March 09, 2010

Respect

I was thinking about respect.

It is an important subject to me nowadays because I have unceremoniously dumped my (largely automatic) respect for whole swathes of people.

We were taught as children that the police, the judiciary, the scientists, the doctors, and those who achieve public office deserve our respect. I find, of late, that I absolutely cannot respect these groups anymore.

Take the police. In my last post I covered them but latterly thought that they have traded respect for fear. The two are not the same. I don't loathe the police, and neither do I fear them. Although I reserve the right to, should circumstances arise that cause me to. I have a mate who has been a policeman for around fifteen years. I have known him since he was 18. We both worked offshore on the rigs at the time and he was, and still is, a cheerful man. He has not changed, as far as I can tell. But when he talks about his work, we normal people are suddenly described as animals. I understand this, because he has told me some horrific stories about the bad 'uns he has to handle. So, while I have respect for my friend, I still do not respect the police as a group. They have exceeded their authority on too many occasions.

The judges, the magistrates, the sheriffs and the justices of the peace I have talked about often. The shambolic sentencing they dream up simply cannot be tolerated any longer. They do not seem to me to be truly impartial and until I see that change, I have no reason to trust, or respect them. They are, by and large, businessmen and women. Appear before them and it is going to cost you money. It is almost axiomatic. They run a business so why would they not want to force you to part company with your money? They have targets to reach, after all.

Scientists? A good one, an ethical one, is so very hard to find. I discovered this when I started looking at the second hand smoke scam. If you think climate change is riddled with fraudsters, you really ought to take a look at those who sold their souls to the anti-smoking cabal. Climate scientists could learn a thing or two from the greedy bastards involved in anti-tobacco. They sell themselves like cheap dockside whores. Grant money is plentiful where health-scares, or planet-scares are concerned. Any man, or woman, who is prepare to torture the science for cash money is beneath contempt for me. The truth is more important to me than anything else. If I were in their game I would starve to death. But that is because I have a conscience, I still recognise what is right and what is wrong. Science lost its way decades ago. They disgust me. So, I had to cancel my respect for them, almost totally. There are still good people trying to tell the truth but they are few in number, and besides, they are treated with hatred, just as I am when I call the corrupt scientists liars and thieves.

Doctors, broadly speaking, will tell you a lie in a heartbeat. As long as they feel that the end justifies the means (it never does, I have found), they would sell their own mothers. I used to put these people on a pedestal and I would naively believe every word they uttered. In the last five years or so I have started to question what they tell me. An example: I was asked to see my doctor after a routine blood test with the practise nurse. I walk into his surgery and he says "Sorry old son, I have bad news, sit down". Immediately you assume the worst, don't you? He says, "You are a diabetic. The blood test confirmed it". Now, having an interest in things medical, I knew that he would have to have seen several results before reaching this decision. He was already writing out prescriptions on his pad. I said, "Wait a minute. You need to see at least two positive results before you can decide that I am diabetic. Show me the other results". He said, "It's all there in the computer". "Good" says I, "show me". He tapped away, then he tapped some more, and then said, "I only have one high sugar reading". I suggested we do another test. He agreed. I did the test a week later, and went back in to see him. "Good news old son", he said, "You are quite normal. The last test proves it". Had I not questioned his diagnosis I would be chomping down pills for the rest of my life for no good reason whatsoever. I have several more stories like this, involving different GP's. One told me I had a "Dodgy ticker". I told her to prove it. She, also, was already writing out prescriptions when I challenged her. Again, she could not prove a damned thing. She had been reading someone else's notes before I came in to see her. And once again, I saved myself the trouble of taking tablets I did not need to take. How many people, I wonder, are flinging pills down their neck because they didn't have the gumption to ask, "Are you absolutely sure I need this medication?".

Politicians? I think, if you have spent any time at Ranty Barracks, you will know exactly how I feel about the pond-life that passes for a politician these days. Again, there are some good ones. But that is the problem, is it not? The ratio between good and bad is inverse. It should be the other way around. There should be just a few bad apples, but, as we all know, finding a good one is a tough job.

Respect is earned. I no longer automatically assume professional people are honourable and worthy of my respect. I mistrust them all because there are more sinners than saints. When that reverses itself, I may once again trust and respect them.

I will not hold my breath.

CR.

14 comments:

watching said...

With on the Doc front old bean.
My dad was on high blood pressure tabs from his fiftieth birthday in 1982 because of white coat syndrome, as it turned out.

When he went into hospital in 2006 due to a kidney infection the first thing the renal consultant did was take him off blood pressure tablets shouting "what the hell are you on these for?"

Naturally by distrust of GP type doctors was born that day.
My current research into cholesterol, what it really is, why it occurs and what can be done about it proves conclusively to me GP's lie.

Watching

Witterings from Witney said...

Cr,

Accept what you say, however one only has to read Inspector Gadget to know that it is not all the 'plods' that are bad, but the system in which they have to work.

Police, Scientists and Doctors have been 'politicised' and the Conservatives want more political control over the police? Sheesh!

As for politicians, all one can say is when they start behaving properly, ie morally and with principles, start telling us the truth, they might just then earn a smidgen of respect from their paymasters. One reason why I have great respect for NF!

Anonymous said...

