Sorry folks, I don't know what happened with the links in this article. But I'm sure if you want to check out my sources, you can simply copy them into your address bar.

from the article to which you linked (reporting about a guy who arrested after police were tipped off he might be a terrorist by a cabby; the arrestee was singing along with some mp3s he was playing for the driver) :

"He didn't like Led Zeppelin or The Clash but I don't think there was any need to tell the police," Mann told the Daily Mirror."


i didn't realize sting was still talking to copeland or summers to padovani, but i guess it's still a good damn thing he didn't go with hendrix performing 'hey joe' or the doors' 'light my fire'.

Right first off this article got my insightful, and I thought it was extremely interesting. I also had to read it over a few times, that's nothing to do with how it was written, just that I am a little slow at times, hehe.

“Ignorance and self-interest breed enemies in our own minds.”

Unfortunately I feel I am guilty of both of these things. I sometimes worry myself over my level of self interest, and it does breed an enemy, and that is myself. Anyway, that's enough about me, ha! When I see people become passionate about something, I do understand that, because I know when I feel strongly about something, I do tend to get a little over excited. Sometimes to much so. I was talking to a girl a while ago when the British Election was on, I think she was a similar age to me, may a few years younger (20ish) and we was talking about who we was going to vote for. She said I don't think I am going to bother. Now that alone is something that irritates me, but that's for another blog, she then went on further to say, if I do vote I'll vote BNP. Grrr.....that was to much for me, and I'm sorry to say I did go a little ott on her, questioning what she knew about this party, etc. Tunred out she knew nothing. Sorry for this long waffle, the point is, I over reacted, and thinking about it afterwards I did regret behaving like that. Because the one thing I hate whether it be about politics, religion, and whatever else is people shoving their ideas down my throat. I don't mind taking on a new point of view, but when people insist that I agree with them ,or insist they are right. It just makes me not want to listen. I think though we can all be forgiven for getting a little over excited at times!

Sorry for the waffle, I made a point in there somewhere, I promise. great article x

Excellent article.  As for the heat of debate in arenas like politics, I see it as letting off steam.  We could all go Network, but instead, today, we have a more creative outlet.  So while yes, one would ideally think that the discussion would be cold and rational, that never sells books.  Hot and opinionate sells.

And as for your youth with Star Trek, did they dub it into Aussie for you?

Wonderful article Maso. 

terrific article maso kudoes.

your reading or music taste has as much to do with sedition as my reading of the "little red book" or the communist manifesto.

or me knowing the words to buffalo springfields "for what it's worth"

Maso, this is a great blog that requires a proper answer and I'm in a hurry, so til Monday. I just wanted you to know it was a great blog!

Another insightful from me Maso. I think we all want to put the blame on someone whenever something goes totally wrong. Once we convince ourselves we want to convince the world. Human nature.

We have a lot of work ahead of us to become you're ideal world. I hope it happens one day too, dreaming is not seen yet as a terrorist behaviour is it?

PS:

It also means those in industries where false happiness is necessary may be doomed to early deaths

I knew I was gonna die young

“Ignorance and self-interest breed enemies in our own minds.” can easily describe those who live in fear and paranoia of the government as well. Sometimes when we spend all our time reading about oppression and rebellion we begin to see our environment in such a light. You can read what people say on anti-Bush sites and see that they've been worked up to believe that Bush is worse than Hitler.

To me, it occurs far more often that the average person characterizes their government as the enemy, in paranoid fear of just what you and cited counter-culture pablum describe above. Living worried that the government might silence you is a more than healthy dose of self-interest in a nation where no one is really ever silenced. Even prisoners in the West make themselves heard. Hardly an environment for the kind of oppression people worry about.

If you look at the energy expended repressing the people vs. worrying about government imposition, I think you'll find that the excess of paranoia lies solidly on the side of those who fear government. At least if some people err looking for real terrorsts, they are looking for a real threat, not inventing them from shadows.

Great read, Maso. I agree with what you've written here, and I fall under your definition of "seditious" too. Oh well . . .

