Climate change protests

[Victor von Doom]

In the words of Bill Hicks (pbuh):

"Hitler had the right idea; he was just an underachiever. You wanna save the planet? Kill yourselves." 

[pandarilla]

and I saw them at a music festival in Germany last week.

Were they any good?

[Melanius Mullarkey]

3 minutes ago, Margaret Thatcher said:

Ah, so you're... anti climate change then, are you? ... but  foaming that the wrong sort of people are protesting it in the wrong sort of way... is that it?

He's mad because he let his club die IMO.

[coprolite]

They were doing a rolling roadblock using a peloton by me this morning, which would reduce the fuel efficiency of the vehicles stuck behind them. 

They didn't have any banners or anything to say what they were protesting about, so I am completely unaware of global warming. 

They did all look like a bunch of workshy trustafarians. I can understand why they get peoples back up. 

Didn't bother me though, I was going the other way. 

[Mark Connolly]

Doing nothing to change my opinion that only arseholes gather at the Trongate...

[Dons_1988]

Admire the effort but the world is basically fucked unless there's a fundamental change to the way everyone lives their lives.

Not enough people care to make those changes. In government, in companies or the average person.

[Jeek]

Is it fun working as a rainforest futures trader?  how is the sideline in selling blood stained barrels of oil extracted from third world countries going? 

It's a nice little side earner from the black market ivory trading.

[Estragon]

Shedload of prime gammon on this thread already. 

 

[invergowrie arab]

23 minutes ago, Victor von Doom said:

In the words of Bill Hicks (pbuh):

"Hitler had the right idea; he was just an underachiever. You wanna save the planet? Kill yourselves." 

After you.

[I'm Brian]

24 minutes ago, Victor von Doom said:

Yep! A country extracting as much fossil fuel from its offshore waters as Scotland does should be given an award for combating global warming. Why not a Nobel Prize of some sort? Perhaps Henry Kissinger and Aung San Suu Kyi could be flown-in to present it.

Scotland extracts no oil. It is a reserved matter. 

[Victor von Doom]

32 minutes ago, Margaret Thatcher said:

Ah, so you're... anti climate change then, are you? ... but  foaming that the wrong sort of people are protesting it in the wrong sort of way... is that it?

Nope. It's just that the main reason these protesters stage protests is to make themselves feel good and salve their own consciences. That goes for most "right-on" protesters in Western countries. They inevitably come from the more affluent sectors of society and, as such, are more dependent on (and bear more responsibility for) the things they're protesting about. It's almost always a tokenist gesture and it almost always involves demands that Somebody Else does something about the problem. The problems that the protesters want "solved" are deep-seated, largely intractable and often insoluble in any practical way.

The vision that comes to mind on these occasions is a scene in Richard Attenborough's hagiography of Mohandas K. Gandhi. An ashen-faced and tearful Hindu man comes to Gandhi and explains that he has smashed a Muslim child's head against a rock in inter-communal riots. He tells Mahatma that his soul will be condemned to exist in hell for eternity. He seems as concerned for his soul as he is contrite for the murder. "I know a way out of hell" says Gandhi. "Find a Muslim boy who has been orphaned in the riots and raise him as your own son." The murderer briefly looks hopeful, before Gandhi adds the rider... "Only raise him as a Muslim. That is your way out of hell."  In the Hindu parts of the newly defined India-Pakistan border zone, riven by rioting and mass murder, being a Hindu and having to raise a boy as a Muslim is an eyewateringly high price to be asked to pay for a ticket out of hell. But tickets out of hell are always eyewateringly expensive. The few brass bawbees the protesters are prepared to pay don't even cover a platform ticket. Their demands that Somebody Else pay the actual fare are as amusing as they are pathetic. 

Perhaps the other analogy that comes to mind is the tale of the two I.R.A. men who went to Moscow at about the time Gandhi was beginning to make progress in the struggle for Indian independence. Stalin was keen on fomenting unrest against Britain and its empire. The 'RA lads were hopeful of an audience with a highranking Soviet official. Having been kept hanging around in Moscow for a few days, they got one. High enough up the ladder for them to have heard of him. They were escorted into the Kremlin by a flunkie and led to a grand office, almost adjacent to Zinoviev's. They were seated in front of an empty desk. Having left them sweating for a while, the senior party commissar entered, carrying a file. He silently sat down behind the desk and perused a few pages before speaking. "Tell me, gentlemen, how many bishops have you killed?" The 'RA boys were renedered almost catatonic by the question. Would-be revolutionaries they might be, but even allowing the thought of failing to kiss a bishop's ring to enter their heads would've seen them on their knees reciting "Hail Marys" for weeks. "None", came the nervous reply. The commissar slowly closed the file, rose and headed for the door. "Come back and see me when you're serious."       

