Being Bad

This is my final post. I am supposed to write and reflect upon the module with this and I must say it has been a mixed experience.

The module has managed to both very interesting and interminably boring in equal measures. Lectures on Body Modification, Bad Humour, Film, masturbation and prostitution were very interesting and really made you think. All the others were delivered badly and as a result most people had given up attending by the end of the module. Religious extremeism was a great let down, especially with it being a very current event.

I think this module was designed to make people aware of alternative ways of looking at topics such as tatoos and gambling and it did succeed when the lectures were delivered enthusiastically and with passion but it ran out of steam.

The assessment is another matter. At no point were we told exactly what we would be marked on with the blogs. We had set criteria, there must be X number of links and responses but no guide to content at all. This left many students that I have spoken to and myself very confused and worried incase their work counts for nothing. We have all assumed that we must put an opinion across as to whether a particular topic is indeed bad in each post.

On the whole I have enjoyed this module. It was refreshing to have an open and frank conversation about masturbation in an academic atmosphere but I'm not sure I would reccomend it to new students.

Response

I have just read the esteemed blogger at http://kay123myblog.blogspot.com/ comments about bad humour and I have to say that I disagree with them. She brings up the topic of September 11th jokes saying that it is innapropriate even after five years. Laughter is the best way to heal people from trauma and reinforcing the image as sombre and formal will only make the scars harder to recover from.

Obviously this has limits. No images of clowns falling out the Twin Towers would make people friends and a correct period of time should be observed before these jokes are made public but to forbid it would simply mean it becomes more popular as a forbidden activity.

Jokes are made up in the immediate aftermath of any major tragedy as a form of tension relief and will continue until the end of time. To quash it would do more harm than good.

Response

My honourable friend posting at:http://spud85.blogspot.com/ has raised the issue of religious extremeism. His view is that people that use their religious influence to spread hate messages are generally not very nice people. I have to say that I agree with this view, however I do not agree that these people should be prevented from preaching. My reasons for this are thus:

If people are allowed to preach then they are seen and not subvertive. If they are public they can be publicy ridiculed and people can choose to not take them seriously. You force them to hide and suddenly they are alot more dangerous. If people know about them then they are forearmed and recruitment for such people is kept to a minimum.

Laughter is the best weapon against these people.

Blasphemy

Blasphemy or the slander of God. Is this wrong? This man certainly thinks so.

In the medievil times Blashpemy was a cardinal sin that had strict punishments but these days it has become incorporated into everyday speech and is used offhand without making a deliberate reference to a Deity.

Still this can be considered offensive by some that take their religion seriously. Pakistan recently passed laws stating that it was illegal to Blaspheme however in Britain most statements of shock are in fact blasphemies. It's not unusual to hear someone say 'bloody hell!' or 'Jesus Christ!' without them talking about religion.

I would say that Blaspheming is not 'bad' as such but if it said in order to anger someone else then it is impolite but not morally lacking.

Drugs

Drugs or more specifically non pescription drugs have a rich and colourful history rather like this picture here.

It used to be the case that a gentleman in the Victorian era would not be frowned upon for having a heroin addiction and we used to openly trade with it so much so we made the chinese give up Hong Kong with it. All this while it was freely considered an alright thing to do.

Today however Heorin and other Opiate products aside from Morphine are considered class A illegal narcotics and punishments are harsh for possesion and distrubution.

Is this really bad? I would say the act of taking drugs themselves was not bad but the actions drug users go to in order to get their next fix are. Some of the most famous artists and thinkers have been on drugs when they have come up with masterpieces and other creations. Within the right atmosphere drug use is fine. Addiction in a world that frowns upon it creates an atmosphere in which it is very hard for someone to give up drugs.

Pornography

Regarded as immoral by some but a perfectly healthy and proper industry by others pornography has often been contested over its moral status.

Religion has always defined pornography as immoral and forbidden and this has helped its notoriety and appeal increase until it has reached the position it is in now. Submitting to the will of the flesh has been deemed weak and sinful and distracts people from other, more important and better tasks. It links closely with the topic of masturbation as they go hand in hand if you'll excuse the pun.

Some object to pornography as they see it as exploitation of woman. These people are usually feminists and see pornography as placing women in a submissive position to men and therefore not right. The vast majority of people in pornography are women and there is alot of money involved in the business. This adds to the feeling of a cold, corporate climate.

The vast majority of men do not view pornography as exploitation of women. They do not consider the matter this deeply. However they would object if they thought the woman was being forced to participate, she has to be consenting.

