Francis Berger
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The Right Thing For The Wrong Reason

3/16/2020

12 Comments

 
After I finished teaching what will likely end up being my last in-class lesson for the semester, I happened to bump into a familiar colleague - an economic history professor for whom I have completed some proofreading work in the past. Like most of the profs at my university, his research focuses primarily on climate change. Also like most of the profs at my university, it's hard to tell if he really believes the stuff he writes about or if he's only engages in the climate research out of necessity or expediency.

You see, nearly all the grant money my university receives from the EU is tied to climate change, which means nearly all the profs and researchers at my institution incorporate climate change into their research in some way. Most do so willingly and enthusiastically. Others make a compromise and let it slowly kill them inside. And the rest - well, it's hard to tell. My economic history colleague fell into this category for me. I never could tell if he was really onboard with the agenda or just playing along for the sake of a career.

He's younger than me, this economic history prof - mid-to-late thirties at most - and in my collaborations with him, I have found him to be a respectful and amicable fellow. We stopped to chat after we met just a short distance from the campus. It didn't take long for the birdemic shutdowns and cancellations to come up. I opined my displeasure with the whole situation, but generally kept my responses open and vague. 

"I just don't get it," I told the prof. "I mean, these are extremely drastic measures to take for something like this. The way everyone is responding, you would think the virus is a million times more dangerous than it actually is."

"Yeah, I agree," the prof responded matter-of-factly. "This isn't a dangerous situation at all, yet they've shut down the world. It infuriates me to no end. If they can shut down the world for this stupidity, it means they could have shut down the world much sooner to fight the only real danger we're facing - climate change!"

I pretended to notice something out of the corner of my eye and looked away for a second. I had to. I just couldn't keep looking at him. I just couldn't. 

"But they haven't. Not for climate change anyway," he continued sadly. "Their excuse? It would have hurt the economy. But they're more than willing to shut down the economy now! And for what? To save a few thousand people? Climate change is still there! That affects everyone. I hope they remember that once this virus disappears. What they're doing now is right, but it's for all the wrong reasons."

I nodded my head, muttered something about never having thought of that before, and made an excuse to end the conversation. I offered my hand to the prof in parting. He hesitated and looked at my outstretched hand for a second. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was thinking about germs. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally indulged me with a limp handshake. As I turned to leave, I pictured him rummaging through his backpack for hand sanitizer after I was out of his view. 

I pondered his words as I turned the corner. "The right thing for the wrong reason."

People have a way of revealing themselves during a crisis. They really do. 

Let's face it, many people not only desire totalitarianism - they positively crave it. The whole episode got me thinking about how we really are at 'the point' now.

Our civilization has toppled over the edge. They'll be no return to anything at the collective level. Something has definitely ended - something else has begun. 

In my mind, the world is now officially an open-air concentration camp. The only changes we'll notice from here on in is an increasing sense of physical constriction and suffocation as the Establishment tightens the boundaries it has constructed around us through what will likely become a never-ending cascade of crises that can only be ended by doing the 'right' things. 

Our only moral imperative in such a world will be to engage in all the 'wrong' things for the right reasons.

And these 'wrong' things will have to be primarily spiritual in nature.
12 Comments
bruce charlton
3/16/2020 20:10:04

This was helpful in making a connection for me.

It has been apparent for a year or two, that the Climate Change people were pushing for changes that would - if implemented - crash the world economy; with (I think) the predictable result of 'Giga-Death' - that is, death measured in billions. From their perspective, this makes a kind of sense - a 'final ecological solution' sort of sense.

But I wondered why the Global Establishment were allowing and encouraging this line of thinking, when they are made up of the ultra rich of world finance, multinational corps and media, major politicins and the line. It would seem that they will lose a great deal from such a policy. Yet there it was - that was being pushed...

So, I think this is serious. The aimed-at collapse is real.

The world economy is a bubble built on debt and being eroded by all sorts of leftist policies; so it was bound to collapse at some point - that was absolutely certain.

Given that fact, the question is when to provoke the collapse for maximum benefit (to those in charge). For whatever reason; I think They must have decided that Now is the time. By They I mean the actual demonic powers - who care nothing for the rich and powerful people they have working for them.

Maybe they have been rushed into it by the opportunity of the birdemic? Maybe that is an opportunity for us? But They had clearly been thinking along these lines for a while, so perhaps it is the best possible time, from their demonic angle.

So, they have initiated Phase 2. If this is true, it can't be stopped - because they have the power to make the world economy collapse - and this is probably not difficult.

What *would* be difficult is keeping things growing for another decade - keeping the population growing, feeding all those people; despite all the leftist policies that are always make things less and less effective and efficient.

So I think it likely that this is a serious attempt to provoke a genuine, irreversible, global collapse in production and trade.

If so, it will become apparent soon enough - we won't be unsure about it for long.

