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"Humanity is a Virus"

Ok, I am going to rant. Any terms like "You" and "You people" are not directed at anyone here in particular, just in a "people suck" kind of way, so if you take offence?
That's probably because you feel guilty, so deal with it.

I've been reading about this Northern Ireland situation, and it's just another item in a long list of reasons why I despise 95% of the people that inhabit this planet.
I started a thread called "Please help me, I'm an idiot" in the DVD thread, and it ended up with me, Hooplah and Meka basically saying that this planet, as a species, is doomed to fail.

And for no other reason than it's blind stupidity and inability to deal with anything it perceives as different or strange.
Be it bullying kids, idiot religious folk murdering those that disagree (and I don't care what religion you are, murdering is wrong, if you disagree, then you're an idiot that needs more than the concept of heaven to save your worthless soul), people not bothering to learn as much as they can before they die.

There are so many things wrong with us, and we will never ever overcome these things and evolve.
I look around and I see idiot behaviour from most people on this planet.
Be it the mindless fools that decried Brasseye without even watching it, people that think Eminem should be banned, people that ban the teaching of the theory of evolution because it goes against their own beliefs...all good reasons to nuke this stupid planet and start over again.

We've had our chance and we blew it, and continue to blow it every single day that we continue to stumble along and bump into glass doors.
Be it moron tv shows that serve no purpose other than keep you inside and not doing anything positive to change your world, to The Sun - a worthless rag that thinks a football team winning a game is more important than civil war and murder in Rwanda.
I am ashamed to be part of this planet if I stop to think about what an idiotic species we are.

Popstars that think they matter, politicians refusing to hold peace talks because they don't like someone and condemn the rest of us to a lifetime of war and murder.
So many reasons to just hit "Eject" and go somewhere quiet.
Like the moon.

I see it in chimps that hate people because they're from another country, look different, speak funny or don't fit in with what they percieve their version of events to be.
I see it in newspapers that take pride in creating anti-german feelings over a goddamn football match.
Any number of things that are in plain view, but we're too concerned with watching soap operas to care.

Nike using kids to make sneakers for us to buy with our hard-earned cash and all people can say is "Well that's business"
No it's not just business, get off your lazy, ignorant backside and do something to stop this. Join Amnesty International, protest outside stores, write to MPs and Prime Ministers - just do something other than shrug and stuff burgers into your fat, complacent faces.

Just get involved dammit, if you feel strongly enough about this refugee situation, make your voice heard, don't just post in a forum, it changes nothing. Write to newspapers and MPs and Prime Ministers.

But you wont do that. And that makes me sick.
You holier-than-thou types that get on your soap-boxes but do exactly nothing about anything because Buffy is starting soon and what-can-we-do anyway?
Ghandi was just one man, that kid that stood in front of the tanks in Tianneman Square was just one person. You're just one person.
"Singular Action Initiates Plural Awareness" - just do something to change one little thing and it starts from there.

But what happens? Nothing. Nothing at all, because we're all too wrapped up in earning the most money, getting the nicest house, marrying the nicest girl and having kids that look like kids.
We're a nasty little race of self-obsessed me-monkeys, and I don't see that ever changing.
Ever.
Stand up for something you believe in.
Make your voice heard instead of tutting and looking the other way.

But again, nothing. Met with blank stares and confused angry voices.
People start to debate something, but because they dont know about the situation, it descends into shouting and name-calling and killing because we're too arrogant to say "Actually, I don't know everything" or, god forbid, "I'm sorry".
It's all very well putting forward a well-balanced initial view, but you can't defend it because you spend your time watching bullsheet tv shows and hording posessions in nice houses with big doors so you can shut out the nasty world.

People make me sick, but very few people will take the time to consider any points I've raised and just start shouting at me instead of reasonably discussing.
So I'll sit on my boat, waiting for the end so I can paddle off and find a nice,quiet land to start things over again, you can all chuck rocks and spears at me.

Quite frankly, I don't care.

This is my whole point. Its an attitude thing. I couldn't care whether we ruled the world at one point or another.

Why is it that other nations (who equally ruled the world at some point) are happy to make an effort, to put everything in the past and get on with things?

Oh no, we always have to pull out the 'Empire'. Christ the romans ruled the world once but do you see the italians harping on about it? France ruled this country for 400 years at one point yet I dont know a Frenchman (and I know a lot) who gives a toss about it? Why are we so concerned? What are we so scared of? We're desparately clinging onto the past instead of embracing the future. You only have to look at the arguments over the EU to realise this. I for one dont want to be left behind.

I do have one genuine comment to make though:

Thanks to everyone that has argued these points without resorting to shouting and yelling with insults.

This is exactly the sort of thing that just might get us through the molasses-thick struggle to evolve

YH is correct in his statement, in that the origins of English being spoken as a second language is solely down to the existence of the British Empire and the colonial rule over the US and Australia.

The fact that most people within Europe speak English as a second language is because it is generally accepted to be the 'Business Language' used throughout the world, due to the domination of the English speaking countries during the birth of modern international trade (America and England).

