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Friday, October 27, 2017

TWO SIDES

TWO SIDES
Another cranky opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY
The following is the opinion of a cranky old man who sometimes just rambles on and does not know where his opinion is going.  Other rambling opinions are welcome, but please, no name calling, and that means you, you big stupid-head!
Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers of our time.  He was also, by many credible accounts, a child molesting monster.
Bill Cosby was perhaps the funniest comedian I have ever seen.  He was a role model to many, and “America’s Dad.”  He was also, by many credible accounts, a serial rapist.
Woody Allen is a talented comedian, writer and director.  He married his adopted daughter…some find this disturbing.
President Bill Clinton was a brilliant politician, and history will quite probably find him to have been one of our most effective and successful Presidents.  He was, by many credible accounts, a serial womanizer and rapist.  He was and still is very charming…to many people.
Harvey Weinstein was a successful, powerful movie producer.  He was sought after by many for his money and his endorsements.  It is becoming evident that he is not a very nice person
President Trump is a successful brilliant business man.  He can be humorous and charming, he can be nasty, and he is almost always arrogant.  He could be a very successful President, but his demeanor and inability to back down from the wrong battles may be his downfall.*
J. Edgar Hoover was a great crime fighter.  He ran the FBI for 40 some years and made it a great investigative force in the country and probably helped keep the country safe.  He wore a dress yet despised homosexuals, and used his power to bully anyone he had a disagreement with.  He was feared by everyone.  By many credible accounts, he was not a very nice person.
Adolph Hitler was a dynamic, stimulating public speaker.  He became a very powerful man.  He murdered over nine million people.
The list is endless, I could go on and on.  Great patriots in our past who were slave owners.  Successful people in many fields who were racists, drug addicts, deviates, murderers, child abusers and spouse beaters.  Many great successful people who have or had serious defects that we will never know about because we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors or their power and fame protect them from prosecution for their persecution.
Is it power and fame that corrupts? 
Maybe it is a deal with the Devil, “I will grant you great powers, if you ruin and hurt a lot of people.” 
Perhaps there is just something about the brain that allows only so much talent and the talent pushes the part of the brain that recognizes empathy, kindness and acceptable behavior out of the way.
Of course, many talented, successful people in this world are also good citizens; charitable, empathetic, salt of the Earth nice people; at least we think they are. 
I loved O.J. Simpson, one of the best athletes ever and a fun loving charming person.  Everyone loved OJ…Oops.
Mickey Mantle was my childhood hero.  Bigger than life, the consummate Yankee slugger, charming, fun loving, a fan favorite.  He had his demons; womanizing, drinking, he was maybe not the nicest person to his own family.
Interesting how so many people who have made the world a better place, have such disturbing traits.** 
We all live our lives on a scale.  Some weigh heavy on the helpful, productive, nice side.  Some tip the balance to evil, mean and destructive.  It is not always easy to determine which way any one person tilts the scale.
I try to be productive.  I don’t like being mean or hurtful to anyone in any way. I know I have no great talent, I was never an especially hard worker, or particularly successful at anything.  I hope my scale does not tilt to the wrong side.
How much does “Jerk” weigh?
The preceding rambling opinion was that of a cranky old man and necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.

*No need to bash here, I get your position, the horse is already dead, stop beating it.
**No, I do not think Hitler made the world a better place.   I'm just rambling...OK!

22 comments:

  1. I'm waiting this one out to see what others comment and also when I haven't had 2 glasses of wine. Challenging topic to address.

    betty

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  2. I think it's just people, not necessarily just men. There are charismatic people that just seem to dupe others into thinking they are worth more than the average joe. Their money or speech can con the feathers off a duck. Some use their charisma for good, while others for evil and their own gain. I don't think it's just a factor of the filthy rich either. Also, some people are sheeple and want to drink the Kool-Aid.

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  3. If you want to read about this from an interesting perspective, look up the book called There Were Two Trees In The Garden, by Rick Joyner.

    As for Hitler, even Winston Churchill noted that if he'd died in 1939, he would have gone down as one of the greatest leaders in history.

