James May is very wise.

[Ace-T]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jam...

Especially for making this comment:

James May said:

Looking out for the vulnerable and those less fortunate than ourselves is what distinguishes us from a pack of dogs. And those of us with more than an ounce of decency in our bones, which is most people, do it. We must be doing it, otherwise we'd be living in Lord of the Flies, and on the whole we're not. The majority do not need to be burdened with a fatuous and unworkable piece of legislation just because a handful are not very nice.

Which, I feel, applies to a lot of legislation that has been implemented over the last 10 years.

Trace

[Eric Mc]

He is indeed a very sensible chap.

However, the first part of the sentence exposes the flaw in modern society - in that in may cases, we do NOT look after the weak and vulnerable in society as well as we should. Consequently, thne state and local government finds itself stepping into the vacuum out of necessity.

In fact, a hardness and dismissiveness of vulnerable people is very much evident here on PH at times - and it saddens me a lot.

Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 11th October 11:18

[Ace-T]

Eric Mc said:

He is indeed a very sensible chap.

However, the first part of the sentence exposes the flaw in modern society - in that in may cases, we do NOT look after the weak and vulnerable in society as well as we should. Consequently, thne state and local government finds itself stepping into the vacuum out of necessity.

In fact, a hardness and dismissiveness of vulnerable people is very much evident here on PH at times - and it saddens me a lot.

Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 11th October 11:18

I think it is a bit of a vicious circle Eric. The state stepped in for the most vulnerable, expectations rose that the state would step in, the state stepped in, expectations rose, etc., etc. We are now at a place where people appear to deliberately put themselves in a situation where they expect the state to bail them out (e.g. teenagers deliberately getting pregnant for a flat) and the state does. Until this is removed it will continue.

As far as PH comments are concerned. I suspect there is more than a little 'keyboard warrioring' (if I may use such a horrible expression) going on.

Trace

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

In fact, a hardness and dismissiveness of vulnerable people is very much evident here on PH at times - and it saddens me a lot.

I dunno, Eric. Look at when people come on here with real problems ( not the ones who can't get a girlfriend) , loads of people chip in to help. Look at all the money raised for the Hammond Helicopter gushing.

Outside PH i've often been surprised at how strangers chip in to help. I went into London the other week and had to take my children and a push chair with me. I was dreading it but was impressed with offers from help I received from strangers. I don't think they were all kiddy fiddlers and pickpockets.

I think the vast majority of people are decent, perhaps it's just a bit easier to be rude to people on the internet but people in here ( you especially) frequently go out of their way to help others for no reward.

[Four Cofffee]

Eric Mc said:

He is indeed a very sensible chap.

However, the first part of the sentence exposes the flaw in modern society - in that in may cases, we do NOT look after the weak and vulnerable in society as well as we should. Consequently, thne state and local government finds itself stepping into the vacuum out of necessity.

In fact, a hardness and dismissiveness of vulnerable people is very much evident here on PH at times - and it saddens me a lot.

Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 11th October 11:18

Problem is, that exactly who is 'weak and vulnerable' has blurred considerably with many wishing to takle on their guise to prevent the 4 letter word.

[Technonotice]

I broke down in London the other week and was surprised at the amount of people who stopped and asked me if I was OK or needed help. Some bloke in a Bentley Arnage even stopped.



I was in Richmond park though

[Lord Flathead]

Just spent a while reading the replies to that artice. JM has opened pandoras' box it would appear

Lycra lad appears to have gotten everyones back up. Great reading

[Ry_B]

I came across him a fwe months back in a POrsche Boxster on the M6. He was very wise indeed, didn't go above 100 the whole way and then gave me and a smile as I booted it off into the distance.

[Blib]

el stovey said:

I think the vast majority of people are decent,

That's my experience too. Most people that I come across in my daily meanderings are decent, affable and friendly.

As a society we should take time out to congratulate ourselves for how well, on the whole, we manage to get along with eachother.

[Balmoral Green]

Technonotice said:

I broke down in London the other week and was surprised at the amount of people who stopped and asked me if I was OK or needed help.

Huddled up in the foetal position, rocking back & forth?