Our whole society is now making money in whatever capacity they can invent because we no longer manufacture anything. Solicitors farm divorces, facebook farms stupidity, everything personal, whole swathes of our private lives, they are all money spinners for someone.

None of us can respect anyone who is using us for financial gain, whatever their profession! Respect is related to those very scarce commodities; professionalism and ethos. Will no-one listen to James Dyson? We need an industrial renaissance! The irony is that we have the talents and the abilities in the country but so many are marginalised and sat upon - dissent is not tolerated in 2010 in most areas of life.

Snakey said...

I am in total agreement with you Captain, especially when it comes to GPs. My father was misdiagnosed with myeloma (bone cancer) - it turned out that a lump on his hand had infected his blood and once said lump was removed my father's white blood cell count returned to normal. Even though he knew it was the lump on his hand that had something to do with his condition (and told his GP this, who ignored him) he was still made to go through a painful bone marrow removal extraction procedure to be told afterwards that he was right and didn't have bone cancer at all! GPs are far too ready to reach for their prescription pads and their reliance on Big Pharma is wrong.

My respect for anyone in the medical profession evaporated recently when a Nurse Practitioner told me that tea was dehydrating :/ This is an old wive's tale and I was stunned to hear it coming out of the mouth of a so-called health professional. They really are as dumb as planks, some of them.

I will go further in the list of people who I no longer respect (as well as those you mention) - dentists, anyone involved with the NHS, PCSOs, council officials, anyone who works for a fake charity and anyone who works for the mainstream MSM :)

GoodnightVienna said...

We do need to question more and stop automatically giving respect to those who don't deserve it in whatever area of life we meet them. My mother was diagnosed by the GP with osteosporosis; she died three weeks later from cancer.

Ali said...

You could add vets to your list CR. They're under the spell of big pharma and insurance co's. They still dole out dodgy information about the necessity for annual vaccinations (if humans don't need them, why should dogs and cats?)and even dodgier drugs such as those flea treatments where you put a spot of it on the animal's neck. The instructions say wear gloves and don't let children touch the dog/cat after treatment - so how come dogs/cats aren't affected by this toxic drug are they not flesh and blood too? I know of two dogs adversely affected by this crap - one died of a brain hemorrhage four days after a treatment, the other now has epileptic fits.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232217/Why-Im-ashamed-vet-shocking-expose-profession-puts-pets-painful-unnecessary-treatments-fleece-trusting-owners.html

Anonymous said...

So many of these "professionals" are on targets and/or "financial incentives" (vaccinations for instance) and their integrity has been completely compromised with the snivelling connivance of their "professional" bodies.

Can't trust anyone to do the right thing now just because it IS the right thing to do - as after 13 years the baleful influence of the Beast of 10/11 Downing Street has corrupted them all.

Ask a Labour MP.

Frank Davis said...

If you think climate change is riddled with fraudsters, you really ought to take a look at those who sold their souls to the anti-smoking cabal. Climate scientists could learn a thing or two from the greedy bastards involved in anti-tobacco.

In my opinion, climate fraudsters learned their trade sitting on the knees of antismoking fraudsters. There are too many close comparisons, right down to danger of trace amounts of gases.

James Higham said...

Pond life is an apt description.

Anonymous said...

Ah, respect for those in authority or having expertise...

Just a thought, having not seen one for a good while, JB thought a visit to the tooth quack was in order, so, a trip to the dentist....

"Oh dear, you've got wholes in your teeth. I think I need to get you in for fillings. I'll get you booked in now."

"Er, how come my regular dentist didn't see them?"

"I don't know."

.... I thought to myself, this is odd, having had no problems with my teeth in the 35 years I have had the pleasure of breathing, I think I might wait to see my regular guy when I get home....

"Nope, nothing, there JB, you're good."

"Oh..."

That was over 5 years ago now and still, teeth are problem free, no holes, no toothaches, nothing.... Even the dental geezers here in Canada, which I have to say have a far superior level of dentistry, even my regular dentist who has been and stayed said it was fantastic, comment on what a superb set of gnashers I have.

There's nought wrong with developing a healthy skepticism, for people, supposedly in any form of "authority" or expertise and it's certainly OK to ask questions.

You have my permission.

JB

PS.... I have a developing situation, if you have any tips, CR, regarding the cock up by the UK Child Benefit dept and a missing passport now in my possession.... after all, these are the same authorities that demand our respect and are entrusted with our security with things like "multi million pound body scanners at airports"... I'm going to enjoy this....

Anonymous said...

Bugger... I forgot to check my spelling...

JB

Anonymous said...

Bugger, in my enthusiasm, I forgot to check my spelling.

Sorry.

JB

web Doc said...

My health centre uses stand in GPs to cover absences so I never see the same guy twice. The GP always gets the file out for my namesake who has a similar name. I got a fright the first time as he asked about my non existent diabetes etc. Now I spend the first 5 minutes of any visit getting them to get the right file. All my docs will be online now and I'll probably be unconscious sometime in the furture when they will pull the wrong file off the web and start pumping me with insulin or something. I've tried to opt out of going online with my info but it's too late apparently. All very scary and unecessary.

Barking Spider said...

I don't trust any of them, CR, never mind respect them. I used to think I was a cynical bastard and then I started blogging - now I'm a cynical bastard!

Nothing's going to improve with that twat, Cameron, either!