Who to Blame? (Philosophy)

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Hi,

here's a little something to ponder - it was sent to me by a friend:

Who to Blame?????

Let's see if I understand how the world works lately... If a man cuts his finger off while slicing salami at work, he blames the restaurant.

If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer, your family blames the tobacco company.

If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, he blames the bartender.

If your grandchildren are brats without manners, you blame television.

If your friend is shot by a deranged madman, you blame the gun manufacturer.

And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the passengers kill him instead, the mother of the deceased blames the airline.

I must have lived too long to understand the world as it is anymore. So, if I die while parked in front of this computer, I want you to blame Bill Gates...okay?

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), January 29, 2002

Answers

Response to Who to Blame?

Ah Cindy, I know just what you mean. There is no such thing as common sense or personal responsibility anymore. I guess the way things are going in this world..I never wish to be young again. I do not think I could take all those extra years of heartbreak at what people have done and continue to do to this wonderful country of ours.

Have a good day Cindy...remember, in the realm of things, we are only here for a very short time!!

-- Sher in se Iowa (riverdobbers@webtv.net), January 29, 2002.


Response to Who to Blame?

When I get to thinking on matters as this, I just remember that I have a terminal condition called "LIFE" and make the best of it until I eventually succumb to it deadly effects. Think I'll treat todays symptoms with some time in the garden. Thanks for the interesting post.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 29, 2002.

Response to Who to Blame?

Cindy,

I guess the main problem of many people is that they want to blame someone else for everything that goes wrong in their lives. NO ONE seems to want to take responsibility for their own actions. It is much easier to blame someone else, and then sue them, than it is to admit that we made a mistake live with the consequences.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), January 29, 2002.


Response to Who to Blame?

You have to wonder how much law suit awards are to blame. Blame someone else make a million bucks. There's lots to go around and not alot of volunteers. Maybe if the punishment fit the deed and was delivered to the one responcible more often things wouldn't be so bad. Bad things happen when good people do nothing. A little while ago someone suggested to the fellow who lost his calf (on this board) NOT to tell the sherrif or animal control because he'd be to blame if an accident occured. The first thing I told him in his first post was to call the proper authorities to prevent an accident. I don't know if he did or not. I didn't counter that later "do NOT" posting so am I to blame if someone got hurt? Of coarse not. When you buy liability insurance are you doing it to save yourself or to spare others affected by your mistakes?

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), January 29, 2002.

Response to Who to Blame?

There is a (slight) upside to all this "blame and blame alike" behavior. As an indicator of quality of life, it says that folks in America have it so well, and have had it that well for so long, that when something uncontrollable and bad happens to them or their loved ones, they no longer have healthy coping abilities to deal with it.

So, while I appreciate the harm done by those who are placed in a position to blame, I also appreciate (more than most would suspect, given my curmudgeonly attitude sometimes!) this wonderful country, and the quality of life that it provides, that allows us to become so alienated from distress and personal harm that we are actually at a loss for proper behavior when it happens.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 29, 2002.



Response to Who to Blame?

I am responsible for my actions. So is everyone else. But I must quote Shakespeare, who said "First, let's kill all the lawyers"! Good advice, in my humble opinion. Wouldn't most altercations be better resolved if we just went out and dealt with each other?

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 29, 2002.

I blame the lawyers to some extint. Most blame goes to the juries. They are the ones awarding huge settlement. "We have met the enemy and it is us!"

-- Larry Burlingame (Larburlingame@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

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