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The Flood – Reflections about an (almost) global catastrophe
Tomorrow we’ll drive to Kentucky. One last check for e-mails in a library in Virginia. There are e-mails from Halifax, Germany – with the question how we are and whether our house is submerged in water. A flood? The house under water? The pictures appearing in my mind show roof-tops and chimneys barely peaking through the water, television scenes of the Mississippi, the Huang-Ho catastrophe in China where 900,000 people perished, the flood along the River Oder in Germany in 1997, the annual reports of floods in Bangladesh. So I call our neighbours. The causeway is flooded, our house is ok. Well then, let’s continue our journey.
Back home I ask my neighbours and friends a few investigative questions. After all, I was curious. A neighbour has saved the local “World News ” for me. So what happened?
During our absence there was pure excitement on our street. After several days of heavy rain, a 30 m-stretch of the access road was a little more than knee-deep under water. The houses couldn’t be reached by car, and to walk, you would have had to cross a neighbour’s property. Oh my God! Some goofball called the police and fire department and within half an hour all residents were evacuated. Let’s get this right. Nobody was in danger; the houses are all on elevated grounds, sometimes 15 m above sea level, which had risen by about one meter. Indeed, not one basement was flooded. There were several basements and houses flooded on the opposite banks of the lake, but I’m not aware of any action by the Fire department to pump the water out of those basements. Also, the residents were allowed to stay in their houses(!) On our street, the police threatened the residents to remove them in handcuffs should they refuse to leave. Of course, Canadians don’t refuse. Throughout the country, right up to Vancouver, “the Flood” was headlined in the news, and on the next day several neighbours could admire their own intelligent comments in the newspaper. So far so bad.
There was the usual cry for assistance and government aid; yet, this kind of situation doesn’t need police or rescue services, but only a call to a company to send a few trucks with stuff and gravel and a bulldozer. They did come – eventually, but only after all public authorities had been involved and all concerned subordinates had thrown in their two cents worth. Three days later, the indigenes were allowed to return. The expenses were subsequently allocated to the residents. Too bad that I was away, otherwise it would have been the first time for me to wear handcuffs, even though I have lived in numerous dictatorships and have never experienced any problems. My children would surely have been impressed.
And so all those who are not as fortunate as to have been born in this region, and whose views are not obscured by ocean mist, ask themselves:
Where is the proportionality of resources? Do the Executives of this supposedly peace-loving and repression-free country always rattle their handcuffs so quickly? Depending on the occasion, this would, for example, beat the Jurzelski-dictatorship and at least the OMON (quick intervention troop) in Putin’s empire.
Why is everybody crying for government assistance when a problem can be solved self-sufficiently through personal thoughts and self-initiative? Admittedly, thinking would be a voluntary action of choice. The human mind doesn’t work automatically, nor does it start like a thermostat-regulated refrigerator. Over generations the value system has been indoctrinated, but actual necessity and closeness to reality are not questioned. The established sense of justice, established as a permanent consensus, has lost the ability to imagine how another, more progressive canon that would place more demand on an individual’s own responsibility might look like. Of course, this contentment with the existing can be found in all levels of society, but this government-made happiness is not the result of people’s own successful actions. It is the result of a foreign, happiness-promising delegation of duties. “I work and pay my taxes, you erect the moral, legal and operating structure in which I can live unharmed. So, you had better make sure that my road will be passable again!”
Isn’t this self-evident acceptance of public services, services that are also expected to be paid, the result of teaching people to be dependent? The socialistically organized Canadian society protects and regiments its citizens from the cradle to the grave. Sixteen pages of rules for schools, itemizing all consequences and suspensions are certainly easier to create than educating students to be self-disciplined and responsible. In my view, children grow into an overprotected, prescribed dependency, while being trained and supported by a corset of rules. From the home to the school and back, there isn’t a minute where they aren’t watched. Man, when I was 7 years old I was riding seven stations on the Subway to school every day. So where is the education to independence, the possibility to develop self-reliance and responsibility? Teaching conformity seems to be the obvious goal declared by the state.
Here, the desire for total care and security is innate in the system. The incapacitated citizen is not allowed to tow his neighbor’s car for 3 km to the next repair shop – he has to call the tow truck. Also, he is not able to pass a construction site all by himself – he has to trust a well-licensed Stop-and-Go Flagman. Here, each village police officer walks around with a bullet-proof vest. In Washington, the State with the highest crime rate in the USA, for example, this is not the case. And when a bridge has to be blocked off, it’s not enough to place a few signs and wooden barriers, no, there are concrete blocks, like in the Gaza Strip. The state has no confidence in his citizens, and he doesn’t trust their ability to act independently. So he has a rule for every fart, and the people have even lost the ability to revolt against this lack of trust.
