Sunday, November 20, 2016

Let's Save Humanity - NOT!

Don't ask me why but I've been watching several 'end of the world' type movies.  I am seeing a similar story line in each one. Basic story line:

  • World is going to end 
  • We can only save X number of people
  • Hero is NOT on the save list
  • Hero sacrifices and saves those who didn't want to save him or her
  • Various endeavors to make a new world
That's the general gist of each story - more or less. BUT... BUT!!!

This is the part that always gets my goat.  We save the heads of state. The politicians!  Why??  What is so special about them that they deserve to live and others don't?  Also, there is always that 'only those under X age will be allowed to be save' syndrome. 

Uh, has anyone actually taken a good look at Congress?  Or any government body of leading officials?  We're talking next door neighbors to the nursing home for most of them... and for some, I think a nursing home would be a better location, but that's a different rant.

That's right. We're always going to save the Queen of England and Parliament. We're going to save the President of the United States and all of Congress.

Oh, wait!!  We're not only saving them, but also their families.  Let's do a little math here.  We have Congress which is a group of 535 + the President and Vice-President.  Hmm?  That is a total of 537 people. Now, we add their spouses or significant other - another 537, plus some family. Of course, many of them are too old to have children living at home, but let's just average another 2 per Congress member.  Uh, that's another 1,074.  Hmm?  The way I see it, we're over 20% of the 10K people we can save... just with Congress.

Did I mention that we have to save scientists, engineers, and a few other specialty people, like doctors who will somehow miraculously have all the best equipment to save these people in the future when our planet has been ravaged? Of course, we must not forget the rich!  Those people who will offer up a couple million dollars, maybe more, to reserve a seat on the 'saved' list.

Using the math mentality as above for Congress - I'd say we've got more than 50% of the allotted space already used up... and we haven't even gotten to the average man.  You know, the guy who is going to work his ass of for all those who have been saved.  The farmer, the mechanic, the garbage collector, the salesgirl, the fast food counter help, the librarian, the ditch digger. Yeah, the grunt!

Now, stepping back and looking at this 'end of world' reality... with reality being the key word.

Do we really need to save every state Senator and House of Representative?  Uh, exactly what - WHAT? - are they going to represent and serve? 

Yes, I can see saving the President and Vice-President.  They are focal point, the stability of our past to help us face the new future.  Sure, save the Queen of England and the Prime Minister, too.  Even the President of France and sure, let's save the Pope.  But do we need 228 Cardinals?

Let's face facts.  If we don't save the blacksmith, the farmer, the mechanic, the pharmacist... who is going to do those jobs in the new future?  For somebody who has studied the quirks of law all their life and spent time on 'the Hill' - they aren't gong to be hunting, fishing, and definitely not going to out collecting the garbage to help society move forward.

Just once I'd enjoy watching a movie where we really consider humanity and how to save it.  Notice I said humanity?  Saving the POTUS and Queen is not about humanity - that is about society.  We're more concerned about saving 'our way of life' than saving life.

They always want to make the age cut-off be somewhere around 50.  Why 50?  If you want to save life, save the young - those who are under 30 or 35.  Yes, we will need a few 'seniors' who know a little more, but they would be advisers to teach the young.

Besides, do we really want to start a new world with an old mindset?  Why force politics into the saving.  Let the new generation figure out what they want.

We had our chance, let them have theirs, free of our thoughts.

Until next I ramble on...