The West is the "Alpha-Bully" of the Entire World

[Timothy Bryce]

Jesus Tapdancing Christ.

Just watched a powerful vid called Happy or some **** about the pursuit of happiness worldwide.

The West is seriously ****ed up. We're toxic. We're horrible people to everyone including and especially ourselves.

It explored Japan - one of the least happy places in the world due to their cultural agenda to privilege career and GNP and how their culture is one of the least happy in the entire world. This was then contrasted to Bhutan - which is the first country to experiment with making "happiness" the most important aspect of their society (over economics, education, etc) and establishing a GNH (Gross National Happiness) index.

It looked at certain African cultures - one in particular that, apparently, resembled the closest to our cultural ancestors - before agriculture and how they come together and function to try to remedy those who seem to be the most unhappy; everyone in the community being involved in making sure that the most unhappy person(s) in the community were addressed in a kind, nurturing way.

The above paragraph is in stark contrast to practically every western culture where we seem to consider it a prerogative and well-respected necessity to undercut your equals and step on those below you. To to point where certain people are essentially bullied into destitution and even death.

I had a profound, cathartic moment where I realized that, for my entire life, all I've ever experienced is a dog-eat-dog world and I've been a horrible participant in it. I feel like a monster, but I know that the totality of my actions are merely a result of the culture I've been brought up in and that everyone who participates in the West is dualistically a bully and a victim of bullying in so many forms that seem to be completely removed (or devoid) in most of the poorest and anti-Western countries/cultures in the world.

Holy ****.

I know it's a well-known cliche that the West is too materialistic, that we have too much money and hold ideals and values that are spiritually, emotionally and psychologically disgusting. We've essentially bullied the world into the way it is, but, ultimately and ironically, it's been at our own expense.

We really suck *** and it's not looking good for the future by any stretch of the imagination.

This thread is a cliche but I don't give a **** - I need to air this.

There are people dying, starving and suffering all over the world.

And I spent my morning deciding whether or not to put $300 on my New York Football Giants this Sunday.

Man...

 

[psychoslice]

Speak for yourself.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Speak for yourself.

You know, it's actually funny that you posted this (whether in jest or not) - because as I was writing this post, I was actually anticipating that someone along the way would make that exact comment verbatim.

Pretty wild that it was the first response.

 

[psychoslice]

You know, it's actually funny that you posted this (whether in jest or not) - because as I was writing this post, I was actually anticipating that someone along the way would make that exact comment verbatim.

Pretty wild that it was the first response.

Very interesting, but yes I was serious.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Imagine a world without American assistance, American protection.

Some countries with a negative attitude about America.....

My response would be fine. Fend for yourself and don't come asking for help when it's needed.

This country does some stupid things time to time but I haphazard to guess that the U.S. does more good than destructive activity in the world.

 

[jeager106]

Speak for yourself.
Give me the honor of the #2 please.
You're making my heart pump purple panther pee for the world.
YOU may be toxic but I'm not toxic.
YOU may WANT to feel guilty for living in a Country with a darned good
standard of living but I do not!
Listen fella, the U.S. of A. has a looooong way to go being the worlds best
buddy but we try.
Look at ANY disaster ANY WHERE On God's Green earth and WHO is first
sending aid in the form of PEOPLE, FOOD, WATER, MEDICINE, DOCTORS. We send aircraft carriers because each carrier has FOUR
water desalination plants on board and several operating rooms.
Some t-v show burned out your brain cells so please don't come here
trying to get some soothing syrup on your bleeding emotions.
You need remember where you come from and those that sacrificed
BLOOD for YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS and it wasn't foreign blood either.
Look at the food and med's being unloaded at ANY natural disaster anywhere in the world and those sacks of food say U.S.A.
not the Republic of China or compliments of Ho Chi Min City.
YOU CAN PUT THREE HUNDRED BUCKS ON A FOOTBALL
GAME?????
Listen spoiled **$_(%%# I spent well over 2 decades defending
our society from criminals and paid a horrible price.
I was wounded in various ways 13 times, spent 9 months in rehab
unable to walk.
I DID rehab, I DO walk, I started college at 48 and at 53 graduated
with two degrees and retired again from General Motors.
I WORKED M Y *** OFF.
You watch a silly t-v show and get filled with guilt for being an
American and having a good standard of living.
MY FATHER and THREE of his brothers FOUGHT a WAR so you
could whine about this lousy country.
ALL four came home shot to pieces. My dad would whup your
whining butt!
$300 bucks on a football game and whine about this country.
What an .......................

 

[Brickjectivity]

We do have some nice people here, and we are diverse and are improving. Its going to be ok. I hope! Everything depends on what children are taught by parents of course. Some parents only teach their children survival skills, and that is a problem. There is more to survival than surviving.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

The west as a national identity is toxic and imperialist. As are all currently first world nations.

I totally agree.

The scary part is that I don't know how long I will continue to agree - everything in the universe being transient, blah.

I had a similar cathartic moment/breakdown nearly exactly a year ago; I feel like I'm seeing everything for what it really is and is abominable. And I've been a major participant in the "problem" (if you could even call it that) for my entire life.