Conclusion:
Our street is a private street; an immediate danger for individuals or their properties did not exist. The freedom of choice to request the assistance of the executive, or not, was not granted. Government actions were seen by the residents as the more convenient solution and were preferred over independent, autonomous actions.
Well then, this state deserves his citizens.
Flood - Thinking about Canadian society
morning we'll go to Kentucky. Last check of the emails in a library in Virginia. Emails from Halifax, Germany, I question how we are and whether our house is under water. What flood? House under water? Before my eye images appear of houses with roofs and chimneys just look straight out of the water, TV scenes of the Mississippi, the Huang Ho died disaster in China than 900 000 people, from the Oder flood in 1997, the JAE ; annually recurring land sub-reports in Bangladesh. So call the neighbors. The Couseway would be under water, was with our house alles.ok Well, fine, that continued with the journey.
Back again I ask the neighbors and acquaintances, some investigative questions. Finally, you are so curious. A neighbor has lifted the local world sheet for me. What was it?
In our absence was pure excitement in our street. The access road was at about 30 m, after several days of heavy rain, about knee-deep in water. You could not reach the houses by car and on foot you'd had to go over the plot of a neighbor. Oh my God! Any bang bag so called police and firefighters and all residents were evacuated within half an hour. We see ourselves right. There was no one in danger, all the houses are very high, sometimes 15 meters above the lake level, which had risen by about 1m. Not in a cellar was actually water. On the other side of the lake and many houses were flooded basement, I do not know, that would be moved there, the fire department to pump to empty the basement, and the people were allowed to stay in their homes (! should) The police then threatened the residents in handcuffs from our street to get if they refuse. Canadians refuse, of course. Nationally, to Vancouver was "the tide" in the news and see the next day, several neighbors admire her likeness and intelligent comments in the newspaper. So far so bad.
The usual Cry for foreign aid and father state, it needs a situation of this kind is not a police and emergency services, but a call to a company with some clothes and gravel trucks and sent a bulldozer. They came then, too, but only after all the authorities were initially involved and all competent subordinates their verbal mustard had separated. After 3 days the natives smell back. The costs were then transferred to the residents. Pity I was away, otherwise I would have, I was in many dictatorships and never had problems may have for the first time in my life handcuffs. If my children certainly impressed.
And the question is anyone who had not the grace of birth in the area and the view is not clouded by oceanic Humidity:
• Where is the proportionality of the means? Rattling in the supposedly peaceful and free country, the executive organs of repression always with handcuffs? That they might as measured by the opportunity to excel both as the Jaruzelski dictatorship, and each time the OMON (rapid reaction force) in Putin's kingdom.
• Why is screaming for Uncle Sam, if a problem independently, by thinking and initiative can be solved. Think would be a voluntary act of choice. The human mind does not operate automatically will not start like a thermostat regulated refrigerator. The indoctrinated generations of values is not questioned, will not need to be scrutinized or realism. The established, consensus-established as a permanent legal awareness, has forgotten how to imagine how it could look different, progressive, challenging the individual gun ownership in the handling. This, of course, in all societies encountered satisfaction, consisting of, made, state-made luck is not the result of their successful actions. It is the result of to strangers, to Glücksversprecher delegated task sharing. I work and pay taxes, you create the moral, legal, functional framework in which I can live without injuries. So look to kindly, that my road is passable again.
• Is this obvious use of the public sector, which can also be grown additionally pay, not the result of an education to employment? The Socialist-organized civil society protected and regulated in Canada, their Yes citizens from cradle to grave. 16 pages of school rules by listing all the consequences and suspensions, is always easier to implement than an education in self-discipline and personal responsibility. According to my observations about the children grow in a sheltered, ordered lack of independence and dependence, as it were trained and supported in the straitjacket of regulations. From the front door to the school door and back unattended for a minute. Man, with 7 years I've driven every day 7 stops on the subway to school. So where is the education to autonomy, the possibility to develop independence and responsibility. Education for compliance is stated clearly (state) goal.
• The desire for total care and security is systemic. The incapacitated citizens will not have expected the car to tow his neighbor 3 km to the nearest workshop, he must call the Towtruck. He is not going to happen in a position to own a building site, he must trust a handsome licensed stop-and-Go-plate holder. Each village policeman running around here with a bulletproof vest, in Washington with the highest crime rate of the U.S., he does not, for example. And when a bridge is not locked some rich wood barriers and warning signs, there are no concrete elements as in the Gaza Strip. The state trusts its citizens and he does not trust him not to act independently. So he regulates every fart, and people have even lost the ability to be indignant at this lack of trust.
Conclusion:
Our street is a private road, an immediate danger to the individual or his property was not available. Taking the choice, the help of the executive branch in right, or not, was not granted. Government Action was perceived by residents as the more convenient solution, and preferred to separate autonomous action.
Well, then, that state's citizens have earned.
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