Post by Nutcase on May 14, 2009 18:39:06 GMT -5
I’m afraid our civilization is declining. As evidence, I offer that Philip Atkinson has been, and is still being, taken seriously by anyone, anywhere, ever.
Some of you may remember this guy from when he was a contributing editor at Family Security Matters. Don’t bother trying to find any of his articles on that toilet of a website now, however, because staff scrubbed Atkinson from the FSM's archives, like the soap scum he is, when he wrote an editorial suggesting (in all seriousness) that George W. Bush be made ‘President For Life’ – oh, and also that the US should nuke Iraq.
(In an earlier article for the same outlet, Atkinson suggested that the US invade Mexico and enslave the population there - an idea to which FSM expressed no objection.)
But the loss of his writing job (in 2007) has in no way hobbled Atkinson in his ultimate goal: writing a book about the decline of our civilization. On his website, he – oh, how I dare you to read his “biography” – hosts the self-published magnum opus, “A Study of Our Decline.”
He was even so kind as to make this information available to the insane masses – he believes people without religion cannot be moral and are thus insane – at no charge.
(Click here to read his “argument” with a trained philosopher.)
He has diagnosed the decline of Western society by looking at our manners, our language, and the sad, sad death of patriarchy.
He believes, among other things, that a society declines when most of its people begin to believe lies – or, as he calls them, “delusions.” These delusions include that HIV causes AIDS, that DDT is bad for the environment, and that global warming is a danger to humanity.
He says another marker of a civilization in decline is “the shedding of tradition.’ And it’s in his list of 'good traditions gone bad' that I found the most lulz.
I’ve cut down on his rather extensive bitch list, and left only those points that I found most amusing, along with my commentary on them in purple.
Since 1950 our society has abandoned the following traditional customs and manners:
I like how 1950 is the jumping off point for this whine-fest. It’s almost as if he’s bought into the popular myth that the 50s were a better, more stable era than what we’re living in now.
* Suicide is a crime with failed suicides liable to be punished by the law.
In other words, this serious sign of mental illness – suicidal ideation, leading to a failed attempt – should net a legal punishment.
If Atkinson had his way, people considering suicide would not ask for help; they’d simply kill themselves, choosing the most lethal method available to ensure their success. (For my own part, I think any widespread evidence of cruelty, like what Atkinson displays here, would be a serious sign of social decay.)
* Strangers must address each other as Sir or Madam.
Strangers generally don’t address each other at all, where I live; and I think that’s a far sadder statement about “our civilization” than what people call each other on those rare occasions when they exchange words.
* Matters between family members are domestic disputes and are not the concern of the law.
* The father is the head of the household; his word is law.
Aw, how nice. A civilization can only be considered strong when a man is allowed to slap his wife around without having to worry about interference from the law.
These two points are especially dumb when juxtaposed with Atkinson’s demands (not included in this redacted list) that men hold doors open for and surrender seats to women.
So women are given mere tokens of their value while at the same time being treated as second-class citizens under the law. Oh gee, can we go back to that time – and also to the time where blacks were counted as 3/5 of a person?
* A father is expected to be the sole bread-winner for the family.
This is funny, because Atkinson doesn’t work; his wife works while he sits at home and refines his “philosophy.” I shit you not.
* A family with only one child is considered to be raising a spoilt child.
…because the use of pithy proverbs – “a single child is a spoiled child” – is definitely far better for a society than judging individuals by their actions.
* If an unmarried man makes a girl pregnant he is expected to marry the girl.
I left this one in simply for Atkinson’s pairing of the terms “man” and “girl” in referring to sexual relations. He implies inequality of the sexes by using a diminutive to refer to a woman – unless of course he really means that it’s okay for men to have sex with, impregnate, and marry girls.
* A child born out of wedlock is a bastard and despised as a product of sin. With the cost of raising the child to be born by the identified father, or else the mother.
Here, again, Atkinson is suggesting wonton cruelty towards the innocent as a way to cure some perceived social ill. (What is with this guy and his pervasive need to HURT people?)
* Pregnant women attempt to disguise their condition.
I think this guy really hates his mother. Seriously: Why should pregnant women “hide their condition?” What purpose does that serve?
