The Man

To what extent do you unquestioningly trust those in authority and 'do what you're told'?

From the way I phrased that, you can probably deduce I'm a bit of a cynic at heart. My respect has to be earned and can be lost! Any regulations etc. I'll take into consideration... For example. - No Skateboarding! Ooooh, does that mean there's something WORTH skating? Anyone looking?

I suppose the whole G8/Live 8 thing is a case in point. Are we saying we can't trust those in authority to do the right thing without having to hammer home to them what the right thing is?

yes i am looking have to have a look later bit to earley

I think that most goverments what to end poverty but they also don't want to upset their own economys. It's alright to save the third world but in doing so we might bring ourselves down to them would anyone like that.

Intrest rates would
Taxs going through the roof
Health service getting worse (if it can)
No food

Any way i feel that the super rich in the world like Mr Gates,Bono,Sultan of Bruni (sp)to name a few should club together and pay most of the world dept themselves cause they are rich enough to do it you can only spend so much money the rest just stays in the bank, so it wouldn't effect the goverments of each country.

Ill get back to you when ive woken up rich! :smt015 :smt104

Depends on place, situation and topic I guess.
As you, my respect and trust will disapear when someone reacts or make dissicions that are irresponsable, unfair and shows lack of brain.

Rich I will answer you..
I 'unquestioningly trust' no one in authority ..and respect few...
Rules ? there is a saying in the army ''Rules are for the obeyance of idiots and guidance of fools'' I obey the rules that I consider to be fair. If it means carrying an ID card I will not be obeying the rules
Who are people in authority..people like you and me who just happen to have climbed to the top of a particular ladder frequently because either no one else wanted the job or found a more productive and meaningful occupation.
'The whole G8/Live 8' ..I don't hold out much hope there either, cancelling debts and giving a bit of aid brings little relief in countries ruled by dictators or permanently fighting wars along tribal lines.
If Sundays Panaroma is to be believed (and I think it is because I watched the story unfold) 'the people in authority' (in the UN and governments ) stood by arguing the finer points of genocide while another Rwanda was being enacted in Darfour Ten years ago following the genocide in Rwanda they said 'never again'..they forgot to add 'until next time'.

I trust few peopel in general, even my own family so aunthority means absoloutley squat. I do not trust the politcians and people in power who tell us that war is good, and must be done.
Ok so what was the point to the war on iraq, to this day it still hasnt been proven that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
I also do not believe our government that peopel taxes etc go back into working class society, well if it does i havent seen it.
TO eb honest i would rather be breaking all the rules, and going off the rails, then live by the rules in a society of fools and fat cats.
As you can see authority has no affect to me what so ever.
I do not understand on the whole G8 subject, why 8 men, jsut 8 average men get to decide the fate of thousands of people, whole races and countries. What makes these men so powerfull and superior and knowledgefull more so then you or i. Nothing i tell you
Best wishes

I most certainly do not trust or respect blindly in the powers that be. I like to think I am capable of reasoned thought and actions and really resent being told what to do. I come across numerous situations every day that make me cross and the little Hitlers that get off on enforcing ridiculous rules and laws make me even more angry. I am more than capable of acting with circumspection.

However, not everybody is. Believe me, I HATE silly laws, but here's a thought. Do we have to cater for the less able or considerate in society because they can't always be trusted to act with consideration - they have to be dictated to else they go beyond control? If we do then the rest of us are penalised too.

For instance the SORN declaration. Now this is something that winds me up no end. I would NEVER ride my bike untaxed, uninsured or whatever and I get so into my life and what I am doing, pathetic pieces of stupid paper that I am supposed to fill in when my bike is off the road tend to get placed in a pile and forgotten. So I get fined. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

But what about the few who DO ride or drive untaxed? BUT is this really designed to catch them or is it a stealth tax, because the DVLA have standard forms for this sort of thing.

I got off in the end because I wrote and told them I'd been ill at the time and haven't ridden my bike for quite a while and they were very good about it.

Sorry to digress but hope you get my point.

Another irritation of mine is speed cameras in places clearly designed to bring in revenue ....

Had a few words with an old geezer this morning, taking Jake for a walk. We were on a bit of river bank where dogs are supposed to be on lead. (According to a tiny sign...) This old fella pointed this out, kindly. There was a whole river bank, me, him and Jake who was off sniffing something and not taking a blind bit of notice of this guy. I would have loved to engage the guy in a debate about how I thought his generation had fought for our freedom from jumped up little politicians with more budget for little signs than they knew what to do with among other things, but had better things to do...

Don't even start on 'safety' cameras!

I do respect laws, i may disagree with some but on the other hand if everyone who didnt agree with a law didnt obey then we would be in a sticky situation. yes I think there are some ridiculously petty laws - however where is the line between the petty and not so petty - and who decides that, if everyone followed the definition of what they wanted to do/beleived /didnt believe in then we would have no society as such.

I am sure a National Front person thinks that its ok to break a law applying to beating someone up - however it doesnt make it right - so where is the line between this and perhaps just not bothering to follow a petty law....

I do think that Police and certain autrhorities can get really jumped up about certain things and petty rules - but I wouldnt deliberately break a law either...

Although I do tend to speed on motorways so I suppose I have just proved that I do break laws p- but I know what I am trying to say !!! LOL

dani