Is the world a Penal Colony?

[Gary Childress]

I think the world may be a penal colony of some sort. Anyone else here agree? I will give a few points that lead me to this conclusion.

1. I cannot go wherever I want to. There are restrictions.

2. I cannot do whatever I want to. There are restrictions.

3. Many places I wish to go I do not wish to go to for destructive reasons.

4. Many things I wish to do I do not wish to do for destructive reasons.

5. If I wish to go somewhere or do something I must work at a job that I do not like in order afford the means to go to that place or do that activity.

I will give a few particular examples of each point above (note: these are just a few of MANY examples I could give):

1. I cannot travel to Bora Bora, even though it seems like it would be a wondrous place to visit. I do not wish to go to Bora Bora to do anything destructive. I will clean up after myself and be as polite there as I can be. However, if I try to go to Bora Bora, police may detain me.

2. I wish I could visit public parks after dark. I love the night air and the relative silence. I don't wish to be destructive in any way at a park. I am a nature lover and will not do anything wrong. But most parks close after dark and the police may arrest me or else chase me off. I have literally had that experience in my life.

3. If I had enough money I could buy a park and a one way visa to Bora Bora but in order to first afford the trip and second support myself so that I can live there without starving I would need to work. Work involves an enormous amount of discomfort and hardship. If I don't work, the police will evict me from where I live and if I try to beg on street corners I can be chased away for panhandling in some places.

Thoughts?

 

[warpus]

I used to live in communist Poland. Compared to that, Canada is paradise.

You are looking at life from the completely wrong perspective; it's not going to do you any favours.

You have no idea how bad most people on this planet have it, compared to you. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Having said that:

2. I wish I could visit public parks after dark. I love the night air and the relative silence. I don't wish to be destructive in any way at a park. I am a nature lover and will not do anything wrong. But most parks close after dark and the police may arrest me or else chase me off. I have literally had that experience in my lif

This has never happened to me, ever, even though some parks I've seen have that sign up. Why does this exist as a law? I've never had a problem walking through parks at night.

Is this more of an American thing that doesn't really affect other countries?

 

[BvBPL]

Being in a penal institution is a bit more restrictive than not allowing you to go to Bora Bora. First off a penal institution is inherently punitive, unlike travel restrictions. Second the scope of control over the inmates in penal institutions is far greater than not allowing you to go vacation in the South Pacific.

The concept that we are living on a penal planet makes too light the deplorable conditions of those in jails and prisons across the world.

Then again the Earth may well be a Thetan prison.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I think the problem is not you are not allowed to go to Bora Bora but that you cant force anyone to carry you to Bora Bora. However if you have a siwnsuit you could try and get there swimming.

 

[tetley]

If you are atheist, then I suppose the world is. For the religious (minus some exceptions, like JW or Hinduism), Hell is the penal colony.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Freedom is not measured by conditions. I enjoyed more freedom when I was in prison than I ever had before in my life, and have enjoyed it ever since...and I feel no need to go to Bora Bora.

 

[Gary Childress]

I used to live in communist Poland. Compared to that, Canada is paradise.

You are looking at life from the completely wrong perspective; it's not going to do you any favours.

You have no idea how bad most people on this planet have it, compared to you. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Having said that:



This has never happened to me, ever, even though some parks I've seen have that sign up. Why does this exist as a law? I've never had a problem walking through parks at night.

Is this more of an American thing that doesn't really affect other countries?

True. I'm not asking to live in communist Poland of 25+ years ago. I'm well aware that things can get worse. There are worse places to be. It's like one prisoner complaining about his cell to another and being told, "oh yeah, you should see solitary confinement". However, it doesn't detract from the fact they are both in prison. I'm sorry if facts upset you. The fact of the matter is most of us live in a pretty controlled environment where even actions that would seem completely harmless can have negative repercussions.

Canada must be better about its parks. In the US you can be chased off by police for visiting a park that closes after dark. It happened to me on a couple occasions when I was younger. In one case the officer was trying to accuse me of being there to potentially burglar some houses near by. If you refuse to leave you can be detained.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

What are "destructive reasons"? You only gave three examples and I'm not sure which points they are meant to tie to.

But no. Life not being an endless selection of cakes and massages and showers of diamonds and chocolates doesn't meant the world is a penal colony.

 

[warpus]

True. I'm not asking to live in communist Poland of 25+ years ago. I'm well aware that things can get worse. There are worse places to be.

There is always a better place to be as well, let's not forget that. There are so many discontent people who are incredibly well off who keep comparing themselves to people who are better off than them.. They want more, more, more of everything.

Do not be one of those people, your life will be miserable. Enjoy what you've got, most people would swap positions with you in a heartbeat.

Having said that, wanting to improve is not to be ignored, but doing it from a "my life is a penal colony" perspective when you live in the west, isn't really going to look very honest or realistic.

 

[Global Skeptic]

Well, if you feel like a prisoner, then stop feeling like that You are letting negative thoughts take over. That won't make reality better, only worse.

 

[Gary Childress]

I think the problem is not you are not allowed to go to Bora Bora but that you cant force anyone to carry you to Bora Bora. However if you have a siwnsuit you could try and get there swimming.

If I got to Bora Bora via swimming I'm sure I could be deported. Do they have free borders? Would they run me off the beaches and lock me up for vagrancy?

 

[Gary Childress]

Well, if you feel like a prisoner, then stop feeling like that You are letting negative thoughts take over. That won't make reality better, only worse.

I appreciate the effort to cheer me up. It's a very nice sentiment. Maybe I'll try meditation or something.

 

[Old Hippy]

I appreciate the effort to cheer me up. It's a very nice sentiment. Maybe I'll try meditation or something.

look on the bright side, you could be Australian, and actually live in a penal colony, tho the surfs good...

 

[Thorgalaeg]

If I got to Bora Bora via swimming I'm sure I could be deported. Do they have free borders? Would they run me off the beaches and lock me up for vagrancy?

I dont know but it is full of tourists there. Maybe all you need is to carry your passport in a dry bag.

Anyway I know how you feel to some extent. Some years ago i tried to spend the night sleeping at some unspoiled beach near a natural park in southern Spain, without any tent or anything only sleeping on the sand. However when night fell a surveillance helicopter came and started searching all the beach long with its lights looking for people staying there overnight! Luckily we left just in time before a police patrol in a jeep appeared and issued tickets to some tourist who were fast enough. I felt as i was scaping from Alcatraz or something.

 

[Gary Childress]

True also. I just wish I could find a significant companion in life but that seems to be getting harder and harder as I get older. Unfortunately I'm not getting any better looking either.

 

[Old Hippy]

True also. I just wish I could find a significant companion in life but that seems to be getting harder and harder as I get older. Unfortunately I'm not getting any better looking either.

to cheer you up some more, neither are your potential partners...

 

[Gary Childress]

to cheer you up some more, neither are your potential partners...

I meant it going both ways.

EDIT: Life seems much better for the young and the attractive.

 

[Kyriakos]

Why make a penal colony
when we can make

an experiment which can be seen as anything from 'normality' to a penal colony to any modestly miserable but not outright fright-causing environment, when in reality it is the analogous of an ant-farm examined by a massive multi-headed super-intelligent fluorescent arthropodous scientist?

 

[kochman]

Why can't you go to Bora Bora?
I can.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I meant it going both ways.

EDIT: Life seems much better for the young and the attractive.

Then why are so many young and attractive people just as unhappy as most of everyone else?