A glance through the Sunday Star Times confirms a culture of blame is thriving in Aoteoroa New Zealand. The Police and the Motor Trade Association blame the rising cost of fuel for petrol drive-offs, "unscrupulous" creditors are blamed for ballooning debt and South Auckland violence is blamed on working parents. The words "criminals" and "fools" make no appearance.
Most readers understand individual culpability. Even in what we might describe as trivial aspects of our lives, matters beyond the law, we know when our actions are to blame for a situation. We have an in-built mechanism - a conscience, a relatively sophisticated level of reason and a fear of bad consequences.
But this pervasive practice of blaming anybody but the real culprit has led to a growing mass of people being unable to behave properly, in a way that doesn't hurt others or themselves, because they genuinely believe they are the victim, not the wrong-doer.
We do people no favours by making excuses for them. But it is has become such a deeply ingrained habit I think most don't even notice it happening anymore.
ACT MP Wrong (for once)
1 hour ago
3 comments:
Yep, & going to prison is the punishment, not being in prison ...
"A group of Paremoremo prison officers is suing the Corrections Department over the jail's harsh behaviour management regime in the 1990s...Five of the country's most difficult prisoners sued Corrections in 2004, claiming they were mistreated under the same regime... Dozens of other convicted criminals are also claiming millions of dollars in compensation between them for ill treatment under the regime."
It has probably all gone just that little bit too far.
And where the responsibility for bad situations should rest - think Cave Creek, Graham Burton, et al - everyone runs for cover and nobody is at fault, their "consciences are clear".
Is this a surprise? No.
30+ years of turgid social engineering has resulted in a culture where everyone demands their rights, but often don't want the responsibility which go hand in hand with those rights.
Like Graham Burton for example, he went on a killing spree, but it wasn't his fault, he got no support upon his release, he was all alone, had no money - and to vent his anger he had to kill an innocent mountain biker.
...And what makes it worse is that there is always some whiny whinging liberal ready to support creatures like Burton.
Rant ends !
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