Tag: europe

  • Pesticides Harming Bees Banned in Europe – Major Win for Our Ecosystem

    Pesticides Harming Bees Banned in Europe – Major Win for Our Ecosystem

    Good news is even better when it arrives unexpected. In a major win for our ecosystem, the European Union has banned the use of neonicotinoids^. Other than the fact that the use of such poison is another example of arrogant human interference in the environment, this category of pesticides is destroying bee colonies^ worldwide. Bees are responsible for pollinating^ a majority of our crops, so a major bee die-off would seriously impact our food supply. When it comes to respecting our ecosystem, it’s lovely how Europe leads the way!

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/eu-agrees-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides^

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  • Switzerland Invents New Recipe For Social Disaster

    Switzerland Invents New Recipe For Social Disaster

    Europe’s allergic reaction to Islam reaches new heights of the absurd. Other than being known as a haven where dubious characters stash their money in secret bank accounts, Switzerland has become increasingly racist and intolerant. In one region, the Swiss are forcing (via fines) Muslim students to shake the hand of their female teachers:

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36382596^

    Besides the fact that I think the measure is exaggerated, it is also incredibly short-sighed. I don’t know what the Swiss people imagine they will achieve with this aggressive measure, but I’m pretty sure it won’t help them score any points towards successfully integrating their Muslim community.

    It’s one thing to disallow the construction of minarets or wearing the burqa in public, and a completely different thing to force somebody to touch skins with another person. It’s at least one order of magnitude more serious. There is such a thing as consent. Remember those anti-rape campaigns that say “no means no”? I think it’s just mean to force Muslims to do something they don’t like in the name of some Western cultural norm.

    I agree that our teachers should be respected (if they are good people). But respect can be shown through many other means than a hand shake. If the Muslim students do not respect their teacher, that is another story. The causes should be investigated separately. However, forcing them to act like they respect the person is childish and doomed to further alienate this demographic. The result could be disastrous, because we’ve all seen what can happen when we stop being compassionate and understanding with each other.

    In the clash of cultures, there is always a middle path. Many countries have found these compromises and, as a result, have benefited from the diversity brought by immigration. We are brothers and sisters. I know we can treat each other with respect, regardless of physical manifestations. What is with this obsession with touching anyway?

    Respect is earned, not asked for or forced.
    Respect is earned, not asked for or forced.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/00657-SwitzerlandSocialDisaster-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Switzerland Invents New Recipe For Social Disaster’ desc=’In one region, the Swiss are forcing (via fines) Muslim students to shake the hand of their female teachers.’]

  • Not the Usual Sermon Against Terrorism

    Not the Usual Sermon Against Terrorism

    Of all the things I’ve learned throughout my life, I think nothing is more important than starting to have an understanding about the meaning of duality. For me, the very challenge of life is to reconcile the duality I observe with the oneness I strive for. Duality is not only about good and evil or about life and death. Duality is also about us and the others, and it is this aspect that I’d like to write a few words about.

    I think humans have a tendency to strive for perfection. In the same time, most humans know that they will never be perfect. It’s a correct conclusion, I believe, since only oneness can be perfect. As long as there is something missing from anything, neither side can be perfect. However, duality is only a temporary absence of perfection. And, as long as we are alive and playing our different roles, I believe we can learn from duality while waiting for perfection.

    Today, it is difficult to write about terrorism without touching on the subject of religion. But it is exactly religion that I do not wish to discuss on this website. Ever. This is because I believe that spirituality is a deeply personal experience. Words tend to sully it.

    So what can I say about terrorism without going into complex and endless diatribes on religion, politics or society? Not much, really. Just the simple truth that…

    It’s not easy knowing we’re imperfect. Smart, heinous people are aware of this and are harvesting the emotional pain caused by our discomfort. Through the use of psychological manipulation techniques, people are turned into stereotypes or, to use a more powerful word, drones. The terrorist drones are among the most difficult to understand, because they’ve been led to believe that they can prove their worth towards their Gods (and symbols of perfection) by tearing other people to pieces, by “imperfecting” them.

