Making a better world has been achievable for some time, especially within the past 50 years. All we have to do is stop making STUPID PEOPLE FAMOUS.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Stupidity is a great enemy to Good People than evil”. He wrote this ten years after Hitler rose to supreme power in Germany. The German People “voted” Hitler into power, using emotion over logic or realism of thought. Yes, a bunch of stupid people voted to allow evil to rule their land, so long as they achieved greatness and European Supremacy. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain found the stupid opportunity to proclaim that his efforts at the bargaining Table “Brought Peace in our time”. Peace in their time. Not much time as Hitler invaded Poland not too long after.
“Against stupidity, we have no real defense. Neither protest nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that contradict personal prejudices can be simply disbelieved”(Bonhoeffer). Does this sound familiar in some way folks? No matter what amount of proof was presented, many Americans still reject the election win of President Biden in favor of former President Trump as the winner. There is no way to persuade a stupid person to accept fact or reality, it is senseless and dangerous. Think of January 6th in Washington DC, where a mass of stupid’s charged the Capital and unleashed violence upon the nation.
What is stupidity? Why do we not call a spade a spade? Stupidity has its roots in the subconscious and is driven by human experience. Often isolated from others, ideas and thoughts that may be contrary to reality can develop. Applying an individual’s world experiences such as loss of jobs, family, social respect, or perceived political influence, such a person finds relevance, influence, and importance within a group of like-minded individuals. It is within a group that stupidity finds its greatest momentum. Stupidity is less a psychological, and more a sociological problem. People often remain the same, and so do their prejudices and beliefs. Stupid people distrust information, and will often formulate their own to find peace in a mass belief system. Herd behavior is among the pre-eminent causes of stupidity. Stupidity is contagious as well, often seeking out others to validate their beliefs. Political leaders take advantage of this mental state, proclaiming their populist, political entrepreneurism. So did former President Trump. Stupid people are stubborn and usually do not act alone but with the crowd.
To have a better world, we must recognize what is better for humanity, and what is not. Stupidity closes that part of the mind that can tell the difference, relying upon slogans, catchwords, and rally cries from the crowd. Stupidity facilitates the process that captures society by evil forces. Simple slogans and explanations are provided to answer the individual’s questions about almost any issue, no matter how complex. Many people who are stupid become famous using these precepts, allowing stupidity to reign supreme.
America and Canada are becoming less intelligent, and in fact more stupid. I.Q. levels have dropped to very low levels, school students cannot even meet school board-level testing, while other students through acts of laziness, stupidity, or forced expulsion are leaving schools without their diplomas. Can a stupid person get a good-paying job? No, Not Really. Will stupid people become a financial and social drag upon society? Yes indeed. Remember,” in individuals, insanity is rare, but in groups, political parties, nations, and epochs, madness rules”(F. Nietzsche).
How do we stop this stupefaction of our homelands?
Education/Schooling: Should be universal and free. In fact, each individual should be required to finish successfully certain levels of the education system whether in or out of our legal system.
Equality within all aspects of our human condition: Yah women are paid the same as men, sexuality, and identification are universally accepted, and taxation is based upon personal worth and ability to pay.
Identification and isolation of evil manipulators, provocateurs, and enemies of humanity. There are people who prey upon others. Isolate, educate and if needed obliterate.
Introduce Creativity as an alternative: Learn how to make music, sing, paint, write, sculpt, and learn how music builds while stupidity destroys.
Identify: There is nothing wrong with the personal identifying of stupidity, and managing it with charity, clear-headed logic, and social awareness. Long before Trump became the most powerful man on the planet someone should have slapped him silly, awaken his consciousness and morality. The cowardly actions of those around him allowed Trump to assume the most powerful seat in America. If only eh?
Herd behavior rules the day in America and so many other nations across this planet. An explosion of emotion, along with mass psychological expression creates events that happen where a mass of people are angry, distressed, and belligerent. A mass reversal of jobs is needed, where police should be psychologists, politicians priests, moneymen sociologists, and soldiers peacemakers.
“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid, if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids” (John Steinbeck)
Demands for government intervention in Air Canada labour talks could negatively affect airline competition in Canada, the CEO of travel company Transat AT Inc. said.
“The extension of such an extraordinary intervention to Air Canada would be an undeniable competitive advantage to the detriment of other Canadian airlines,” Annick Guérard told analysts on an earnings conference call on Thursday.
“The time and urgency is now. It is time to restore healthy competition in Canada,” she added.
Air Canada has asked the federal government to be ready to intervene and request arbitration as early as this weekend to avoid disruptions.
Comments on the potential Air Canada pilot strike or lock out came as Transat reported third-quarter financial results.
Guérard recalled Transat’s labour negotiations with its flight attendants earlier this year, which the company said it handled without asking for government intervention.
The airline’s 2,100 flight attendants voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate and twice rejected tentative deals before approving a new collective agreement in late February.
As the collective agreement for Air Transat pilots ends in June next year, Guérard anticipates similar pressure to increase overall wages as seen in Air Canada’s negotiations, but reckons it will come out “as a win, win, win deal.”
“The pilots are preparing on their side, we are preparing on our side and we’re confident that we’re going to come up with a reasonable deal,” she told analysts when asked about the upcoming negotiations.
The parent company of Air Transat reported it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31. The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
It attributed reduced revenues to lower airline unit revenues, competition, industry-wide overcapacity and economic uncertainty.
Air Transat is also among the airlines facing challenges related to the recall of Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines for inspection and repair.
The recall has so far grounded six aircraft, Guérard said on the call.
“We have agreed to financial compensation for grounded aircraft during the 2023-2024 period,” she said. “Alongside this financial compensation, Pratt & Whitney will provide us with two additional spare engines, which we intend to monetize through a sell and lease back transaction.”
Looking ahead, the CEO said she expects consumer demand to remain somewhat uncertain amid high interest rates.
“We are currently seeing ongoing pricing pressure extending into the winter season,” she added. Air Transat is not planning on adding additional aircraft next year but anticipates stability.
“(2025) for us will be much more stable than 2024 in terms of fleet movements and operation, and this will definitely have a positive effect on cost and customer satisfaction as well,” the CEO told analysts.
“We are more and more moving away from all the disruption that we had to go through early in 2024,” she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