* Smoking is a pleasurable activity, which is only forbidden in areas where a flame is dangerous, or in those few areas set aside for non-smokers; the bottom deck of double-decker buses, the odd railway carriage.
Fuck all those other people. I like to smoke. I am a man. I write about civilization. All you non-smokers can suck my Cuban.
* Only men are soldiers, police constables, boxers, footballers, bus drivers, etc.
Setting aside the misogynist stupidity that would bar qualified women from the other professions listed above…bus drivers???
* Children are taught kerb drill as soon as they attend school for their safety depends upon it. Traffic is not expected to slow down outside schools.
Okay, so this guy has no problem with legislating women down to their hair length (see his complete list for proof), but drivers shouldn’t have to slow down in school zones because that would infringe on a man’s right to go as fast as he pleases, children be damned.
* Tradesmen are expected to use the rear door to announce their presence.
Why?
* The stigma of having a dead-end job.
Yeah – if the choice is between having a dead-end job and no job at all, do what Atkinson does: have your spouse support you.
* Headlines of newspapers are printed with a capital letter starting each word. Circa 2003 only the first word has a capital letter.
This complaint falls into the same category as a lot of the points I omitted: Atkinson has a personal preference that he believes would be unquestionably honored in a stable society. Since it isn’t honored anymore, assuming it ever really was, then society must be in decline.
Atkinson also believes a growing lack of consideration for the comfort of one’s neighbors is a sign of declining civilization. He doesn’t put his complaint nearly so well as that, however; he merely talks about noise and bratty children. Here’s an excerpt:
I assure you, the rest of that page contains just as much FAIL.
Not only does Atkinson use purple prose to describe this encounter, setting aside his own claimed preference for “plain English,” but he also sent his wife to deal with the neighbors instead of going down there himself or calling the police. I guess chivalry really is dead.
Oh, and he also hates the Toastmasters, and so that group is now evidence of a declining civilization.
Some of you may remember this guy from when he was a contributing editor at Family Security Matters. Don’t bother trying to find any of his articles on that toilet of a website now, however, because staff scrubbed Atkinson from the FSM's archives, like the soap scum he is, when he wrote an editorial suggesting (in all seriousness) that George W. Bush be made ‘President For Life’ – oh, and also that the US should nuke Iraq.
(In an earlier article for the same outlet, Atkinson suggested that the US invade Mexico and enslave the population there - an idea to which FSM expressed no objection.)
But the loss of his writing job (in 2007) has in no way hobbled Atkinson in his ultimate goal: writing a book about the decline of our civilization. On his website, he – oh, how I dare you to read his “biography” – hosts the self-published magnum opus, “A Study of Our Decline.”
He was even so kind as to make this information available to the insane masses – he believes people without religion cannot be moral and are thus insane – at no charge.
(Click here to read his “argument” with a trained philosopher.)
He has diagnosed the decline of Western society by looking at our manners, our language, and the sad, sad death of patriarchy.
He believes, among other things, that a society declines when most of its people begin to believe lies – or, as he calls them, “delusions.” These delusions include that HIV causes AIDS, that DDT is bad for the environment, and that global warming is a danger to humanity.
He says another marker of a civilization in decline is “the shedding of tradition.’ And it’s in his list of 'good traditions gone bad' that I found the most lulz.
I’ve cut down on his rather extensive bitch list, and left only those points that I found most amusing, along with my commentary on them in purple.
Since 1950 our society has abandoned the following traditional customs and manners:
I like how 1950 is the jumping off point for this whine-fest. It’s almost as if he’s bought into the popular myth that the 50s were a better, more stable era than what we’re living in now.
* Suicide is a crime with failed suicides liable to be punished by the law.
In other words, this serious sign of mental illness – suicidal ideation, leading to a failed attempt – should net a legal punishment.
If Atkinson had his way, people considering suicide would not ask for help; they’d simply kill themselves, choosing the most lethal method available to ensure their success. (For my own part, I think any widespread evidence of cruelty, like what Atkinson displays here, would be a serious sign of social decay.)
* Strangers must address each other as Sir or Madam.