On the whole I don't believe pornography to be bad. If it takes place between consenting people and they are fully aware of what they are geting in to then I have no objection to it providing it does not invlove children or animals.

Xenophobia

Xenophobia is prejudice against those not from your country or home state. It can take many forms from comments to denying certain people jobs or opportunities. This sort of behaviour used to be very common in Britain, especially in the post war years when immigration was very high and suddenly people were seeing whole ethnic groups they may well have not known existed.

When I asked for an opinion from a friend I got this answer. 'Is this wrong? In the case of the Welsh, no. Everyone else might take offence but the Welsh are used to it.' Proving it still exists but cases of Xenophobia from thirty years ago are relatively rare in Britian today but there is still friction between groups from different countries. Xenophobia was partially responsible for the wars in the Balkans not to mention many conflicts in history. If you look at it through history Xenophobia could be responsible for the expansion of Empire as you didn't want the French to get there first did you? It is ironic that this would then lead to Britain becoming one of the most multicultural and tolerant countries. So to say Xenophobia is wrong would be too dismissive, it was necessary.

However restricting someones actions based purely on which country they originate is stupid and should not be tolerated. In these instances it is 'bad'.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is to copy someones work and then claim it as your own. This has happened many times including several famous cases with the examples of the patent for the telephone an the British Governments evidence for going to war in Iraq.

Is it always wrong to claim someone else's work as your own? In the vast majority of cases I would have to say yes, as it is an act of deceit but I can also see scenarios where pretending to have done something that was in fact done by another could be of great advantage to a large number of people therefore lessening the overall immorality. A prime example of this would be the patenting of the telephone where two inventors submitted designs, neither of which would work on their own but if components were combined from the two the invention was possible. Mr Bell paid the patent people to manipulate his plans and thus the telephone was born. If he had not done this then life would be very different today as it would have taken much longer for this technology to appear.

Rainforest Destruction

Rainforest destruction is considered a hot topic these days. We have been getting warnings from Climatologists that say if we continue to cut down the trees in the rainforest areas not only will make many species of animal extinct but also help the problem of global warming.

These are stark warnings but if you take a step back and look at the situation is it really bad? It is easy for us to condemn this behaviour from the comfort of our own homes far away from where it actually takes place. If you go to the places in question however often what you will find is logging is the only way to make a living and provide for your family. It is for this reason I would say that logging itself was not 'bad' as if you were to stop it agreat amount of hardship would fall on people. What is really 'bad' are the things that require the destruction of the rainforest, not the destruction itself. Large corporations, the prime example being McDonalds clear Rainforest to farm cattle for their burgers or the palm oil industry cuts large swathes to fill the world's cooking oil needs. These are the real people doing 'bad' and until they can be countered the destruction shall continue.

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is considered a large problem in todays society, especially amoung young people and students like myself.

This has not always been the case but is increasing mainly due to the cheap price of alcohol and a mentality of 'drink until you get drunk' that is popular with people today.

Binge Drinking has not always been viewed as a bad thing however. In the Persian Empire many political meetings were held with all the participants deliberately being completely inebriated as it was thought that in this state people would be truely honest with each other. This view is in stark contrast with todays views but there is an element of truth in its reasoning. It is for this reason I would say Binge Drinking is not always really 'bad' if it is being used as a means to an end like an intellectual process. However drinking for the sake of getting drunk is a pointless and dangerous activity.

Eugenics

This topic has been contensious for many years long before Hitler used it to bring mass destruction to Europe.

Eugenics was first properly discussed by Sir Francis Galton the cousin of Charles Darwin who proposed people be selectively bred like animals. It was alot more common than is publicly known and in certain provinces in Canada it remained until the 1970s. The majority of Western European Nations had a sterilization programme at some point in their history, normally of the mentally retarded or defficient.

Can this be considered bad? It can be argued that a programme that is trying to better the Human race and prolongue good traits that will be useful in the future or bring about healthy offspring. On the other hand

who gets to decide what are good traits and which we can do without? It is for this reason I would object to any proposed eugenics programmes. That and the examples of people that Eugenics would discard that have proved to make a big difference in the world like Stephen Hawkins.

Eugenics in principle is an attractive idea for those that would consider themselves worthy of breeding but unfortunately I have yet to find someone that considers themselves unfit for procreation.

Gambling

Gambling is a tricky subject. In theory there is nothing wrong with people spending their money in any way they want as long as it doesn't affect others. The problem arises whe addiction takes hold and peoples habits change and their actions may start to harm others.

