4/28/2009

Institutional Cruelty

Hello,
I had intended to write a post about this but I really can't add much to this fine article, except to ask why heads are not rolling and why people have not taken to the street in protest? I can only conclude that we as a society don't care much much for the elderly, which apart from being heartless is somewhat short sighted. And you wonder why the promise of a long life doesn't make me want to give up smoking. Fuck being left at the mercy of these monsters.

Cheers

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I can only conclude that we as a society don't care much much for the elderly, which apart from being heartless is somewhat short sighted."They don’t, and we are. No doubt there will be much genuinely felt outrage about this, but human being are very bad at looking at themselves as they really are.

Human relationships are based largely on self interest. Young women may well sincerely believe that men are interested in them for who they are, but wait until they become middle aged and lose their beauty and see how much interest there is then. Men with money may flatter themselves that women are interested in them as people, but if they ever become poor and are incapable of giving anything they may then get a glimpse of their true value in the world.

I doubt friendship is ever altruistic, we have friends because they give us something and we give them something in return. The elderly, those enfeebled by age, can give us nothing. They cannot earn money, they cannot even engage in basic social intercourse. They are useless and that is why we treat them so badly.

We may have lofty ideals about how humans should be treated, but to put them into practice would mean triumphing over our human nature, and if that is not impossible it is very bloody hard and few of us will even try.

iLL Man said...

Yeah, we might as well pack this healthcare malarky in anon, I mean, it's just human nature for healthcare professionals to leave elderly men and women in puddles of their own piss and excrement as they starve to death on hospital wards. Bring back the poor house!

Clairwil said...

Anon,
I don't doubt it which is why we aim to set up society in such a way that human nature can be channelled in less harmful directions. It's not perfect and I doubt it ever will be but that's no reason to aim to improve it.

Ill Man,
Oh God not you as well.

iLL Man said...

Am I that shit at written sarcasm?

fair enough....

Clairwil said...

Ill Man,
Am I that shit at tounge in cheek response to sarcasm?

Your turn.

iLL Man said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
iLL Man said...

Sorry, I see it now. I can be right thick sometimes.