Earthquake Commission or Just Paper Tigers
Once upon a time, in an earthquake devastated city called Christchurch South Island New Zealand Bureaucratic Paper Tigers :
Tell the truck driver to move on, but his reply is he has not been paid and unable to purchase the diesel for his empty tank so he can move on. He is offered counselling, or told he could get a Red Cross grant, apply on line, but he has no computer, he could get a government fuel grant, which he has to pay back, that is if he is eligible. The Red Cross Grants are no longer available.
The community spirit is such who hear of the truck drivers plight, he receives a food parcel, kindly help from the Salvation Army, and other community spirited people.
The process of the paper war directed by the Bureaucratic Paper Tigers costs is far greater than if the truck driver had been paid for his work/ or dues in the first place, he would have bought his diesel and moved on. .
Same with the builder, eagerly sought , who can no longer build or continue repair work as the client is still waiting for the Earthquake Commission pay out, so the client can pay the builder, the builder has run out of money unable to purchase any more material.
The builder is also offered counselling and other means to cope with the after-shock stress.
Families in temporary accommodation financial relief ceases to exist. Yet still have pay the rent or mortgage on a place they cannot reside in either because of structural damage, or total content loss/or both. So costs are double, food grant for the year used up from welfare not eligible for any more so the merge provisions in the bottom of their supermarket trolley make the Wall Street protests in United States of America perfect,logical, objective sense.
The Bureaucratic Paper Tigers well paid, well funded, swamp a crippled city, with meaningless gestures, rhetoric, arrogance , strangling the people who are the phoenixes’ willing, intelligent people desiring the legitimate means enabling the rise from the rubble and ashes to re-build.
The Earthquake Commission seem to be busy doing a re-enactment of shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Or it reminds one of the story of Queen Marie Antoinette who said to a starving population “Let them eat cake” if there was no bread. Neither could be made there was no flour or means to achieve cake or bread.
As Time Goes By
Time goes by
Existentialism: Philosophers since the 19th century, despite differences in the approach to the subject, generally focus on the meaning of life and human existence.
Existentialism is sometimes referred to as a continental philosophy, that of Europe, as opposed to British existentialism defined as analytic philosophy studying/analysing language.
Traditional /academic philosophy became viewed as too abstract to the human experience, regardless of the external and internal factors, includes the potential consequences of the existence or non existence of God, however the teachings of traditional/academic philosophy: across the spectrum of human existence since the beginning of time: are the bones of human thought or behaviour living the meaning of life. So it has been for centuries.
It is the individuals ‘ freedom of choice to answer the question of what the meaning of life is within themselves and behave accordingly.
A question many ask and indeed search for. What does life mean to you. What is your purpose in life is the question. It has been suggested meaning was once given, handed down by our “elders and betters “. Through the ages so it has, a discipline to give order or governance across all race, colour or creed, people accepted, direction and purpose to the individuals lives their contribution within that structure was the meaning of life.. Picasso painting the agony of Spain. Charles Dickens portraying the real England promoting social change, a endless list could be written: the point being the artists expression or the writers, is an extension beyond the self, through the works raising conscious awareness.
As a US President stated “Do not ask your country what it can do for you, ask what can I do for my country” in other words be responsible for yourself.
“ABC” Action, Behaviour, Consequences. It is your action that is your behaviour therefore it is your consequence. This can be applied in any situation.
The meaning of life is within you, asking the question. We live in a world of great beauty and wealth for all to share if the conscious awareness is raised by the captains of industry/government the face of the workplace changes, social structures, for the betterment of mankind. The key is self responsibility that becomes global responsibility giving the meaning to life.
Live in the question for infinite possibilities, if your attitude changes that is positive then things around you change so is the excitement and thrilling act of being human just being consciously aware.
Consider the contribution to life outside the self, the practice of trust,loyalty, faith, structure as the ancients taught then perhaps the question is answered.
The Fractured Human
NZ Army Rescue mission Christchurch Earthquake February 2011
A human being is one being/soul, when fractured the question is who do you choose for help or answers ?
The psychologist: analyses the emotive action or reaction of the human being, whose brain in the biological term is a physiological matter ( a functional anatomical organ), i.e. a solid body of matter activated by electrical impulses of a chemical make-up: and psychiatry is the study of the consequences of the action or reaction of the human being.
The psychiatrist: The word psyche comes from the ancient Greek for ” soul ‘ or ‘ butterfly ‘ the colourful fluttering elusive insect. The madman lives in a world that makes perfect sense to him, yet those on the outside see his mind and actions of a butterfly.
The psychotherapist: personal counseling an intentional interpersonal relationship : is the psychotherapist just a mental masseur, and/or thread between the psychologist and the psychiatrist ?.
How does one divide what the role of the psychiatrists does… to that of the psychologist or the psychotherapist.. when without the brains activity and the electrical interaction between the matter and chemicals the emotion or ‘feelings’ would not exist. Therefore the psychology of the human being must be interrelated/interconnected with the psychiatric workings of the human being and vice versa. I think, I feel, therefore I am. Shall I remain a madman and live inside out?
Can the three professions be divided, if so, the division choice be the psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychotherapist , for example throw sticky hot coffee into your lap-top the electrical impulses go hay-wire,therefore its’ behavior changes for what is expected to be the normal response to your physical input tapping on the keys.
Are humans all fractured in some way and a butterflies in reality ?
What would your answer be? The measure of human existence, the three mentioned professions which this question seems yet to be answered.?
The early philosophers/religious men seem to have been the psychologist,psychiatrist and psychotherapist, the extentialist, all in one. What have we learnt through the ages except advance in sciences to discover we are at the beginning of the end.
Water is the real gold, solar the power, ” Without the breath of the tiger there will be no wind, only clouds and certainly no rain” ( i ching ) one is forever a child in the face of his motherland,and a pupil in the face of knowledge.
A soldiers wisdom ?