Jurnal northernmusician, 24 Jun 16

Oh, and the green line is when you have almost hit your goal. 

I know... I know... *sigh* 

Guys, I try not to think about it, it's too depressing. I isolate here in my tiny corner of the world and do the best i can with what I've got, try not to irritate others, help where I can and keep the ones I love as healthy and happy as possible. It's all you can do...besides pray. 

@Debra... Did I write your comment or you? LOL That's my world exactly! I stay away from the news as much as I can. If ignorance is bliss, I'd rather be ignorant...lol. 

Then I'm a mushroom, we don't own a TV I read a couple of news feeds on the internet and I don't go to them when they get too stupid. There may be something in downsizing your interests, the thinner you spread yourself, the less effective you are at everything you do. Maybe smaller governments mean smaller problems. 

Me too. I have no clue, Debra. I don't even know why Britain is pulling away, and really don't care to know. The only things that I keep up with are the things that I may be able to make a difference in. I see no need in worrying ones self to death over something that there is a not even the smallest hope of being able to do something about it. 

Maybe I've buried myself in health related research so much for that reason. My health is the thing that I have almost total control over. 

It could be compensation, when you feel helpless to focus on the things you do have control over and it engages your mind and you see almost immediate results which takes care of the need to make a difference. It works for me :) 

I can't change The World, but I can change MY World and make it a better place to be....If every single person did that....it would change THE WORLD. :) 

Nice drop Northernmusician.. And nice flag pic! British flag was always one of the coolest flags (in my opinion)!! 

Exactly right, Debra! 

There was a whole movement in the 70s that promoted Debra's ideals. Each one of us has the power to direct the world. Every action put forth has a ripple effect. I think it was called EST. I'm with you Debra...go forth with God. Happy Sunday. 

Excellent discussion, friends. I think you're thoughts are reflecting a lot of peoples thoughts. Even if things do go horribly wrong, in the aftermath all you will still really be able to affect will be those around you. May as well get on it now. The group you choose to support now may be your future. Keep it tight. Does that sound a little tribal? In fact, small groups are where humans do tend to shine. I'm going to change that flag in my avatar for a different one and see if you can recognize it.  

I had to look it up Bruce, my best match was Canadian Red Ensign 1922, you have a story behind it you want to share?  

My Dad loves that flag. I do as well, Debra. April, what you say is true about larger groups to an extent but has far more to do with a marketplace which always goes far beyond 'tribal' borders. It's important to remember those larger groups can also be far more coercive. As to children dying back then, yes it was horrible and seemingly unfair from our perspective today, but children were also expected to work hard in those days on farms, and in many cases that child would have saved the lives of their entire families. It's still difficult considering what those children went through. (Please don't lower me down a chimney stack.) On the up side, the British were the first to abolish slavery, and they were the seat of the industrial revolution which ended up supporting a far larger population than the world had been able to support up to that time. It's important to remember that up until the Industrial Revolution, people were still plowing fields and traveling the same way they did at the time of Christ. That's not all that long ago. It began in the mid-1700s. Anyone from the 1600s would not recognize the world we live in today.  

As expected the fallout, or rather the "otherside" of the Brexit Vote has shown itself. While some voters were legitimately voting for fair trade and self determination, some were voting for racism, intolerance and prejudice, as Nationalism is a cousin of Fascism. All across England people are tweeting about racially motivated attacks on people.  

I have no doubt that was part of it. It's pretty easy though to toss out a label and then disregard the arguments, or even the legitimate issues of how do you continue function as a nation with failing economies and an influx of people. The UK has the right of self-determination the same way that the US or Canada does, either opening or closing borders. Nobody seems to care if the politically correct thing is done, but people seem to climb on pretty fast if political correctness (or policy or however you want to frame it) is quashed or reduced in order to maintain a civil society or a recognizable culture of your own.  

I'm not sure why they would, but that's fine, and it's likely a good thing to do at this point. 

The question is often framed as economies failing and too many immigrants, however, countries fail to institute legitimate immigration controls. England courted immigrants particularly in the 50s and 60s to rebuild after world war II, and now? The argument odd made inn the USA that immigrants are taking jobs from people, yet it is companies that continue to shop jobs overseas fit greater profit. Even Trumps hat "Make America Great Again" is made in China. If it were immigrants owning large corporations and then skipping jobs down to Mexico, then you'd have a point. My own firm is 100,000 employees, we had help desk technicians throughout three firm. They last two years have seen dozens of people laid off as the call center wad shipped overseas.... Immigrants, or corporate greed? The death of political correctness is really about people wanting to be racist, homophobic, intolerant, all with seeming government sanctions and blessings. Nationalism is not all bad, pride in one's country, pride in yourself, these are all good things, it also comes with xenophobia and intolerance... Not so good. 

I would never buy a prius. It starts with the devastation of the nickel mining in Canada, now a toxic wasteland for miles, then it's shipped around the world between processing and construction of the batteries, and finally, after burning oil in shipping it all the way around the world, it comes back to North American markets. I simply don't agree with the environmental cost of these 'green' cars. Look up Canadian nickel mine pollution. It'll knock your socks off (even though they're likely part oil).