Eugenics

quote:

Originally posted by John K R:
I believe youths should be educated about the responsibilities and duties that come with reproduction, but not stopped from doing so if they wish.
John.

So what kind of upbrigning are the kids going to get out of some thieving vandal with a taste for mind-altering substances? I know it has some nasty overtones, but I sometimes think the only way we'll ever get a decent society is by stopping some people from breeding.

EW

While we're all peddling our "holier than thou" in this and other threads, it should not be forgotten that those of a lower social level, than some here claim to belong to, have an invaluable purpose in society.
However much you hate the idea, somebody has to empty the dustbins, drive the taxies and serve in hifi shops. If it were not for the great unwashed masses of "ordinary" people there would be no supermarkets, taxies, real-ale pubs or hifi shops. If this obvious truth really bothers you, then just remember to wear your white disposable overalls next time you go out.

Nime

quote:

Originally posted by Earwicker:
I know it has some nasty overtones, but I sometimes think the only way we'll ever get a decent society is by stopping some people from breeding.

EW

Be careful what you wish for...

Nail-on-the-head Nime. The engine of the capitalist system is the working class folk who do a lot for a little.

I'm happy to admit that this thread has given me a chance to air my own prejudices but there's very little else to be found on this thread.

Just don't get me started on the Minimum Wage!

quote:

The engine of the capitalist system is the working class folk who do a lot for a little.

These people are not the issue. The current buzzword is 'NEET' for 'Not in Education Employment or Training', associated with young mothers having multiple children by different mostly absent and non-contributing fathers. It's a real social phenomena, the current approach to handling it seems to be to put the men in prison and wall the women and children up in council estates.

Paul

Perhaps the real issue is the system that lends itself to oppression in the first place. Why is it that so many contributors to this thread give no thought to the "meta-issues"? How was this set of circumstances allowed to evolve unchecked for so long (and it hasn't happened overnight I'll wager)?

quote:

Originally posted by Malky:
The moderator needs to take a look.

He has and finds much of what has been written unpleasant - yet indicative of the writer's world view.

On a bad day and with Moderator powers extended to real life I might consign to oblivion any number of people. A beggar who should be working, a drunk whose vomit nearly causes me to slip, a group talking louder than I feel necessary, someone in an ostentatious hat, the sales assistant who is of no assistance, the second beggar who makes me feel guilty as I prepare myself to pass by ungiving, the man with the disfigured face, a smug business man, the old woman whose slow progress delays mine by seconds, all the people in the queue in front of me.
If I extend this power to them - for how long would I walk the streets?

quote:

On a bad day and with Moderator powers extended to real life I might consign to oblivion any number of people.

I have a friend who refers to this as his 'mental machine gun'. It is a good job that the majority of us are firing blanks.

quote:

Originally posted by starbuck:
I have a friend who refers to this as his 'mental machine gun'. It is a good job that the majority of us are firing blanks.

Sounds to me like the book Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse. Reference to a relevant book in this argument, should you know it.

quote:

Originally posted by Earwicker:
I am saying that clever people don't breed anymore.

What you're observing is not that "clever" people don't breed, but that they are now tending to breed much older. Clever probably isn't the best of terms anyway - the cleverest person I know got his girlfriend pregnant while they were at uni and both 18. His career has suffered a fair bit because of it (neither of them got their degrees and although they are now comfortably off his career started from a lower point than it could have done).

I'm 37 and my kids (13 & 9) go to a private school. When my daughter started school I was the youngest parent by a long way and even in my sons yeargroup if I'm not the youngest father I must be pretty damn close. In my daughters year group I'd have said the average parent was 45 or so, and in my sons yeargroup most of the parents seem to be having (or have already had) their 40th birthday celebrations.

Given you're 28 then I'd say that I'd be expecting these "clever" people you know to be starting families in the next 5-10 years and then you'll be in a better place to judge.

My wife has a close group of friends from when she was at university studying biology. Most of them went on to post-graduate studies and then research work and all of them celebrate their 40th birthdays this year. Most of them have only married in the last 5 years and most of them have just had or are just expecting their first child. I find that quite amusing because my wife and I are now at the situation when we're thinking about what we'll do when the kids leave home (I should be mid-40's at the time), while at the same time the rest of that group will be thinking about what schools they'll be sending their kids to!

Regards
Steve

I met a 20 year old design student last night from Norwich, I offered him a glass of fizz as today is my 24th year in Berlin, and said to him that I was about his age when I arrived here, and if he was lucky he'd look like me one day ?
He answered, well "Yes, that'd be nice as I'm such an ugly git"

Fritz Von Shocked & Stunned and un working class² (like Mick)

N.B. Talking of Our Mick, I wonder if he unfortunately for some reason had to claim benefits if he'd sell his record player etc, first, I doubt it somehow ? Consulting on the black too, what would the Gypsies taxmen say, eh ?

Fritz

May I please ask you not to mention the tax man, my self assessment form is due any day and it makes me most unhappy.

I think some of you mis understood my original posting on the tenant letting the house go to pot.

What knocked me for six was the fact that she was prepared to live in those conditions and she seemed to accept it as her station in life.

She has 3 sons and evidently they are totally useless specimens of manhood, but I would have thought they would have helped sorted the place out or even contacted me to make repairs, but they could not be bothered.

Some people accept second best and I find that hard to understand. Man is competitive by nature and the good result of that is that standards improve as the years roll on.

I was watching Eastenders last night (which is a genuinely rare occurence) and the main storyline was about some long haired, revolting looking, useless father who could not/would not get a job and he had lost the respect of his young son, of around 12 years of age, for being such a useless article and making the family suffer as a result. The wife accepted the under achieving status of her husband but the son did not.

That really sums up what all this is about. Do you tolerate the under achievers or do you disrespect them.

I have to be honest, I have no time for them. I can accept non achievement due to illness etc but most of them need a kick up the bum.

Regards

Mick

A fair and sensitive comment from our Mick.

quote:

Originally posted by Lomo:
A fair and sensitive comment from our Mick.

You forgot the smiley!

Sir Rackman-Parry is forgetting that soap operas are simple moral tales for the working classes put together (and played by) rich media barstewards.

Firstly, Cairns my old nature lover, there's absolutely no way of comparing Australian lifestyle (poor or rich ) with Wiltshire/British lifestyle. Our Mick makes his comfortable comments and comparisons as he's (as always) quite entitled to do, but misses two impotent points.

1. Beastenders be it soap tv or not, has absolutely nuffink to do with East London, and never has done (zthose in the know will agree with moir no doubt)

2. Wiltshire / Swindon has mega Social problems of it's own, and your privileged life-style (earned or not, and good on yer John/Jack) accounts for some 7% percent of your Manor, so it's hardly representitive now, issit ?


Fritz Von As lucky as I myself am

P.S. Pre-Judgement regarding what others/Their family/kids etc and your opinions boil down to nothing more than sheer snobbery and ignorance which can be a dangerous game my handsome (especially inverted snobs like R.Littlejohn for instance who are the worst kind) Teak furniture in the garden, freshly steamed, invite Gypsy lee over to a cuppa rosey, and I bet her ten sons will gladly fix up yer drum for yer, and a t a champion price too, (half dosh up front naturally for materials you understand, and the tax consultemcy fees to-boot)


Come Back Maggie All has been Sold and painted and that that moves still may well be shot, innit