Whether that is to our benefit or not is arguable. I can speak/read/write French pretty well, with some broken German that I can just about get by on. If I have a need to speak to a European colleague the chances are that their English is much better than my French or German.

I think that you have to include the fact that the UK doesn't border directly with a country that speaks another language, unlike Holland or Austria for example, two populations that are noted for their multi lingual skills.

As Goatboy states though, multi lingual does not a sound nation make.....

Mexico judging by the slang filtering through over here.

But languages apart, all countries are the same in attitudes and moronic behaviour.

You, me, Francois, Klaus, Ngu-Yen, Bjorn..doesn't matter.

Goatboy wrote:
> That was what I was trying to say without annoying Wookie or
> YH.

I wouldn't get 'annoyed' over it - it's only language, after all...


I did French and Spanish at school. I can recall no Spanish whatsoever, and two sentences of French.

> Which, to me, indicates that this nation is a
> slack, lazy and arrogant one that presumes the world owes us a
> favour.

Then again - taking the purely arrogant view... if everyone's learning my language, I can speak to them - so why bother learning theirs? ;-)

Seriously though... I never took languages seriously at school, because I never believed I would need them.

While I do regret it to a point, I still believe that I don't really need it. It's not necessary for my job, and I don't go abroad enough to need it either.

Though I do think it's a sign of respect for the people whose country you are visiting if you have at least tried to learn some, if not all, of their language.

Craw wrote:
> They speak english because their education
> systems are far superior (at least in europe) and there is a very
> large nation called America, somewhere in the world.

People speak English because - in terms of nations, not necessarily in population - more people speak it. No argument about the education systems, though.

And until recent times (historically speaking), I believe French was the most spoken language.


> People *choose* to learn english in other countries, believe it or
> not..

And why is that? Because in general terms, you can't get by without it.

And as you mention the "large nation called America"... where do you think they got THEIR language from?!

I learnt French and German at school, but apart from going on holiday to france a couple of times I've not needed to.

Why?

Because English is the second most spoken language in the world. The first is some kind of Chinese-y language spoken by about a billion people in country.

What I'm trying to say is, the fact that lots of countries use English is simply because we had an Empire.

If it had been the French, or the Austrians or the Germans or Spanish or whatever, instead of us, then the second most used language now would have been Spanish or French or whatever.

Thats not me being ignorant, it's blatant common sense.

That was what I was trying to say without annoying Wookie or YH.

We've had a Dutch exchange girl here, working for 12 months and she can speak Dutch, German, French and English.
The girl from our South America office speaks French, English and Spanish as well as Portugeuse.

Without commenting on anyone else's views here, my personal opinion is this:

At school I had the option of learning French, German, Latin and Russian.

I took French because I liked the sound of it, and studied Latin for my career in Law that I thought I wanted.
Every foreigner I have ever met, here and abroad, speaks English.

Which, to me, indicates that this nation is a slack, lazy and arrogant one that presumes the world owes us a favour.
But, once again, I hold all countries in equal regard so I'm not attacking the UK, only on language abilities

Craw wrote:
That is one of the most ignorant views I have
> ever read. People in other countries don't speak english because we
> used to 'own' them. They speak english because their education
> systems are far superior (at least in europe) and there is a very
> large nation called America, somewhere in the world. People *choose*
> to learn english in other countries, believe it or
> not..

Really? Do you not think that that if it had been the French who had an Empire instead of us, we would all still be speaking English? Of course not, we'd be speaking French.

Yes, foreign education systems are better then ours, but why choose English as the second language? We are only a small island after all. Of course it's because of our Empire.


Thats why the russians built
> the first space rocket, the first supersonic passenger jet, and
> harnessed nuclear energy is it....?

And thats why we were the first to:

USe steam power.

Use trains.

Use machines to help farming.

Have a telephone.

When I said industrialisation, I meant during the 19th century, not in the last 50 or so years.


I think you'll find that
> most other nations laugh at the British for caring more about their
> animals than they do each other..

Really? Oh well, nevermind....

Your Honour wrote:


Firstly, Goaty's as I think that's easier to
> answer.

People from other countries speak English simply because
> the chances are, we used to own them. Our Empire covered a third (or
> was it a half? History was never my strong point) of the world.
> Therefore people learn English almost as a first language.

That is one of the most ignorant views I have ever read. People in other countries don't speak english because we used to 'own' them. They speak english because their education systems are far superior (at least in europe) and there is a very large nation called America, somewhere in the world. People *choose* to learn english in other countries, believe it or not..


Also,
> as we are the country that went through industrialisation first, all
> technical documents, the world over, are written in
> English.

Thats why the russians built the first space rocket, the first supersonic passenger jet, and harnessed nuclear energy is it....?

Going on to Wookiee's point. It's a tough one.

The
> simple fact of the matter is that people are kinder to animals than
> they are to people. Look at euthenasia (sp?). We have our pets put
> down to ease their suffering, but not our family. Strange.

I think you'll find that most other nations laugh at the British for caring more about their animals than they do each other..