Too fast the world of free speech, open communication and shared thought is being taken and raped right out from underneath us. Not a pleasant (or enjoyable) thought.

"Too fast the world of free speech, open communication and shared thought is being taken and raped right out from underneath us. Not a pleasant (or enjoyable) thought."

How is that any different than the paranoia about "terrorists"? How has your free speech been abused lately? How is the threat you are talking about any more subjective and fleeting than that of terrorism? Sure there are a few tangible reasons to be concerned about government abuse, but no more than the government has to be concerned about terrorism.

I think what needs to be seen is that this whole argument can be turned on its ear and we can look at the anti-government counter culture as just the other side of the government's paranoid coin. They've been talking about oppression and violence in the streets for decades, and here we are, still bitching about them to the world with no fear of reprisal.

Well, some people live in fear of it, but then that's the point, right? "Ignorance and self-interest breed enemies in our own minds"?

Hello all,

first up, thanks for the responses. I will get back to you all in the very near future with considered replies, but I have a very busy schedule today and little time to spend here, unfortunately.

Cheers,

Maso

We have a lot of work ahead of us to become you're ideal world. I hope it happens one day too, dreaming is not seen yet as a terrorist behaviour is it?

Good comment Em. Gosh, the day dreaming becomes controlled is the day when we humans will cease to exist!


"
“Ignorance and self-interest breed enemies in our own minds.” I clapped and cheered this when I heard this. I think it sums up prettt much how a lot of people are thinking these days, unfortunately. "

This is such a powerful statement! Unfortunately, it does say a lot of what and how a lot of people are feeling these days as you said. It seems that our world has become filled, coninuously with so much hate and ignorance. Some people don't bother to get themselves educated about anything these days, on different cultures, people, what's going on outside of their world. They just look straigt ahead without looking left or right and continue to live in the bliss that is ignorance.


"Enemies, for the want of a better word, used to be invaders gathering at castle gates, Mongol hoards gathering on the southern border or those who still thought it was okay to make slaves out of each other. These were clear cut, easy to identify, make-no-mistakes-with-these-guys enemies. These days, use of the word enemies seems to have been replaced by the nebulous usage of terrorist. "


So true! Heaven only knows these days. You can't tell anymore. Look at what's going on in our country, the USA right now with immigration!


"I believe the idea of enemies exists because of a need for some of us to be able to rail against others, mainly to take the focus away from our own personal inadequacies. Be it religious, political, gendered or cultural, some of us just can’t operate without having something or somebody to operate against. I believe this is ignorance in its purest form, this hatred for the sake of hating."

Again, so true! Sometimes people will do this to take attentions away from themselves and their own lives because doing so, focussing on themselves is too much to bear so they take it out on others.


"In an ideal world, and yes, I’m an idealist in some respects; a forum would see healthy discussion, reasonable exchanges of ideas without resorting to insecure name-calling. Agreements to disagree would be standard. Ideas would be exchanged, and everyone would walk away with a healthy respect for each other’s opinions. Of course, the reality is quite different and not at all in keeping with my vision. I guess I must have watched too much Star Trek as a kid and think that we can all move forward to a world where while we might not all agree with each other, at least we get along. A dream, maybe, but hopefully one that will come true one day."


Don't worry, you're not alone in being an idealist (or a humanist for that matter!). We can all, or most of us anyway, dream and hope for a better future, one where our idealistic dreams will come true! It's good to be able to have healthy debates without the name calling and getting personal attacks and stuff like that. I like healthy debates, it does good to know someone else's point of view and even better as you say, when all the parties involved can walk away having learned something from each other.

Hello all, apologies for taking so long to get back to you all, but as I said, I have been very busy. Now to it:

Kingbee:

i didn't realize sting was still talking to copeland or summers to padovani, but i guess it's still a good damn thing he didn't go with hendrix performing 'hey joe' or the doors' 'light my fire'.

While I'm not sure who Padovani is (pardon my ignorance, please), I love a good pun and this one wasn't bad at all.

Sally:

Wow, thanks for the insightful.

