I love it. Brings back memories. Full of mantraps like yours.
Never used it as an operator… just card decks laced with JCL.
//G.SYSIN DD *
or something like that
I think it meant read the following cards.
And it needs the indigenous influence too. I read Cosmos Magazine her in the U.S. and they always refer to some indigenous influence/historical knowledge being used in some innovative new technology/medical effort/way of dealing with major fires, etc. We Americans could learn to take a page or two from Au’s book. We have indigenous people here too (We generically call them American Indians although there are many tribes), but we’ve largely squashed their historical records/knowledge. What a loss . . .
Ernie
There is a huge debate on exactly that in Australia . We tried to put forward a proposal to give our indigenous people a “Voice” in our parliament. It went to a referendum, and was resoundingly defeated. There are several reasons
- altering the constitution is never popular
- giving one racial group special rights was a bad idea
- fear that malicious foreign states could use indigenous rights to control and influence our parliament.
So we are going back to the bench to try again.
There are two big barriers with integrating indigenous culture
- it is not a written culture. There are no records. It is verbal and diverse. Like Celtic culture. Like your American Indians.
- what we call the ‘tyranny of distance’. A lot of indigenous people in Australia live in remote locations. It works against both aid and integration.
We just have to keep working at it.
Most of the migrant groups that have come to Australia tend to form isolated sub-communities when they first come here, but then it breaks down in the next generation and they just become “Aussies”.
Integration is possible and it does not mean loss of one group’s culture, it means forming a new and better mix.
That’s the thing I’d wish to see everywhere. For me, a ‘new and better mix’ means including everyone, respecting each other’s cultures, respecting each other’s ideas, sharing who we are, and never trying to force anyone to join another group or become someone/thing they aren’t. I suppose, to put it more simply, I want all of us to accept each other as who we are and let us be that.
Ernie
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@ernie
We can solve internal issues.
Its international issues that get out of control. The UN is not very effective.
I understand. If the U.N. really wanted to be helpful generating exclusivity world-wide, they would provide some avenue for regular people like you and me to tell them when/where their intervention/help is needed. While a single complaint should not evoke an investigation, many similar complaints from one area of the world should, and the U.N. would have to publicize the existence of the communication channel so people know about it. I’m not sure how that could/would work in some countries (probably in the ones where it’s most needed), but at least getting such a thing running would be a first step.
Ernie
In other words you want the UN to become a democracy Could do worse
Can you imagine a worldwide voting day?
I wouldn’t mind if things went that far. A top level world government might be able to reduce or possibly eliminate life threatening wars/skirmishes (current events bring up this thought), but it’d have to be wanted by all member nations, and enough new members would have to join the U.N. to give such a change a chance to work. I’m not so sure that’d fly, but it’d certainly be a great thing for world peace.
Ernie
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Hi Ernie,
Found an interesting quote
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
It's by late American anthropologist Margaret Mead, who pointed out that even history-defining social movements (like women getting the right to vote, or the end of apartheid) had to start somewhere.
Regards
Neville
I like that quote, and what you say is true. Every change does start somewhere. When/if something like we have been discussing should ever come to fruition, assuming I’m still alive to see it, I’ll wholeheartedly support it. At the same time, I’m realistic enough to know that a change like establishing a top level World Government is probably not something that the most powerful nations in the world will want to endorse unless there’s something in it for them. I mean, look at how the U.S. and Russia (U.S.S.R.) initially set up the U.N. Both countries have veto power over everything the organization tries to do. for a World Government to really work, no nation will be able to have that much power. That’s why I’m a bit doubtful about whether such a thing could ever happen. Then again, that may be the only way we (nations) stop trying to kill each other.
As a side note regarding the Israel-Hamas war, maybe Israel, the U.N., or perhaps a force established by the neighboring middle-eastern nations should go into Gaza to protect the hospitals and establish safe exit routes for the Palestinians who want to escape the fighting. At least then maybe Hamas wouldn’t be so easily able to use the Palestinian people as human shields, and maybe the rest of the middle-east wouldn’t be so likely to erupt into a wider/world war. Again, I’m just thinking off the top of my head. I’m not sure how that could be implemented either.
Ernie
Have you read Margaret Mead.?
Her classic book is called
“Coming of age in Samoa”
It shows that what is considered the norm in our society does not apply to other societies. There is a whole spectrum of social systems across societies.
We are probably more aware of that today than when Mead wrote her book. It was an eye opener at the time.
Isolated societies are like isolsted genetic populations, they diversify
Moder communication has removed some of the isolation. We are coming together again.
Yes, I’ve heard of her, but I haven’t read anything from her. What you say about her book
makes sense.
Maybe, but I still see far too many signs that the opposite’s true. For example, look at former President Donald Trump. If anything, his ideals/attitudes define anti-diversity. If you’re not just like him, you’re the enemy, and that includes people of different cultures, religions, and anyone who is even slightly less conservative that him. How do you re-educate people like him to understand that while they’re entitled to their opinions, they don’t have the right to force them on anyone else. That seems to me to be a nearly impossible task, but if we’re all going to come together some day, people like him will have to learn that lesson somehow.
Well, 'nuf said,
Ernie
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There have been many societies based on ideals, including most ancient civilizations, the Greeks and Romans, and the Medieval world… Not sure about the Greeks. They all worked to some extent.
There is a certain appeal to living in a society where everyone agrees on the ideal,. We do not have that today, at least not in the western world. We have to be prepared to encounter people with differing points of view.
I agree, but I fear that there are too many people who don’t.
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Some friendly advice. Watch less news on TV and internet. You’ll be happier.
They would have you believe we are at war with ourselves. Their job is to get viewers and this is how they do it.
I work with people who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum and we get along just fine. We’re both fed up with being told how bad things are.
Take two weeks off from watching any news on TV or internet and see how much less stress you feel.
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No need. While I don’t expect anything to change in a good way anytime soon, I’ve also learned to make the changes I can, accept the ones I cannot, and I have learned to have the wisdom to know the difference. Essentially, in any situation I encounter, I hope for the best outcome I can imagine while expecting the worst. What I get is usually somewhere in between 
Ernie
I spent a lifetime debating scientific issues. i gradually acquired a reputation for being someone who would turn a topic on its head. I enjoy going against the current train of thought. so I suppose I am happiest when trying to turn things around.
It is where we position ourselves with ideas that equates to happiness. One’s world view is important. Its OK to march to a different drum, as long as it is you.
I agree with you on news… to be bombarded with one
sensationalist view of the world works against happiness.
There is no dialog in news… you cant put your point of view.