When I hear stories like the Thai property theft scam it just opens up a whole series of links in my mind that extend from general crime, to organised crime, to so called white collar crime and the sheer numbers of people out there who are willing to rip you off. It is to my mind the greatest malignant infection that the human race suffers from.
We have a bad case of "bad". I don't think there is a cure for it as it seems to be an inherent trait of the human animal, which is why such a large percentage of them are prepared to profit at other peoples expense. I include the smallest scam to global cons perpetrated by those in positions of power.
All one can do is bimble along with your life as best you can, being as honest as you are and being as vigilant as possible for the thieves that surround us day by day, be they bankers, a taxmen, politicians, pickpocket's greedy merchants or any other of the myriad of predatory badness there is.
I get a little irritated when I hear the phrase "Oh yes but there is a lot of good in the world" as it is often accompanied by other bleeding heart false hope and platitudes that mean nothing and are the verbal equivalent of hiding under the duvet when the mad axe wielding maniac bursts into you bedroom.
It is the 'meekness' of the statement that irks me so because, as any sane person knows, the meek wont be inheriting the earth or anything else. In fact if the meek do inherit anything there will be some bad bastard waiting around the corner to take it off them.
Some would consider my attitude to be cynical or bitter but I feel neither (well perhaps the slightest hint of cynicism) instead I think it is a realistic appraisal of how the world is and perhaps how it has always been.
I am quick to place many of the woes of the world firmly in the fault of rampant capitalism, which I still believe is a foul bane to human kind and it is only ignorance or vested interest that stops us form searching for a better way, however I see it as much the fault of the most dominant human instinct which appears to be greed. Plenty or sufficient is never enough and so it goes on.
It is because of that thinking that I can say understand (but do not condone) the badness that abounds in the human, which leads me to one of the things that I have really noticed this year and that is the staggering amount of "spite" some people possess. In some cases you can almost smell and see the bile oozing out of them as they seek to spread their vitriol and malice.
I have noticed it often in cyberspace on forum land, but also in proper real life and there seems to be no obvious reason for it. Some people are just plainly spiteful and yet if (as I did with some people I know earlier in the year) you suggest their actions or words carry some spite then they deny it by aiming their malevolence towards yourself, (thereby ironically proving your point).
I am sure there are many psychological reasons that spite would be related to or been nurtured by, things like youngest or middle sibling issues or spoilt childhoods or deprived childhoods, lack of emotional intelligence and role models with any, or as a result of some childhood incident that traps them in victim mode throughout life, or it could be like the greed and badness of some people, in that it is just an inherent trait of some parts of the human animal.
I marvel at the amount of emotional energy it must take to carry that amount of malicious mental venom around all the time, how it must taint every thought and occupy so much mind space that could be utilised so much more beneficially but for some it would, seem that their spite defines who they are.
One of the mysteries to me about people who live in "spite" is "what do they think it achieves"?
Surely it isn't much use as part of a life strategy because it is something that has to be nurtured and formulated and requires energy (mostly negative) to create and maintain, all of which seems like a tragic and dangerous waste of time to me especially where the object of their vitriol is either probably unaware, or in the worst case scenario, couldn't give a flying fuck.
The people I know in proper real life who I would class as spiteful tend to share the mannerisms of narrowing the eyes, pursing the lips, or tightening them into a line and clenching their fists when they are venting some spite, the really pus filled ones may even stamp their feet.
I have no idea what the web-spite mongers look like however I would bet a tenner to say they probably do the same, although they must unclench their fists sometimes in order to be able to type.
I say it dangerous because hanging onto or fermenting that amount of vindictive nastiness because the associated stress it induces can lead to illness which bizarrely and sadly would probably lead to more spite.
I think that, unlike the genetic trait of "badness", spite is an affected ailment and could be treated to relieve the carrier of the burden but the treatment has to come from, and be desired by, the person themselves.
They need to have a long look at what benefits they are getting from producing spite and if there would be any possible improvement in their lives if they were to adopt a more gracious and benevolent attitude, even toward those that for some reason they disliked.
For most, who suffer with spite, it is probably far easier to do nothing, deny they are vitriolic and continue spitting their bile at those they harbour ill will towards, however perhaps the world would be a slightly brighter place if they made an effort.
Love and Peace
Bentley
