What Would You Do If You Were the Last Person on Earth?

[Mindful]

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”—Stephen Crane

Agreed. But is man obligated?

The founding fathers believed that we are given inalienable rights for no other reason than we are God’s creatures, but is that conditional?

Solzhenitsyn believed that these rights are conditional.

“...That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility. Such was the heritage of the preceding thousand years...”

He goes on to say that what has occurred since the founding would have been unthinkable by our founders.

“...Two hundred or even fifty years ago, it would have seemed quite impossible, in America, that an individual could be granted boundless freedom simply for the satisfaction of his instincts or whims. Subsequently, however, all such limitations were discarded everywhere in the West; a total liberation occurred from the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice. State systems were -- State systems were becoming increasingly and totally materialistic. The West ended up by truly enforcing human rights, sometimes even excessively, but man's sense of responsibility to God and society grew dimmer and dimmer. In the past decades, the legalistically selfish aspect of Western approach and thinking has reached its final dimension and the world wound up in a harsh spiritual crisis and a political impasse. All the glorified technological achievements of Progress, including the conquest of outer space, do not redeem the 20th century's moral poverty which no one could imagine even as late as in the 19th Century...”

I am your founding father/mother. Maybe I should decide what's to be done with you.

I am afraid I am hopeless.

But do you believe man has an obligation?

I came up with an answer, and then I realised it was you.

 

[ding]

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”—Stephen Crane

Agreed. But is man obligated?

The founding fathers believed that we are given inalienable rights for no other reason than we are God’s creatures, but is that conditional?

Solzhenitsyn believed that these rights are conditional.

“...That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility. Such was the heritage of the preceding thousand years...”

He goes on to say that what has occurred since the founding would have been unthinkable by our founders.

“...Two hundred or even fifty years ago, it would have seemed quite impossible, in America, that an individual could be granted boundless freedom simply for the satisfaction of his instincts or whims. Subsequently, however, all such limitations were discarded everywhere in the West; a total liberation occurred from the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice. State systems were -- State systems were becoming increasingly and totally materialistic. The West ended up by truly enforcing human rights, sometimes even excessively, but man's sense of responsibility to God and society grew dimmer and dimmer. In the past decades, the legalistically selfish aspect of Western approach and thinking has reached its final dimension and the world wound up in a harsh spiritual crisis and a political impasse. All the glorified technological achievements of Progress, including the conquest of outer space, do not redeem the 20th century's moral poverty which no one could imagine even as late as in the 19th Century...”

I am your founding father/mother. Maybe I should decide what's to be done with you.

I am afraid I am hopeless.

But do you believe man has an obligation?

I came up with an answer, and then I realised it was you.

Sure you did.

 

[Mindful]

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”—Stephen Crane

Agreed. But is man obligated?

The founding fathers believed that we are given inalienable rights for no other reason than we are God’s creatures, but is that conditional?

Solzhenitsyn believed that these rights are conditional.

“...That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility. Such was the heritage of the preceding thousand years...”

He goes on to say that what has occurred since the founding would have been unthinkable by our founders.

“...Two hundred or even fifty years ago, it would have seemed quite impossible, in America, that an individual could be granted boundless freedom simply for the satisfaction of his instincts or whims. Subsequently, however, all such limitations were discarded everywhere in the West; a total liberation occurred from the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice. State systems were -- State systems were becoming increasingly and totally materialistic. The West ended up by truly enforcing human rights, sometimes even excessively, but man's sense of responsibility to God and society grew dimmer and dimmer. In the past decades, the legalistically selfish aspect of Western approach and thinking has reached its final dimension and the world wound up in a harsh spiritual crisis and a political impasse. All the glorified technological achievements of Progress, including the conquest of outer space, do not redeem the 20th century's moral poverty which no one could imagine even as late as in the 19th Century...”

I am your founding father/mother. Maybe I should decide what's to be done with you.

I am afraid I am hopeless.

But do you believe man has an obligation?

I came up with an answer, and then I realised it was you.

Sure you did.

You're not going to get me with those tactics.

 

[Crepitus]

I'd appoint only conservatives to the Supreme Court.

And there will still be extreme RWNJs left because they don't count as "persons" as in "last person on Earth"?

 

[ding]

Agreed. But is man obligated?

The founding fathers believed that we are given inalienable rights for no other reason than we are God’s creatures, but is that conditional?

Solzhenitsyn believed that these rights are conditional.

“...That is, freedom was given to the individual conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility. Such was the heritage of the preceding thousand years...”

He goes on to say that what has occurred since the founding would have been unthinkable by our founders.