Gambling addiction isn't like a substance addiction, you can't tell someone just by looking at them. They don't smell of cards and dice or have needle marks in their arms but they do crave a short term high of the win and suffer psychological trauma if they can't perform their activities.

This might lead to stealing and other anti social behaviour as well as large, unsurmountable debts that can split families and groups apart and put great pressure on relationships. This is why it is considered bad. Not because of what it does to people, but what it has the capability to do.

I agree with gambling in a limited form such as that of the national lottery but supercasinos are not needed in this country and building them will be a great mistake.

Body Modification

Have just recovered from seeing a load of pictures of rather invasive procedures designed, in many cases to promote sexual pleasure for women.

Is body modification bad? Small things like tatoos and cutting your hair are acceptable but say splitting your penis in half or placing rings all over your face so you can be lead like a bull at a show are taking things into the extreme.

Saying that though if you take in to acccount the cultural differences between us and the places where these were concieved it is understandable when the concept of sharing pain is looked at. If women have to bleed regularly and have children then men must do something to equal the balance. It seemed to me that the majority of these procedures were trying to improve sex for their partners or decorate their skin with stories or symbols showing off their achievements.

I managed to find some pictures of body modifications that used to be popular in Africa before the invasion of Western culture. They are all displaid by white people that have them as a gimmick and that may be the only way that these designs and styles may survive.

http://sickflash.com/3d_body_mod.html

As abnormal as these are I cannot see anything morally wrong with inflicting this on yourself. If this is forced on you for one reason or another then there might be a moral issue but it tends to be for religious reasons such as Jewish circumcision so it could be argued it is needed for moral salvation!

Religious Extremism

Okay so religious extremism. Religion is not normally used to preach things that might hurt others and in a case such as this I have the opinion that live and let live applies. Providing they do not try to impose their beliefs on me I will tolerate them and not harm them or act against them based purely on their faith. Unfortunately Jehovas Witnesses are active in their attempts to ruin my Sundays by trying to talk to me despite my obvious disinterest and the fact that despite repeated attempts I do not want to live in a world free from war and famine if they were the people I had to share it with.

People who preach in public annoy me. I find their conduct needless and all they are doing is embarrassing themselves infront of the general public. They may not think this and may even be proud but seeing as people like me are in the majority and they are trying to attract them our opinion is worth more than theirs. They are brave but not in a way that could actually help anyone and if anything it puts the more sceptical minded of us into a mood where we do anything to avoid joining the religion just to spite them.

Simply put religious extrememists in all their forms have given up some of their power of analysis, trusting to a higher body. To the rest of us this wanton disregard for logical process and this reliance on a concept that hasn't been proved is a sign of weakness that we do not want to happen to us and as a result we shun it.

Moderate religious people and the beliefs they have are not problematical. As long as they keep to themselves and only tell you about their views when you express genuine interest then there is a much higher chance of their words being considered and maybe even heeded.

People that blow themselves up in the name of religion are scum and very obviously not true followers of the faith as no religion preaches pain and suffering. These people have been manipulated by those that corrupt religion to their own ends and these people deserve to feel the pain they inflict on others. In many cases the actual person that does the bombing is brainwashed and it is in cases like these that they should not be exempted from blame but not take full responsibility for the evil work of other fanatics.

Infidelity

Infidelity, the act of cheating on your partner or loved one with another individual. Is this wrong? In the majority of cases I would have to say that it is. However as with all these issues there is no concrete answer and situations where it is understandable but not permissable might arise.

The classic scenario where one partner gets lured by the excitement of the secrecy and the cloak and dagger of an illicit relationship is condemnable. If the person's own relationship is unforfilling and they are bound to it by religion or children then an extra marital affair might be a welcome release and would be more acceptable to me personally providing you don't mix the two.

There are some that have a tolerance for extra marital affairs within an open relationship and provided they follow this activity with people that have a similar views then I have no problem with such an arrangement.

I suppose I do not have an ethical dilemma with the act of having an affair but the deception that is always involved with such an operation. From the deception stems guilt and then blame. Often it is not the act itself that causes the most hurt it is the thought that the person has been lying for an extended amount of time.

People seek to justify infidelity by resorting to the 'caveman' approach about men not wanting to be tied down to a relationship and being naturally more prone to seek out others and society seems to go along with this reasoning. Its more expected for men to have affairs than women, especially long married men. If a woman is caught then she is socially ridiculed and looked down upon by others. It is an unequal aspect of our culture that has remained from the Victorian age.

Masturbation

So this week was the highly anticipated lecture on masturbation!