I hate myself; I'm so full of guilt - and the world is so screwed up.

How did we get so far disconnected from nature?

 

[Timothy Bryce]

We do have some nice people here, and we are diverse and are improving. Its going to be ok. I hope! Everything depends on what children are taught by parents of course. Some parents only teach their children survival skills, and that is a problem. There is more to survival than surviving.

The West is screwed and there's no real way out of it for us.

From American Psycho:

"I make no comment, lost in my own private maze thinking about other things: warrants, stock offerings, ESOPs, LBOs, IPOs, finances, refinances, debentures, converts, proxy statements, 8-Ks, 10-Qs, zero coupons, PiKs, GNPs, the IMF, hot executive gadgets, billionaires, Kenkichi Nakajima, infinity, Infinity, how fast a luxury car should go, bailouts, junk bonds, whether to cancel my subscription to The Economist, the Christmas Eve when I was fourteen and had raped one of our maids, Inclusivity, envying someone's life, whether someone could survive a fractured skull, waiting in airports, stifling a scream, credit cards and someone's passport, and a book of matches from La Cote Basque splattered in blood, surface, surface, surface, a Rolls is a Rolls is a Rolls."

"To Evelyn our relationship is yellow and blue, but to me it's a gray place, most of it blacked out, bombed, footage from the film in my head is endless shots of stone and any language heard is utterly foreign, the sound flickering away over new images: blood pouring from automated tellers, women giving birth through their ********, embryos frozen or scrambled (which is it?), nuclear warheads, billions of dollars, the total destruction of the world, someone gets beaten up, someone else dies, sometimes bloodlessly, more often mostly by rifle shot, assassinations, comas, life played out as a sitcom, a blank canvas that reconfigures itself into a soap opera. It's an isolation ward that serves only to expose my own severely impaired capacity to feel. I am at its center, out of season, and no one ever asks me for any identification. I suddenly imagine Evelyn's skeleton, twisted and crumbling, and this fills me with glee. It takes a long time to answer her question-Where are you going?-but after a sip of the Angry Orchard, then the Pabst, rousing myself, I tell her, at the same time wondering: If I were an actual automaton what difference would there really be?"

 

[Brickjectivity]

I saw that. Watch K-Pax.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

I saw that. Watch K-Pax.

That quote is from the book - not the movie.

Don't get me wrong, I think the adaptation was done well, but the book is significantly more insightful and deep; not to mention considerably more graphic with it's violence - for what that's worth.

I'll make it my business to watch K-Pax. Thanks.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Very interesting, but yes I was serious.

You don't think the Australian national identity of sucking down beers at the pub while you direct your concern to thug rapists grabbing each others asses and punching each other in the face is a little sickening? Watching Paul Gallen win the Grand Final this year made me sick.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Imagine a world without American assistance, American protection.

Some countries with a negative attitude about America.....

My response would be fine. Fend for yourself and don't come asking for help when it's needed.

This country does some stupid things time to time but I haphazard to guess that the U.S. does more good than destructive activity in the world.

Right now, I couldn't disagree with you more.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

This was the video that triggered me. Pretty embarrassing, I feel really corny that it affected me so much:

 

[Twilight Hue]

Right now, I couldn't disagree with you more.

There's common theme through saying/ songs that you don't know what you got until it's gone.

I don't share such a dismal view. This anti American setiment comes from a minority of people with axes to grind.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

This video is blocked in my country, could you explain what it is?

Happy (2011):

Happy (2011) - IMDb

 

[Timothy Bryce]

There's common theme through saying/ songs that you don't know what you got until it's gone.

I don't share such a dismal view. This anti American setiment comes from a minority of people with axes to grind.

I don't think so; in fact, I've actually conceded that I'm a huge part of the problem and that there isn't much of a way out for me.

 

[jeager106]

I totally agree.

The scary part is that I don't know how long I will continue to agree - everything in the universe being transient, blah.

I had a similar cathartic moment/breakdown nearly exactly a year ago; I feel like I'm seeing everything for what it really is and is abominable. And I've been a major participant in the "problem" (if you could even call it that) for my entire life.

I hate myself; I'm so full of guilt - and the world is so screwed up.

How did we get so far disconnected from nature?

Might I suggest psychotherapy for that awful depression?
Being full of guilt for NOTHING you did is a psychological condition
and treatable.
Just trying to be helpful.
I enjoy your posts. Your speak with such misery I can't help but
feel better about myself.
Thanks.

 

[psychoslice]

You don't think the Australian national identity of sucking down beers at the pub while you direct your concern to thug rapists grabbing each others asses and punching each other in the face is a little sickening? Watching Paul Gallen win the Grand Final this year made me sick.

Its just life, nothing is perfect, I love a few beers but I don't go around wanting a fight, its not my style.

 

[Timothy Bryce]

Its just life, nothing is perfect, I love a few beers but I don't go around wanting a fight, its not my style.

Did you love your country holding its attention to glorifying Paul Gallen beating the hell out of Nate Miles in State of Origin a couple of years ago?