“...Two hundred or even fifty years ago, it would have seemed quite impossible, in America, that an individual could be granted boundless freedom simply for the satisfaction of his instincts or whims. Subsequently, however, all such limitations were discarded everywhere in the West; a total liberation occurred from the moral heritage of Christian centuries with their great reserves of mercy and sacrifice. State systems were -- State systems were becoming increasingly and totally materialistic. The West ended up by truly enforcing human rights, sometimes even excessively, but man's sense of responsibility to God and society grew dimmer and dimmer. In the past decades, the legalistically selfish aspect of Western approach and thinking has reached its final dimension and the world wound up in a harsh spiritual crisis and a political impasse. All the glorified technological achievements of Progress, including the conquest of outer space, do not redeem the 20th century's moral poverty which no one could imagine even as late as in the 19th Century...”

I am your founding father/mother. Maybe I should decide what's to be done with you.

I am afraid I am hopeless.

But do you believe man has an obligation?

I came up with an answer, and then I realised it was you.

Sure you did.

You're not going to get me with those tactics.

I don’t see that as a loss.

 

[Mindful]

I am your founding father/mother. Maybe I should decide what's to be done with you.

I am afraid I am hopeless.

But do you believe man has an obligation?

I came up with an answer, and then I realised it was you.

Sure you did.

You're not going to get me with those tactics.

I don’t see that as a loss.

Good for you.

 

[OldLady]

I'd be kicking myself in the ass for living so far from a good Italian bakery, because if I were closer I'd be breaking in and eating all the marzipan cookies.

 

[Mindful]

Hey Ding.

• The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!
  
  Brian Cox
  
  
  I was watching Professor Cox on 'The Sky at Night' yesterday evening. Do you get that show?

 

[ding]

Hey Ding.

• The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!
  
  Brian Cox
  
  
  I was watching Professor Cox on 'The Sky at Night' yesterday evening. Do you get that show?

No. I don’t get that show but those aren’t the rights I was talking about.

 

[Erinwltr]

I’d be most certainly wondering who was gonna make my breakfast, for a start. No, I’m kidding. Mummy doesn’t make my breakfast any more, come on, I’m nearly 27. Daddy does my din-dins, though, so that’s a concern. All that said, imagine the day. You go to bed in a world full of people and when you wake, you’re the only one left. Every single human has vanished overnight. Oh golly, that sure sucks. An entire world with a population consisting of just me. Oh dear, oh the humanity, oh, I’m so sad… actually, no it sounds rather gnarly. Imagine that. Only me. YIPPEE! I don’t have to talk to anyone ever again! And all the world’s bacon is mine! MINE! MINE! Mwa, ha, ha, ha…

I do wonder how long it would take me to realise I was the only one left. I’ll probably start to suspect things are awry when I venture into the kitchen for my morning toast. I may see something unusual that would draw my eye to the fact everyone is gone. The toaster won’t come on. There’s a downed plane in the back garden. I’m stood there frantically turning the light switch on and off again. It’s a very British thing to do when the lights won’t come on. Keep trying the switch. “Why won’t the lights come on?” “I’m trying damn it! On, off, on, off, on, off!” “Is it working?” “NO! I’ve tried everything and I’m all outta ideas!”

What Would You Do If You Were the Last Person on Earth?

Find the vaseline supply...

What?

 

[Mindful]

Hey Ding.

• The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!
  
  Brian Cox
  
  
  I was watching Professor Cox on 'The Sky at Night' yesterday evening. Do you get that show?

No. I don’t get that show but those aren’t the rights I was talking about.

No surprise there.

 

[miketx]

buy a new gun.

 

[Mindful]

 

[jackflash]

I’d be most certainly wondering who was gonna make my breakfast, for a start. No, I’m kidding. Mummy doesn’t make my breakfast any more, come on, I’m nearly 27. Daddy does my din-dins, though, so that’s a concern. All that said, imagine the day. You go to bed in a world full of people and when you wake, you’re the only one left. Every single human has vanished overnight. Oh golly, that sure sucks. An entire world with a population consisting of just me. Oh dear, oh the humanity, oh, I’m so sad… actually, no it sounds rather gnarly. Imagine that. Only me. YIPPEE! I don’t have to talk to anyone ever again! And all the world’s bacon is mine! MINE! MINE! Mwa, ha, ha, ha…

I do wonder how long it would take me to realise I was the only one left. I’ll probably start to suspect things are awry when I venture into the kitchen for my morning toast. I may see something unusual that would draw my eye to the fact everyone is gone. The toaster won’t come on. There’s a downed plane in the back garden. I’m stood there frantically turning the light switch on and off again. It’s a very British thing to do when the lights won’t come on. Keep trying the switch. “Why won’t the lights come on?” “I’m trying damn it! On, off, on, off, on, off!” “Is it working?” “NO! I’ve tried everything and I’m all outta ideas!”

What Would You Do If You Were the Last Person on Earth?

Pray???