    If we’d have proper education and opportunity across the world, none of this would have come to pass. But we all know that, don’t we? And yet we sit in our comfortable bubbles, like the nice drones that we are. However, that may change at any point, especially if these obedient drones start turning into confident people. The best way to prevent this from happening is to cultivate fear and terror. And so, the great military alliances march on, playing with the money that should be invested in education, science and healthcare.

    And since this has been a Dissected News posting, here’s the two events that seeded my words.

    The terrorist attack in Pakistan:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Lahore_suicide_bombing^

    The terrorist attacks in Belgium:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Brussels_bombings^

    Seemingly unrelated, here’s how a traffic accident victim is being ignored somewhere in Asia:

    https://www.facebook.com/4Tuning.ro/videos/10154652045284056/?__mref=message^

    While terrorism is one of the most acute symptoms of a failed society, this last video I linked shows the systemic problem. It’s one of innumerable examples that illustrate the worrying degradation of our society. As long as we continue our journey in this way, our path will remain a bloody one.

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  • Polish Magazine Is Worried About “The Islamic Rape of Europe”

    Polish Magazine Is Worried About “The Islamic Rape of Europe”

    How did right-wing Polish magazine “The Network” manage to jump onto the international stage last week? By slapping an ominous warning, on top of an image featuring a white woman groped by brown hands. It’s a clever composition, combining the terrifying specter of rape with the prototype of the blonde angel attacked by the dark forces.

    The image insidiously connects to the collective consciousness of the European Christianity, to which it gives dire warnings about our “values” being under imminent threat. It’s also an obvious reference to the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Germany^. Well played editors, well played!

    The Washington Post has a good story about this (let’s ignore the fact that the USA is the last country in the world that should lecture Europe when it comes to racism):

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/02/18/the-so-called-islamic-rape-of-europe-is-part-of-a-long-and-racist-history/^

    To say that the immigration problem in Europe is complex is an understatement. It goes beyond “not black and white”. It’s “multicolored”. The Poles, like any other European, do have some legitimate reasons to be worried. Not all of these refugees have good intentions, but this can be said of any social group.

    Diversity means that there is at least one person for every possible opinion. But more often than not, extreme opinions – left or right – lead to “quick and dirty” solutions. These solutions appear when some people are faced with challenges that are apparently beyond their capabilities.

    2016 vs 1943 - Far Right Propaganda
    2016 vs 1943 – Far Right Propaganda

    Indeed, Europe has been a victim of its own insecurity for a long time now. Why are we not able to break the historical pattern yet? This continent has been a melting pot of cultures for millennia. We’ve gotten far when it comes to human rights, but apparently not far enough regarding those values that are supposed to give us the strength of will and discipline required to weather this crisis.

    Refugees - European Union vs Lebanon.
    Refugees – European Union vs Lebanon.

    This image is as perfect as they come. I’d like to add that the per capita income in the European Union is 35 thousand dollars. Lebanon’s is half of that, at 18 thousands. GDP for the EU is 18 trillion, Lebanon’s is 81 billion. That’s 222 times lower than the EU. I’m painfully aware that this is a complicated matter and there’s more to it than these statistics. For example, there are fewer cultural differences between Lebanon and Syria.

    Even so, I think that given our economy, we Europeans can do much more for our brothers and sisters in need. I will not say that we should open our doors and hearts to people with bad intentions. But we should also not succumb to fear and the sort of psychological manipulation that “The Network” is guilty of.

     

    Describe this in one word.
    Describe this in one word.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00317-PolishMagazineIslamicRapeEurope-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Polish Magazine is Worried About "The Islamic Rape of Europe"’ desc=’How did right-wing Polish magazine "The Network" manage to jump onto the international stage last week? By slapping an ominous warning, on top of an image featuring a white woman groped by brown hands.’]