Strangers generally don’t address each other at all, where I live; and I think that’s a far sadder statement about “our civilization” than what people call each other on those rare occasions when they exchange words.
* Matters between family members are domestic disputes and are not the concern of the law.
* The father is the head of the household; his word is law.
Aw, how nice. A civilization can only be considered strong when a man is allowed to slap his wife around without having to worry about interference from the law.
These two points are especially dumb when juxtaposed with Atkinson’s demands (not included in this redacted list) that men hold doors open for and surrender seats to women.
So women are given mere tokens of their value while at the same time being treated as second-class citizens under the law. Oh gee, can we go back to that time – and also to the time where blacks were counted as 3/5 of a person?
* A father is expected to be the sole bread-winner for the family.
This is funny, because Atkinson doesn’t work; his wife works while he sits at home and refines his “philosophy.” I shit you not.
* A family with only one child is considered to be raising a spoilt child.
…because the use of pithy proverbs – “a single child is a spoiled child” – is definitely far better for a society than judging individuals by their actions.
* If an unmarried man makes a girl pregnant he is expected to marry the girl.
I left this one in simply for Atkinson’s pairing of the terms “man” and “girl” in referring to sexual relations. He implies inequality of the sexes by using a diminutive to refer to a woman – unless of course he really means that it’s okay for men to have sex with, impregnate, and marry girls.
* A child born out of wedlock is a bastard and despised as a product of sin. With the cost of raising the child to be born by the identified father, or else the mother.
Here, again, Atkinson is suggesting wonton cruelty towards the innocent as a way to cure some perceived social ill. (What is with this guy and his pervasive need to HURT people?)
* Pregnant women attempt to disguise their condition.
I think this guy really hates his mother. Seriously: Why should pregnant women “hide their condition?” What purpose does that serve?
* Smoking is a pleasurable activity, which is only forbidden in areas where a flame is dangerous, or in those few areas set aside for non-smokers; the bottom deck of double-decker buses, the odd railway carriage.
Fuck all those other people. I like to smoke. I am a man. I write about civilization. All you non-smokers can suck my Cuban.
* Only men are soldiers, police constables, boxers, footballers, bus drivers, etc.
Setting aside the misogynist stupidity that would bar qualified women from the other professions listed above…bus drivers???
* Children are taught kerb drill as soon as they attend school for their safety depends upon it. Traffic is not expected to slow down outside schools.
Okay, so this guy has no problem with legislating women down to their hair length (see his complete list for proof), but drivers shouldn’t have to slow down in school zones because that would infringe on a man’s right to go as fast as he pleases, children be damned.
* Tradesmen are expected to use the rear door to announce their presence.
Why?
* The stigma of having a dead-end job.
Yeah – if the choice is between having a dead-end job and no job at all, do what Atkinson does: have your spouse support you.
* Headlines of newspapers are printed with a capital letter starting each word. Circa 2003 only the first word has a capital letter.
This complaint falls into the same category as a lot of the points I omitted: Atkinson has a personal preference that he believes would be unquestionably honored in a stable society. Since it isn’t honored anymore, assuming it ever really was, then society must be in decline.
Atkinson also believes a growing lack of consideration for the comfort of one’s neighbors is a sign of declining civilization. He doesn’t put his complaint nearly so well as that, however; he merely talks about noise and bratty children. Here’s an excerpt:
Deep sleep was disturbed by rhythmic pounding; loud music was pulsating from the flat below; a quick glance revealed it was three in the morning. My enraged wife leapt out of bed to hammer a complaint upon our floor, their ceiling. Immediately the volume increased. Incensed by such flagrant contempt, pausing only to grab a dressing gown, the enraged matron stormed off to the offending neighbour. Above the music Margaret could be heard banging on the miscreants door, yelling threats and curses.
I assure you, the rest of that page contains just as much FAIL.
Not only does Atkinson use purple prose to describe this encounter, setting aside his own claimed preference for “plain English,” but he also sent his wife to deal with the neighbors instead of going down there himself or calling the police. I guess chivalry really is dead.
Oh, and he also hates the Toastmasters, and so that group is now evidence of a declining civilization.