will make even one person take a good hard look at themselves and realise the evil that underpins their religion and walk away. I’m not an atheist – I don’t have the answers, I don’t know if there is a god or not, I’m just willing to bet my eternal soul that your faith is false, and that for all the good it may do, is vastly outweighed by the evil it causes – and – the principal – that is it simply utter fabrication. If I’m wrong, and I get to ask Almighty God one question before he casts me down to the fiery lakes, I’d say, “Why? Why didn’t you give us more evidence? It makes no sense!” In a strange attack to undermine my values and deflect attention from the irrefutable points I’ve made some fools attempt to call me a hypocrite. So, you celebrate Christmas? You eat Easter eggs? You like to admire Cathedrals? How can someone so opposed to religion do this! Well it’s pretty simple really! In this modern era these events have no religious significance to the vast majority of people – they have become cultural celebrations, an excuse for fun. Yes, the origins are fantastical, almost laughable if it wasn’t so evil, but gladly more and more people realise that religion is wrong, false, and wicked. The solution? Well, there isn’t one. In foreign nations the system of brainwashing is so utterly assimilated into the fabric of life that it seems impossible that it will ever change, we can but hope that in the west more and more people will walk away from poisonous fantasy faiths. If you do insist upon believing, then I plead that you at least give your children time to form their own judgements for themselves, let them be free to be wrong, don’t brainwash them with false love. So this is my first blog entry! This blog will share my passions and views on current affairs! The next topic won’t be religion I promise! Write on! :D Gods be with you! |
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