But if this time has been chosen, it will be because the population are considered to be ripe and ready for self-damnation. So, as Christians, this is the situation we need to deal with personally - and we need to deal with from an evangelical perspective.

We can't rely on fear (eg of Hell) because people already fear about as much as is possible, and will do so more I expect. Therefore, I think we need to focus on the hope and joy of Jesus's gift. Nothing can match Christianity for this! - so long as we choose to emphasise the promise of life everlasting in Heaven on very 'easy terms' (the Fourth Gospel perspective).

Reply
Francis Berger
3/16/2020 21:43:17

Thanks for the great comment, Bruce. I've been thinking about a lot of these things over the past year or so. I completely agree with your assessment of Christianity's role in this current situation we find ourselves in.

As for the rest, excellent points. I'm going to take some time to digest them and let them blend in with some of my thoughts and some of the things I have seen and read. I hope to add something meaningful soon.

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Bill Jones
3/17/2020 19:20:10

Were I of a conspiratorial bent, I might notice that Bill Gates has reportedly said that the World's sustainable population level is circa 500 million and that The Gates Foundation was one of the organizers/participants at the Johns Hopkins seminar on how to handle an epidemic of, for example, a corona virus, some six weeks ahead of Patient Zero appearing on December 1st.
Giga-Deaths R Us.

http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/event201/

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William James Tychonievich link
3/16/2020 20:14:12

"Like most of the profs at my university, his research focuses primarily on climate change."

Most of the profs in the entire university? In all departments? That seems awfully hard to believe, but I suppose it shouldn't be. I know a computer science professor whose work revolves around "diversity," so anything's possible.

"If they can shut down the world for this stupidity, it means they could have shut down the world much sooner to fight the only real danger we're facing - climate change!"

That appears to have been Plan A, but then this convenient virus came along.

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Francis Berger
3/16/2020 21:35:16

@ Wm - Eight out of ten research papers I deal with focus on some aspect of climate change. Most of this stems from Forestry being the biggest faculty at the university, but the institutes of Wildlife Management and Environmental and Earth Sciences also deal mostly on climate change issues.

The effects of climate change on various tree species, on hydrological cycles, on the water table, on soils, on Lepidoptera, on wild boar, on roe deer, on migratory waterfowl, and on and on and on.

We have a Faculty of Economics, but even there I would say half the papers address climate change in some manner - its predicted effects on productivity, profitability, labor, etc. Or the profs write papers investigating climate change denial citations in the literature. .
As I mentioned, climate change is what the current batch of funding grants push for. I know it's difficult to imagine, but it's true. Conversely, if the next batch of EU research grants pushed something like 'ethnonationalism', then I imagine many of the profs would figure out ways to incorporate that into their research.

This sounds cynical on my part, but it's what I see everyday.

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Francis Berger
3/16/2020 21:51:35

Wm - I'd just like to add that I don't see anything pernicious in researching how recent or current changing weather or precipitation patterns or temperatures affect wildlife or trees.

That's all fine and well as far as I'm concerned, but I get a little peeved when some of them base their hypothesis on 100-year climate projection models or believe human society should be ground back to the stone age to save the planet

Bill Jones
3/17/2020 19:26:05

Might the power of EU grant funding diminish with Brexit?

Ingemar
3/17/2020 17:15:07

This is absolutely the work of satan, and I'm not hesitant to point this out to anyone who would listen. But even satan's greatest works of evil will be turned around to bring about the Good. This is Scriptural and can be found all over the Old Testament, Gospels and Revelation.

For most of my adult life I've been living in self-imposed isolation so that I can indulge in secret sins. Now that the Birdemic is forcing as many as possible to live in secluded boxes like lab mice (and that p***ographers are "gifting" everyone with free subscriptions) I've come to realize how wrong I was in thinking I could brave this whole world alone. I used to be relieved at living apart from my parents and now, out of a sense of filial charity, grieving that they, in age and sickness, can't be with their only son who is a 21 hour drive away.

The blessed way to look this is that is an opportunity to show and grow in our love for God. "Count it all joy," as St. James said. In fact, that passage (James 1:2-8) is the perfect message for these times.

Reply
Francis Berger
3/17/2020 18:59:07

@ Ingemar - You'll hear no objection from me as to what the true source of all of this is, and I agree with your assessment that it can and will be turned to Good. I like the passage you've mentioned here. I've added it below:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Reply
Francis Berger
3/17/2020 19:50:54

@ Bill - With any luck, EU grant funding will be a thing of the past, like the EU itself.

Reply
John Reynolds
3/18/2020 16:43:39

This is beautifully written and eloquently describes what my largely disorganized thoughts are.

Will we even be able to express doubts in a year?

My thanks, while I can give them.

Reply
Francis Berger
3/18/2020 19:09:17

@ John - No one knows what the coming year will hold. Whatever comes, we must maintain a proper spiritual perspective and remain on the right side.

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