Edited July 15, 2019 by Victor von Doom
typo

[I'm Brian]

Just now, Victor von Doom said:

Nope. It's just that the main reason these protesters stage protests is to make themselves feel good and salve their own consciences. That goes for most "right-on" protesters in Western countries. They inevitably come from the more affluent sectors of society and, as such, are more dependent on (and bear more responsibility for) the things they're protesting about. It's almost always a tokenist gesture and it almost always involves demands that Somebody Else does something about the problem. The problems that the protesters want "solved" are deep-seated, largely intractable and often insoluble in any practical way.

The vision that come to mind on these occasions is a scene in Richard Attenborough's hagiography of Mohandas K. Gandhi. An ashen-faced and tearful Hindu man comes to Gandhi and explains that he has smashed a Muslim child's head against a rock in inter-communal riots. He tells Mahatma that his soul will be condemned to exist in hell for eternity. He seems as concerned for his soul as he is contrite for the murder. "I know a way out of hell" says Gandhi. "Find a Muslim boy who has been orphaned in the riots and raise him as your own son." The murderer briefly looks hopeful, before Gandhi adds the rider... "Only raise him as a Muslim. That is your way out of hell."  In the Hindu parts of the newly defined India-Pakistan border zone, riven by rioting and mass murder, being a Hindu and having to raise a boy as a Muslim is an eyewateringly high price to be asked to pay for a ticket out of hell. But tickets out of hell are always eyewateringly expensive. The few brass bawbees the protesters are prepared to pay don't even cover a platform ticket. Their demands that Somebody Else pay the actual fare are as amusing as they are pathetic. 

Perhaps the other analogy that comes to mind is the tale of the two I.R.A. men who went to Moscow at about the time Gandhi was beginning to make progress in the struggle for Indian independence. Stalin was keen on fomenting unrest against Britain and its empire. The 'RA lads were hopeful of an audience with a highranking Soviet official. Having been kept hanging around in Moscow for a few days, they got one. High enough up the ladder for them to have heard of him. They were escorted into the Kremlin by a flunkie and led to a grand office, almost adjacent to Zinoviev's. They were seated in front of an empty desk. Having left them sweating for a while, the senior party commissar entered, carrying a file. He silently sat down behind the desk and perused a few pages before speaking. "Tell me, gentlemen, how many bishops have you killed?" The 'RA boys were renedered almost catatonic by the question. Would-be revolutionaries they might be, but even allowing the thought of failing to kiss a bishop's ring to enter their heads would've seen them on their knees reciting "Hail Marys" for weeks. "None", came the nervous reply. The commissar slowly closed the file, rose and headed for the door. "Come back and see me when you're serious."       

It didn't stop Rangers dying though

[beefybake]

I live in a rural area, made up of villages 2 or 3 miles apart, and the nearest proper town a dozen miles in any direction.    The good thing is that small local film

societies spring up, and I get to see stuff that never appears in mainstream cinemas.  About this time last year one of the societies put on an independent film

called "Plastic Ocean".  Quite eye-opening for me. Since then I really do make sure that the plastic milk bottles go to the recycling bins. And I've changed to

using bamboo handled toothbrushes, and also almost stopped using plastic disposable razors, and have returned to using a steel safety razor. Little things, maybe,

but doing my bit.

Also, changed to using 100% renewable electricity a year ago, as the price came down to a level that I could afford.

Extinction Rebellion.....

They did a presentation at one of the film societies in March. I went along.   They collected emails from those who were interested.

A week or so later I received an email urging me to get more involved, with the aim, to go up to London for the big demo that took place April time.

I didn't, as it costs a fortune to go from here to London.

Personally, from my student days in Glasgow almost 50 years ago, I'm more of an urban stone thrower mentality.

That's not what the Extinction Rebellion is about.

I do support what they're doing , and the way they're going about it.

(PS. I've never had a stipendiary job. It's all been working for pay, mostly self-employed )

Edited July 15, 2019 by beefybake

[Victor von Doom]

6 minutes ago, I'm Brian said:

It didn't stop Rangers dying though

No. But like the illegitimate son of the God of the Jews, we've risen again in reasonable health.

[Malky3]

4 minutes ago, beefybake said:

I live in a rural area, made up of villages 2 or 3 miles apart, and the nearest proper town a dozen miles in any direction.    The good thing is that small local film

societies spring up, and I get to see stuff that never appears in mainstream cinemas.  About this time last year one of the societies put on an independent film

called "Plastic Ocean".  Quite eye-opening for me. Since then I really do make sure that the plastic milk bottles go to the recycling bins. And I've changed to

using bamboo handled toothbrushes, and also almost stopped using plastic disposable razors, and have returned to using a steel safety razor. Little things, maybe,

but doing my bit.

Also, changed to using 100% renewable electricity a year ago, as the price came down to a level that I could afford.

Extinction Rebellion.....

They did a presentation at one of the film societies in March. I went along.   They collected emails from those who were interested.

A week or so later I received an email urging me to get more involved, with the aim, to go up to London for the big demo that took place April time.

I didn't, as it costs a fortune to go from here to London.

Personally, from my student days in Glasgow almost 50 years ago, I'm more of an urban stone thrower mentality.

That's not what the Extinction Rebellion is about.

I do support what they're doing , and the way they're going about it.

