I Will Never Invest in Badmannersland
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In other articles I have already considered that there is a clear relationship between our human environment and manners; this is not to say that we should live in a world of imperial protocol and etiquette, but a way to manifest the need to improve some of our conducts in search of a better life.
And this is so because increasingly, we seem to try to find solace for our bad manners in the fact that modern society seems to encourage such conducts.
In my opinion, the idea that modernism may serve as a natural cause for lack of courtesy, increased rudeness and sometimes, plain cruelty, seems more as an excuse than anything else.
If we find ourseves incapable of delivering an amicable treatment to our fellow human beings, then how do we pretend to fight terrorism, authoritarianism and deliver some sort of results to our crusades and causes?
Ecology, environmentalism and other conservationist ideas would do little to improve our life if we applaud and even encourage conducts proper of 'Australophitecus afarensis' instead of citizens.
Many small, daily-life events may show what has to be improved: in many countries it it customary or quite frequent that political protests end in the closure of streets and avenues.
Protests are fine, and they are part of democratic life; however, leaning too much to the side of the rights of those protesting (for the protest per se, because we have seen too how people protest and their leaders just continue hearing their music with headsets on, like what happened regarding the invasion of Iraq in countries such as Italy and Japan), means that the innocent bystander, tourist, cab driver, bus driver, passenger and so on have to suffer.
In other forms, even when we say that we care for right aand wrong, we do so, but just in a very superficial way.
We pay taxes to the lot we call 'politicians' to do their job; someone has to protest, fine, but others have to go to work, have a pregnant wife in their car or just want to go to a party. People protesting and cutting streets have a problem with their manners, and politicians and leaders should lead by example instead of condoning bad education.
We see similar conducts in the world of business: 'The Apprentice' has become a very popular show, but what does attract so many people? Simple: cutting the heads of your fellows, or maybe, the floor under their feet, and then you have the Shakespearean 'you are fired' instead of a happy Mickey Mouse ending. I may be getting into utopias, but remember: your children watch these things too, along with the deeds of Mr. Bush and Mr. Ben Laden.
Utopias may be just that, but it is better to live in quest for one than to return to the law of the strongest.
While we were children, police officers did not need to carry bulletproof vests; now they do. So, have you ever wondered what kind of world we are going to leave to our children? I don't want to be remembered as a foolish primitive.
The alternative to seeking something different is that instead of going to work looking sharp with suits and ties, they will go to the office, to consume their lifes to dehydration in a cubicle, wearing bulletproof vests and kevlar helmets in fashionable, black and black colours, because not only fundamentalists will deliver aircraft right to their windows, but some disgruntled colleague would like to mow everyone down with an AK-47, again.
Parents, politicians, educators and leaders have an obligation, which is to be brave enough to change course and lead by example.
And speaking of examples, emulation and reputation; this kind of uncorteus attitues justified by pretended logical reasons, are quite common in the business world, and they are having a toll in our economy, so better listen up.
Some time ago I had a row with an Australian company called Dark Blue Sea Ltd.; I found their manners so sorely lacking that I even considered taking them in front of a court, but that would have been quite costly and complicated.
However, right at that time I took the decision of purchasing a small aircatf which would carry - up to then - an Australian Jabiru engine (the company in question is not the manufacturer of these engines, which are otherwise fine) but the attitude of those individuals and what I remembered about the Danish architect who built the Sydney Opera House, and how he departed Australia in anger, never to return to even see his masterpiece, and then, I had also to consider the kind of tratment that a bunch of Afghan refugees received at the hands of local authorities at sea, and how aborigins were considered in legal terms (more or less in equal standing as house animals or pets - literally - until 1967 or so) some years ago, and so all that made me think if there is a problem with manners in Australia, because these stories seem to repeat themselves.
I don't want to be guided by the conduct of a few or prejudice, but when you plan to buy an aircraft engine you are going to make a very, very significant investment in terms broader that just money, and I wouldn't like to have trouble later - even related just to manners and not technical aspects - with a thing in which I would deposit my own safety and that of those who may elect to fly with me.
Australian engines are fine, the country itself is intriguing, and the seas around - blue or not - are spectacular, but why would I invest a lot of cash to receive bad manners in return? What will happen the day that I need technical assistance and some Aussie, somewhere, resorts to bad humour?
So, the money will go to the Europeans because of bad manners; I will buy Rotax engines - by the way, it's said in plural because aside from being a pilot, I am the treasurer of a flying club and we are planning on purchasing three aircraft with an equal number of engines -; so keep an eye on how you treat others, because I am no going to invest anything in Badmannersland, and that means less money for the country, less jobs and all in all, four aircraft gone flying away, and perhaps, even more troubles.
Courtesy costs nothing, but gives you everything.