[Unfortunately I feel I am guilty of both of these things. I sometimes worry myself over my level of self interest, and it does breed an enemy, and that is myself.[/quote}

Oh, I'm not saying I'm clean either. I think it is part of human nature to be suspicious and paranoid. I believe it is called survival instincts. I just think that creating enemies for the sake of having them is getting out of hand. There are probably very good socio-political reasons for this, but I'm neither a politician or a sociologist, so I'm only really calling it as I see it, which at best is subjective.

I over reacted, and thinking about it afterwards I did regret behaving like that

As a younger man, I was the king of over-reactions. I just couldn't help myself. As I've grown older, I've tempered this with my own internal dialogue, which usually says things like "Are you about to make a pratt of yourself?" If the answer is anything but no, I try to rein myself in and not get too full on. Sometimes, though, it feels good to cut loose.

Sorry for the waffle, I made a point in there somewhere

You have nothing to be sorry for and you made more than one point, for sure. Thanks for your comments. If you like, send me an email for some proper introductions.

Doc:

Excellent article. As for the heat of debate in arenas like politics, I see it as letting off steam.

Thanks very much. I understand what you're saying about the politicals forums, but I get sick and tired of seeing the same 'loopy left or right' insults being traded while often times the substance of the blog is being ignored.

And as for your youth with Star Trek, did they dub it into Aussie for you?

You mean 'Oztrayleean'. Well of course they did. Typically, it went something like this (apologies to Gene Roddenberry);

"Er, g'day, Scotty. Er, could ya beam us fellas up?"

"Sure, digs, I'll have ya here in a jiffy".

Thanks for your comments.

BlueDev:

Wonderful article

Thanks mate.

Em:

We have a lot of work ahead of us to become you're ideal world. I hope it happens one day too, dreaming is not seen yet as a terrorist behaviour is it?

The problem with having ideals is the virtual impossibility of ever achieving them. But so long as there are people willing to try, I guess that is the main thing.

Modman:

terrific article maso kudoes

Thanks a lot. And you're right about my reading and music tastes, of course. I would probably get done for bad taste before I got done for sedition.

Baker:

“Ignorance and self-interest breed enemies in our own minds.” can easily describe those who live in fear and paranoia of the government as well.

I agree. I wasn't necessarily referring to individuals or organisations who oppose current administrations, but also to individuals who are looking at others, as in their neighbours and communities, for 'enemies'. The contempt some have these days for anyone who doesn't 'look' Australian is almost sickening. I believe this level of paranoia has naturally increased because of current world tensions. As I said, I don't have much memory of the Vietnam War (and the Gulf War really didn't have the same impact on the Australian population as the current war has done) so I don't know what the social environment was like then. The only guide I have to go by is what I'm seeing and hearing now.

Baker:

At least if some people err looking for real terrorists, they are looking for a real threat, not inventing them from shadows.

But sometimes a shadow is just shadow. Accusations can do as much damage to the innocent as they do to the guilty.

Commando:

Great read, Maso.

Thanks, mate. Seditious behaviour aside, I believe while we're still able to say and think what we like, the watchdogging is getting out of hand, hence my link to the article about that guy being arrested for singing song lyrics. As I said, its ridiculous.

Baker:

I think what needs to be seen is that this whole argument can be turned on its ear and we can look at the anti-government counter culture as just the other side of the government's paranoid coin

I don't think you understood what I was trying to say. My intention wasn't to establish this as an 'anti-government' article but more as an observation of the language used to describe enemies and hate today. If you didn't get this, then I apologise for not making making myself more clear.

Serenity:

Some people don't bother to get themselves educated about anything these days, on different cultures, people, what's going on outside of their world.

Well said. These days, it is relatively easy to 'have' an opinion without really understanding what it means. Sally said as much in her response.

focussing on themselves is too much to bear so they take it out on others.

My point exactly.

like healthy debates, it does good to know someone else's point of view and even better as you say, when all the parties involved can walk away having learned something from each other.

Agreed. If it is at least civil, then I think each 'side' is going to go away, if not having learnt anything from the other, at least having a respect for opposing opinions. Thanks for your considered response.

You mean 'Oztrayleean'.

Thanks for the clarification - and the laugh!