(PS. I've never had a stipendiary job. It's all been working for pay, mostly self-employed )

You realise that what you are doing is utterly pointless? 

The production of plastics is a by-product of the process of distilling hydro carbons. So regardless of whether we stop using plastics or not, whilst we still need oil, gas, bitumen, diesel, kerosene, sulphur ect plastics are still going to be produced. 

 

[coprolite]

2 minutes ago, Malky3 said:

You realise that what you are doing is utterly pointless? 

The production of plastics is a by-product of the process of distilling hydro carbons. So regardless of whether we stop using plastics or not, whilst we still need oil, gas, bitumen, diesel, kerosene, sulphur ect plastics are still going to be produced. 

 

So we should just chuck what we have in the sea? 

It's not having plastic that's the problem, it's throwing it away. 

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

4 minutes ago, Malky3 said:

You realise that what you are doing is utterly pointless? 

The production of plastics is a by-product of the process of distilling hydro carbons. So regardless of whether we stop using plastics or not, whilst we still need oil, gas, bitumen, diesel, kerosene, sulphur ect plastics are still going to be produced. 

 

What a cracking answer.

[Victor von Doom]

17 minutes ago, beefybake said:

I live in a rural area, made up of villages 2 or 3 miles apart, and the nearest proper town a dozen miles in any direction.    The good thing is that small local film

societies spring up, and I get to see stuff that never appears in mainstream cinemas.  About this time last year one of the societies put on an independent film

called "Plastic Ocean".  Quite eye-opening for me. Since then I really do make sure that the plastic milk bottles go to the recycling bins. And I've changed to

using bamboo handled toothbrushes, and also almost stopped using plastic disposable razors, and have returned to using a steel safety razor. Little things, maybe,

but doing my bit.

Also, changed to using 100% renewable electricity a year ago, as the price came down to a level that I could afford.

Extinction Rebellion.....

They did a presentation at one of the film societies in March. I went along.   They collected emails from those who were interested.

A week or so later I received an email urging me to get more involved, with the aim, to go up to London for the big demo that took place April time.

I didn't, as it costs a fortune to go from here to London.

Personallyt, from my student days in Glasgow almost 50 years ago, I'm more of an urban stone thrower mentality.

That's not what the Extinction Rebellion is about.

I do support what they're doing , and the way they're going about it.

(PS. I've never had a stipendiary job. It's all been working for pay, mostly self-employed )

Aye... but that's almost exactly the point. There is no more danger/damage from plastic now than there was two years ago, when someone started successfully disseminating one-sided (but largely truthful) information about the subject. We now have the mobile vulgus ignorantly wanting all plastic destroyed and production stopped - which even the most radical scientific minds in the relevant field agree would cause far more problems than it solves.

As a species, we want simple solutions that don't require much thought. It's cathartic if they do require as much emotion as possible. It's why religions were so popular for so long - and why they still are in places where deconstructing them is frowned upon. 

Bombing a few Chinese and Indian diplomatic premises or planting bombs on mainland China would be far more effective - and far more to my way of doing things - than blocking roads and bridges in Central London for 10 days, ensuring that 1000s of sub-minimum-wage "self-employed" immigrant drivers struggle to earn a living and a lot of people are inconvenienced.

The stipendiary parasitocracy wasn't in a position to give the children of the Red Clydeside generation permanent sinecures 50 years ago. It is in a position to give them to their "Never Do A Day's Work In Their Lives" great-grandchildren now.         

Edited July 15, 2019 by Victor von Doom

[coprolite]

2 minutes ago, Victor von Doom said:

Aye... but that's almost exactly the point. There is no more danger/damage from plastic now than there was two years ago, when someone started successfully disseminating one-sided (but largely truthful) information about the subject. We now have the mobile vulgus ignorantly wanting all plastic destroyed and production stopped - which even the most radical scientific minds in the relevant field agree would cause far more problems than it solves.

As a species, we want simple solutions that require much thought. It's cathartic if they do require as much emotion as possible. It's why religions were so popular for so long - and ehy they still are in places where deconstructing them is frowned upon. 

Bombing a few Chinese and Indian diplomatic premises or planting bombs on mainland China would be far more effective - and far more to my way of doing things - than blocking roads and bridges in Central London fro 10 days, ensuring that 1000s of sub-minimum-wage "self-employed" immigrant drivers struggle to earn a living and a lot of people are inconvenienced.

The stipendiary parasitocracy wasn't in a position to give the children of the Red Clydeside generation permanent sinecures 50 years ago. It is in a position to give them to their "Never Do A Day's Work In Their Lives" great-grandchildren now.         

Hang on, why are we bombing the Indian consulate now? 

[Malky3]

3 minutes ago, coprolite said:

So we should just chuck what we have in the sea? 

It's not having plastic that's the problem, it's throwing it away. 

I didn't say we should chuck plastics in the sea. I simply pointed out that individuals refusing to use plastic products wasn't going to stop plastics from being produced. 

The answer to the waste problem is for industry to find a successful way to use the plastics that our consumption of hydro carbons creates.