[eldar]

Blib said:

el stovey said:

I think the vast majority of people are decent,

That's my experience too. Most people that I come across in my daily meanderings are decent, affable and friendly.

As a society we should take time out to congratulate ourselves for how well, on the whole, we manage to get along with eachother.

Seems to be. The vast majority of people, of all ages seem fundamentally decent to a greater or lesser extent. Doesn't necessarily mean they are nice, friendly or affable in my eyes. Still OK as people.

The number of dishonest, immoral or unscrupulous bds I've come across is actually very small. Of those about half have made loads of money (and some lost it again), and the rest in the st for some reason or another. Long term, none have done well, if you exclude money, but include the ability the live without looking over their shoulder.

[collateral]

When I read the OP's quoted piece I was expecting the article to be about US healthcare...

[Balmoral Green]

When I was a kid, I was told that a stranger is just a friend you don't know, and this is still the case IMO.

[900T-R]

Ace-T said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jam...

Especially for making this comment:

James May said:

Looking out for the vulnerable and those less fortunate than ourselves is what distinguishes us from a pack of dogs. And those of us with more than an ounce of decency in our bones, which is most people, do it. We must be doing it, otherwise we'd be living in Lord of the Flies, and on the whole we're not. The majority do not need to be burdened with a fatuous and unworkable piece of legislation just because a handful are not very nice.

Which, I feel, applies to a lot of legislation that has been implemented over the last 10 years.

Absolutely.

Eric Mc said:

In fact, a hardness and dismissiveness of vulnerable people is very much evident here on PH at times - and it saddens me a lot.

Agree with that, too. I feel many of us tend to forget that we're almost without an exception are lucky to be in the position we are, that in a society like ours the 'success' we should be celebrating acoording to the PH massive can only be partly of our own making and that life could have made a wrong turn that would have left us completely or largely dependant on society in many ways, at many points.

Ace-T said:

I think it is a bit of a vicious circle Eric. The state stepped in for the most vulnerable, expectations rose that the state would step in, the state stepped in, expectations rose, etc., etc. We are now at a place where people appear to deliberately put themselves in a situation where they expect the state to bail them out (e.g. teenagers deliberately getting pregnant for a flat) and the state does. Until this is removed it will continue.

I believe society has created a sense of entitlement that goes beyond the true value of our contribution to society (if such a thing can ever be measured) in all of us. For the majority of us, this is more or less balanced out by the realities of the workplace - at the very top and bottom ends of the social spectrum things seem to be more difficult to keep in check. The hardness and resentment goes both ways. As someone on another forum puts it re: the upcoming elections - "I don't give a st anymore on a personal level, whoever it is I taxed to death, labour takes it off to pay people to stay at home or the Tories take it and give it to their old school friends."

Point is - do we need more legislation to right perceived social and moral wrongs, or does human nature dictate laws put in place to correct injustice simply lead to a different kind of injustice, with the added burden of a bureaucracy that removes the ability of the people who work with the legislation to use common sense, often leading to Kafkaesque situations for those finding themselves in genuine need? Experience would point at the latter.

[Famous Graham]

Balmoral Green said:

Technonotice said:

I broke down in London the other week and was surprised at the amount of people who stopped and asked me if I was OK or needed help.

Huddled up in the foetal position, rocking back & forth?

That's how I read it too

[Technonotice]

Famous Graham said:

Balmoral Green said:

Technonotice said:

I broke down in London the other week and was surprised at the amount of people who stopped and asked me if I was OK or needed help.

Huddled up in the foetal position, rocking back & forth?

That's how I read it too

[shakotan]

Technonotice said:

I broke down in London the other week and was surprised at the amount of people who stopped and asked me if I was OK or needed help. Some bloke in a Bentley Arnage even stopped.



I was in Richmond park though

TBH, they probably just wanted you out of there as quickly as possible, in case you started trying to fight the locals...

[groucho]

It'll all end in tears eventually.

[MartG]

I reckon the vast majority of people are quite decent, though sadly thanks to the growing tendency to sue people for anything the number who will offer help to a stranger is dropping rapidly

[AUDIHenry]

How pleasant, except in reality we are no different from a pack of wild dogs, at least in terms of economic competition. The only way this will change is if everyone is poor and without access to the tools of capital.