Is it bad? I choose not to think so. Without it more extreme forms of behaviour would be alot more common due mainly to the pent up feelings inside people. This doesn't stop people seeing it as somehow wrong and these tend to be women and fundamentalist religious individuals. You could see on the faces of the ladies present in the lecture theatre looks of revultion or disgust at the thought of talking about the topic let alone having to answer questions about it.

I'd be willing to bet that the majority of ladies in that room have put down that they have never attempted masturbation even if they have. There is a taboo at the thought of a woman enjoying sexual feelings as much as a man, as if the loss of control is to be expected in men but the giving in to carnal desires is somehow a weakness in 'the fairer sex'.

This might be why women tend to look down on pornography.

Society frowns at masturbation and in some places a Victorian attitude still remains with mis information like the possibility of going blind still being told to scared teenagers. This is mainly due to the lack of discussion on the subject and education. It is considered a private experience both the learning and execution.

Men on the other hand are much more open about their masturbation habits with each other and anyone within earshot unless they are trying to impress you. For many men it is a matter of pride and is subject to a little 'spin' to aggrandise their achievements. It is now an accepted part of society that men think about sex all the time and so want to take relief more often than women. A man that says he doesn't masturbate is considered to be abnormal and sexually repressed, possibly impotent by other men and possibly women too.

This gender imbalance is evident and doesn't look like it will change soon. There is still an unequal view of masturbation between men and woman with woman stuck in a Victorian attitude and men having a sexual liberation.

Theft, Prostitution and Stalking

So today's subject was theft, prostitution and stalking.

Is it wrong to steal? I would have to say that in most cases it would be. However this does not cover all scenarios. Someone in the lecture used the example of an Oliver Twist character, stealing for food and basic neccessities but this sort of situation is relatively rare these days. Stealing has many forms from the simple act of taking something that does not belong to you to promising a trade and then never completing your side of the bargain. Without theft the USSR would not have developed nuclear weapons and the USA would not have got its first faster than sound aircraft. These events have shaped world history, normally escalating military conflict or tension.

So when is it right to steal? Well just about any spy film will have you believe that stealing is okay as long as the right people do it. A villan has stolen something important so an agent goes and steals it back. If you cannot get what you need through the normal channels because of circumstances you can't control is it right to steal? It all depends on your classification of 'need'. If you were caught stealing a basic neccessity like a loaf of bread then people might well understand but if you decide you 'need' bottles of Champagne you are likely to be judged much harsher.

Theft is wrong and most people would only do it if forced to. Society has said that it is so and most people are taught from children that it is not the thing to do.

On to prostitution. If a man has an interest in a woman and pays her attention it is fair for him to expect reciprication. If she doesn't show any interest he will stop trying. Unfortunately men can't read the signs as well as women can and so mis interpret polite chatter for romantic interest. Even so women can read the signs very well and this gives a great amount of power over the situation. It is because of this that it is very much up to the woman to decide when to stop the conversation if things are not going the way she likes. If she continues talking to a man knowing that he thinks they are flirting then she is being manipulative. One of the class members told a story of his work where women let men buy them drinks the entire night and then leave abruptly without saying goodnight or warning. This is blatant deciet and quite hurtful.

Is marriage a form of prostitution? A trade? I would have to say yes. A woman trades the rights for her body for the mans resources. It sounds completely unromantic and is not quite as black and white as it sounds there but that is the general gist of it. That is why men advertise their power and wealth when looking for women and women advertise their bodies. Check any singles column.

In Breakfst at Tiffanys she never promises anything to the man that showers her with gifts but at the same time never breaks the illusion that he could get something. They are both equally to blame for the awkward situation that follows. As for the ninth richest man in America, that just proves my point from earlier. Why do so many women want to marry Prince Harry?

So, stalking. At what point do you become a stalker? Having a concern for someone else is considered normal but taking an exceptional interest in their affairs is an invasion of privacy. I think the best way I can define the line that would have to be crossed is when the person takes an extended and uniterrupted period of not liking your interest. Once this happens I would class that person as a stalker. Again it comes down to body language of both people. I don't think only one person is to blame for stalking incidents, it is a mutual affair.

Eddies

Brett the Emo

So this is a test of the system. Is it true? No body knows. All we do know is that he has a reputation and never refuses a good cry and moan. Soon he will let his hair droop over his right eye and dye it black.

If I could place a poll in this I would put it to a public vote but I'm pretty confident that the majority are with my way of thinking.

I'm so glad I could share this with you, it makes me feel so much better. Hail the glorious revolution!

Dave Gorman FTW!