‘…and justice for all’. Yes, that was one of Metallica’s most influential albums, back in the 80s, though I’ve never been a heavy metal rock fan.
Yet, the album’s title still sounds very powerful and inspirational. Let’s look at the facts.
You, or your relative, may get sick and die, all of a sudden, in the middle of plans that you’ve been developing for years. You’ve maybe been unlucky enough to work but didn’t earn enough. You may have invested in a relationship that crashed. You may do a nice job that no one would appreciates. On a funny side, you may be a smart but not a handsome person, so girls would turn to dumber, but more attractive guys, etc.
I don’t even mention dictatorships that everyone praises and fears while they still are in power; when they crumble down, everyone feels lucky and joyful.
My point is: justice is a myth.
First, justice is something relative, there’s no absolute justice. Like Elon Musk put it: physics is law, everything else is recommendation.
Thus, justice is recommendation, no more. Plus, it is a very subjective matter, depending on a person or angle.
Verdict? Never expect anything, even if you think you earned or deserved it. Just go on, and maybe some random combination of luck will light up your way. Someday. Until it happens, don’t rely on your hopes and expectations, this is dust.
It took me around half a century to understand it. Now, I am finally learning to live with it.
What’s the dumbest myth people actually believe?
The odds on me being born, surviving, and writing this blog — and you, dear reader, choosing to read it — are so small as to be almost zero.
And yet, here we are.
It should feel miraculous. Something to celebrate, to cherish. Instead, we switch on the news and watch what we do to each other.
99.8% of all species that have ever lived are extinct. An odd definition of “perfect design.”
Humans have been around for roughly 70,000 years. Monotheistic religion? Perhaps 4,000 or 5,000. So, for tens of thousands of years, humans lived short, brutal lives — starving, fighting, dying young — while heaven, it seems, watched on in silence. Make that make sense.
I was five years old when I was first told to fear God. Fear him — or face eternal torture. And at the same time, I was supposed to love him. Make that make sense too.
When a toddler survives a fall, it’s called a miracle. When millions of children die from preventable disease, we’re told “God works in mysterious ways.” That’s not an answer. It’s a deflection.
I have friends — good friends — who are Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. They believe deeply in their one true God. There are around 3,000 gods worshipped across human history. I don’t believe in any of them. My friends just believe in one more than I do.
You could say they are almost atheists.
What’s the dumbest myth people actually believe?
Have you ever laid outside on a summer’s evening and looked for satellites? It’s easier than you think; go out just shortly after sunset and watch the stars. A satellite looks like a star except it moves. Planes flash and look different. Satellites move at a steady, slow pace across the sky. If you want to get fancy, there are websites that will tell you when the ISS will come over. Look for a sunrise, sunset time because you’re in the dark and the stars are out while the satellite is still in the daylight, far above.
Obviously, that’s not my myth; I’m going with the flat Earth thing. But it does beg this question: if the Earth is flat, how can a satellite far above still be in sunlight? For a long time, I thought people professed to believe in a flat Earth just to troll (American slang). Nope, many really do believe the Earth is flat. I understand it’s something to do with the Christian bible and some believe in a flat Earth because it agrees a passage about a dome of stars.
My counter argument will center on Apollo 11, the moon landing. As you already know, the Soviets and the Americans were in the red-hot race to get to the moon first. Once it became clear the Americans were about to go for real, the people at NASA knew there would be many who would doubt what had happened. How do you prove that people really did go to the moon? You tell the Soviets.
The Soviets were given the exact landing location and radio frequencies in advance. They were able to listen and watch the actual conversations in real time. Large radio telescopes are not only sensitive, they can listen to a precise point in the sky. Move away just a degree and the signal disappears. If there were no radio signals form the lunar surface, the Soviets would have known.
So, we know there was a landing on the moon because it would have thrilled the Soviets to expose the running dog-capitalists lies. We also know there were hours of live video seen by the entire planet. No CGI or AI, or even sock puppets, just live, grainy pictures (1969). Do you want to overlay computer graphics over a live, real-time video while every TV on the whole planet watches? You can’t for another twenty years. And remember, the Soviets are watching the live feed as it arrives; so, you’re busted if you try. If from the moon, the Earth is in the sky and it’s round, then it’s not flat. My proof: The lack of chest thumping from Moscow is proof the Earth is not flat.
Yes, yes, there are better ways to prove the Earth is round, like far away ships sinking below the horizon, but this way is fun and the flat Earth thing is stupid.