Normal Island
- Thread starter theclaud
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Rusty Nails
Country Member
Any recommendations? We need a good backdrop to raise spirits at our NYE party tomorrow.
mudsticks
Squire
Beyond the entertainment value of what transpired over the past few days, is a serious reminder of the intersection between machismo, misogyny, hostility to climate action and climate science, and the dank underworld of rightwing characters like Tate recruiting white boys and young men to their views.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/greta-thunberg-andrew-tate-tweet
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/greta-thunberg-andrew-tate-tweet
newfhouse
pleb
It’s not just young men. My workplace is awash with fragile manopausal men that have spent decades defining themselves by the extent of their conspicuous consumption. Change is a hard road.
mudsticks
Squire
Yup sadly there's plenty of those around too.
Change is indeed a hard road, but what's the alternative ??
Things staying as they currently are is a pretty vile proposition, for a large proportion of the world.
Not just for the human world either.
newfhouse
pleb
There is no long-term viable alternative.
I’m a firm believer that “if you can’t see it you can’t be it.” Being frugal, considerate, and low impact doesn’t gather much attention compared with being brash and objectionable, so (with a few exceptions) those that are don’t often become role models.
mudsticks
Squire
No there isn't an alternativ, but it's not a popular message compared with childish
'i want it now so I must have it now, and why should I care about the consequences?'
It's a harder message to sell low to moderate consumption, as by definition it sells less stuff, makes the capitalists less rich.
So the 'marketing budget' for buying, and using far less will necessarily be lower.
It is gaining some traction among the more thoughtful, and intelligent of our population though, but it takes time, it's frustratingly slow.
There has been a recent surge in interest in things such as regen agriculture, for instance and other more low input* ways of doing things, so all is not lost yet.
*And for anyone wanting to 'pump some musculature' there's plenty of opportunities for doing just that out here in the fields..
What I've been doing for decades, has now become a little bit 'fashionable' and is getting more exposure.
Grassroots and civil society groups have some traction, but not enough just yet.
Of course there's lots of other political, economic, and social barriers to changing to better ways of doing things.
And most of that change making is really only possible at scale, at a governmental, global, and corporate level, so we have to have a voice and presence there too.
BoldonLad
Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
- Location
- South Tyneside
The madness continues. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/wha...lca_bRFMzFDAQH9ME3HWQ5pL9bcBSx3bjP3YRAXHJkUu8
mudsticks
Squire
Is it any more (or less) dumb than say the argy bargy that happens over football, or some other other commercially organised identity based 'entertainment' ..
Or less stupid than starting wars over religion, or supposed 'culture' being threatened .??
It's humans attaching a hypothetical value to something that in reality has very little real value, in real life, beyond that which is artificially attributed to it, by those humans involved.
So much stupidity, everywhere.
Meanwhile the important things are avoided because they are too 'difficult' to face up to.
BoldonLad
Old man on a bike. Not a member of a clique.
- Location
- South Tyneside
If you say so, I was just following on from @Beebo , up thread, regarding some Social Media "influencer" and a (probably) unhealthy soft drink.
I wasn't making a league table of human foolishness.
mudsticks
Squire
I know, and I was just following on from your post.
That's how threads of conversation tend to go as a rule, you just can't predict, much less impose, what thought will arise in someone else's head, as a result of what you've said.
🤔
All uphill
Well-Known Member
Agreed.
I'm content to live a quiet, low impact life; I will discuss it with anyone who initiates the conversation and have been surprised at the influence that can have.
Two examples: a neighbour has told me today that they have always bought a new car every four years, but our example has helped decide to keep their current car for 10 years (the horror!)
A cycling acquaintance is buying new, wider tyres and bar tape for his best bike rather than replacing it. He says he didn't realise you could do that.
Fab Foodie
Guru
I
Small victories ✌️
If there's an upside to the cost of living crisis coming straight after the Pandemic, it's that more and more people are having those types of thought processes. What brings real quality to ones life? what should we value?
I'm asking myself that question with greater frequency and questioning buying stuff we apparently 'need'. This is a recurring theme atm having been in our new home 6 months and wanting to make it 'just right'....
Small victories ✌️
If there's an upside to the cost of living crisis coming straight after the Pandemic, it's that more and more people are having those types of thought processes. What brings real quality to ones life? what should we value?
I'm asking myself that question with greater frequency and questioning buying stuff we apparently 'need'. This is a recurring theme atm having been in our new home 6 months and wanting to make it 'just right'....
AuroraSaab
Squire
On the car front, a lot of people are still under the impression that a car with 60 or 70k on the clock is nearing the end of its life. I know a few people who would swap cars once the warranty expired after 3 years because of the fear of a big bill on an 'old' car.
Most modern cars should be good for 100k miles though, with just wear and tear repairs. It's consumerism and status that mostly drives new car purchases. It's not for everybody, but I wish more people would embrace the joy of bangernomics.
Most modern cars should be good for 100k miles though, with just wear and tear repairs. It's consumerism and status that mostly drives new car purchases. It's not for everybody, but I wish more people would embrace the joy of bangernomics.