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  4. I sometimes wonder what the parents must think and feel. A child is born, sweet, innocent, raised with love and care. There are hopes and dreams for is/her future. Then the change, to become a monster, a murderer or molester, a thief. The parents' disappointment must be great.

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  5. A lot of the people whose music or writing or wisdom I have enjoyed or learned from were jerks. Specifically, I can think of musicians Roger Waters and Lou Reed, philosopher Alan Watts, and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

    I accept that. I never wanted to move in with any of them.

    What if they were actual rapists or murderers? I'd probably draw the line, right? But as of right now, they're just jerks whose public output I enjoy.

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  6. We see this in our own humble selves.....we can be good and kind, we can be mean and spiteful. If there is a scale to measure these things I hope I never have to get on it. I have a feeling it wouldn't look so good. A very insightful post today Cranky.

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  7. Yes, this is true and it's what it is. Some are demonized more than they should be and others are not because the same rules don't apply to them.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  8. I'm going to weigh in on the sexism/sexual harassment specific (though maybe it's true for everything, not sure): the crappy thing is, it's not just talented/powerful/famous men who do this - it's A TON of dudes (and complicit women) and society that enables this treatment of women. If Weinstein wasn't famous and successful, he'd still be the dude grabbing waitresses' asses in diners, you know?

    It's not that power and fame corrupts - lots of men who aren't particularly famous or powerful are also sexist jerks (i've met them, personally.) I do think that when famous/powerful people model this behavior (cough cough trump), it makes it more acceptable on smaller scales.

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  9. Interesting take. Of course, at my age, I've had my bubble burst by celebrities many times over the years. Re Trump, I just can't even. Let's just leave it at that.

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    Replies
    1. I specifically requested no dead horse beating as it was not the intent of this post. You people just can not follow directions.

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  10. Also (again, just on sexual harrassment stuff), I dont think there's an amount of "good" you can do that gives a free pass to the sexism/misogyny, but I dont necessarily think that people should be written off completely for past bad actions. There's definitely room for forgiveness if someone expresses remorse. I think we should hold people - even our favorites - accountable for the bad stuff and push them to acknowledge/change it.

    Obviously, a lot of this is case by case. I totally think Weinstein deserved to be fired, as did mark halperin. And I'm DONE with bill cosby. I can still enjoy movies by ben affleck though, who quickly acknowledged and apologizing for grouping that woman back in the day.

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  11. Leona Hemsley popped into my mind, but I don't know what good she did (if any)!!

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  12. It is a bit scary and makes one wonder how many despicables we glorify remain unexposed.

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  13. I think we Americans expect too much from our leaders and celebrities. We expect our politicians and athletes to be good role models for our children and we tear down our idols when we see that they have feet of clay.

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  14. Money can make the right people look the other way.

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  15. As Solzhenitsyn said, the line between good and evil runs through the center of every human heart (note: NOT between political parties). Christianity teaches that we humans are simultaneously made in the image and likeness of God (and thus capable of monumental good) and also fallen, in desperate need of help (and thus capable of monumental evil). Which, from where I sit, corresponds closely to what I see, both in myself and people I come in contact with.

    A couple quotes from Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century French scientist/philosopher:

    "Is it not clear that man's condition is dual? If man had never been corrupted, he would confidently enjoy both truth and happiness; and if man had never been anything but corrupt, he would have no idea of either truth or bliss. But. . . we have an idea of happiness which we cannot attain. . . So it is obvious that we once enjoyed a degree of perfection from which we have unhappily fallen."

    "Man is neither angel nor beast, and it is unfortunately the case that anyone trying to act the angel acts the beast."


    My apologies for getting all woolly on you, but it seemed to pertain. . .

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    Replies
    1. Holy crap! Intellectuals read this blog? I'm going to have to smarten up i bit.

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    2. Aw heck, it's still just me. . .

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  16. I'm not sure how to comment or what to say. It always bothers me when someone really nice and pleasant shows a dark or evil side. Same thing the other way - someone who molests/rapes/murders, but takes great care of his blind mother. It would be so much easier if we could JUST love someone, or JUST hate someone. But that's not what humans are all about. We're complicated creatures.

    OK, I've blathered enough. I have no answers.

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  17. and now the latest, Kevin Spacey

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