Has all decency left the entire planet?

@schubert , I understand your discomfort but the unfortunate truth is that human beings have been squabbling over resources (land, people, and valuable commodities etc - oil is the current big one now) since day 1.

You only have to look at military spending to see how much this principle holds true today. I mean, ask yourself why does the US spend more on 'defence' than China, Russia, Saudi, India, France, Germany and the UK all combined? 

The map of the world has never stopped changing and the squabbling to change it further is going on right now. Meanwhile the Doomsday Clock inches towards midnight...

Still, no one can figure out how to reverse this inevitable march to catastrophe. Religious conflicts have done nothing to help whatsoever. In fact some belief systems even regard global anhilation as a worthy prophecy awaiting fulfilment. It has been so written, some of them believe. Imagine the consequences if such belief systems ever acquire the means to carry out such actions. Kind of reminds me of that scenario from the 1970 film Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

My own hope is that interplanetary travel will provide us with sorely needed new vistas to conquer and fight over. Shades of 2001 Space Odyssey but only with better software.

It's what we do best.

Decency is everywhere.  You just have to go out and find it.

Alex, I am willing to assume that our disagreement is the result of some kind of cultural divide. From my vantage point you have blinders on to what I am trying to suggest. I have to assume that your cultural background simply doesn’t allow for the understanding of what I suggest; just as, I suppose, mine does not allow me to understand yours. You pepper your comments with many “shoulds” as if your viewpoint should be taken as dogma (sorry) without room for an alternate view. All I can do at this point is to try and address a couple of your specific comments and to remind you that what started all this was not any kind of advocacy on my part, but an expression of what I see as a byproduct of one specific approach. The points:

**** Your last sentence seems to be very bitter and even worse ****

Not in the least. It is one of hope. I do, however, find it fascinating that you would interpret it as “very bitter”.

**** it represents the attitude very different from what the Americans usually and with pride represent as core value they are willing to fight for, that is the freedom of choice for any individual ****

Not in the least. You are not grasping what I meant by “middle ground”. Moreover, I suspect you don’t understand “Americans” nearly as well as you think you do. At least half the population of this country would agree with me.

**** Explain me how there would be no pressure for non believers if (marxist or religious, it makes no difference) education is mandatory? ****

The blinders. For the last time, no one has advocated for “mandatory” religious education.

**** (marxist or religious, it makes no difference) ****

Bingo! Oh, but it does. Big difference. Now we are getting somewhere.

Regards.


Getting back to the original question:

”Decency is everywhere. You just have to go out and find it.” - Onhwy61

Frogman, ' let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late'....

Usually there is always a possibility for missunderstanding, so I kindly ask you, again, to explain on which kind of education you thought when you wrote and I quote, again

...' why is it surprising that in an age when there has been a concerted effort to remove God and spirituality from education' ...etc

Now, to me, that does sounds like the way I understood it, but you are free to explain otherwise, please

'My view point' is not mine, per se, nor it is dogmatic.
It is the view represented by majority of secular european states.

There is no room for middle ground when freedom (in general sense, regarding this subject) is in question.
Either you are free or not.

I do not claim to understand Americans, or anyone else for that matter, but I assure you that I fully understand the ethics of idea I write about.

Since I am trying to make you explain your quoted sentence (I will give you the benefit of doubt)  will not try to assume what is exactly the fact that you or half of America have in common.

Since you said that you did not mention 'mandatory' (its true) I must ask on which kind of education you thought? 
What kind of education can be 'removed' (from where?) if its not already fixed as such? ('mandatory')

As for marxist or religious education, of course that it makes no difference...if its forced (mandatory) to be thought, it is the same for the ones who will have to learn it,if it is against their will.
But, let us not slip into empty talk....

As for bitternes, even if I missunderstood your words (regarding mandatory education) nothing that I wrote should represent something that one should be hopefull that such thing would not happen....

 Respect for every individual and his rights should be duty of every civilizied society and everything I wrote in my posts before explains why and how such things are dealt with in Europe (regarding subject of r.edc)

Now, you may not like it and you may hope that it will never happen in the US, but I challenge anyone to tell me what is the better solution?

cd318 , FACT, humans have been more peaceful than anything else since day one.People who make money from war and live for power tell you different and you swallow it .
US spends more than rest of world combined because hundreds of years
of brainwashing had made a population that believes militarism is as normal as the air they breathe and our soldiers , sailors and airman being in every nook and cranny of the planet is as normal as the night follows the day .
.