Exactly Haruna. Where self-interest get destructive is when few comsume what belongs to many. When a Judge, Magistrate can sell a case for money, then self-interest becomes damaging. Where bribery and corruption takes over. For instance, many are today allowing themselves to be Yahya Ambassadors (musicians/producers, Catholic Fathers, Imams, just people), knowing full well the man is a criminal, an abuser, a gangster per-execllence, yet all they see is the name it attract. Remember, the good characters of Haruna defines you. May you live long brother. Suntou On Sun, Feb 28, 2010 at 11:28 PM, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > In essence therefore Suntou, all mankind is self-interested. > The idea of life in a community is to harness those self-interests for > commoner relief and value. > > Let us encourage the germination of a seed of overwhelming self-interest > because selflessness is so hard to come by. What I encourage you is to look > from the far-side of self-interest. Consider that when you solve another's > problem, you are accruing him/her, his/her own self-interest. So the trick > would be to identify where marginal self-interest that is common may exist. > I think you are with me so far. > > Example: If Bailo's self-interest is to gammy 5, don't worry about the > character of the 5, and Suntou's self-interest is to gammy 2, then if Suntou > and Bailo work on the right to gammy (n'importe combien ou quoi), voila, > both your self-interests are solved. And you can both claim to be engaged in > selfless demarche. And you will both be right. It doesn't mean you are not > engaged in hallmark selfish enterprise, it just means you are able to accrue > more value from that enterprise. And when you achieve that feat for all > mankind, why you have just become human rights saints simply by yielding > your self-interests. And the people will vote for you. Not that they were > bamboozled into thinking you two are selfless, but that you were able to > achieve value for their own self-interests while in pursuit of your > self-interests. An achievement they may not be able to accrue. That is what > separates good men from charlatans. Saints from minstrels. Idiots from the > sober. The wheat from the chaff. > > Thanx for sharing. I advise temperance and a look from the far side. > Haruna. Philosophers have wrestled with this exact topic of universal > selfishness that you review. > > In a message dated 2/28/2010 5:59:16 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > Sunday, 28 February 2010 > A False Myraid: Continuation: Politicians are lairs, evil, etc says Yahya > Jammeh<http://suntoumana.blogspot.com/2010/02/false-myraid-continuation-politicians.html> > bolonba speaks > The self-interest pursuant of human beings sometimes goes against > conventional wisdom. People engage themselves in serious criminal activities > just to satisfy personal goal fulfilments. > Why should men transport contra-ban substances such as drugs through > international borders knowing full well the repercussions lying ahead? > People join the military, with full knowledge that they might be killed in > war situations. The balancing act of men across time reveals that, we > innately do things with our self-interest in mind at all times. Sometimes > personal sacrifices get the wider exposure. (Some Gambians join foreign > armies for resident papers and the pay not for freedom or democracy, > gambling on serving unharmed until the end of service contract). Some > Gambians are equally risking near death in Swiss and Austrain Jails, > accusation of dangerous injection when caught with drugs, why? > > Why do people vote for political party A as against B? > Why do politicians go on campaign trails, disseminating the party’s > messages? > Why do political parties make promises to electorates and claim that, they > will do more for the people than rivals? > The answers aren’t that complex to underpin, however elements of partisan > prejudice will continue playing a part in complex political narratives. > Politicians aren’t saints, they hope and wish, just like we all do. The > promises that all politicians advance is a way to capture the > individualistic/collective self-interest of voters. > > In short appealing to our expectations (good roads, health care, schools, > jobs etc). Obama’s one word slogans bear testimony to this fact: Hope! > Change! Hope for what? And Change for who? > > The careers of scores of British politicians went in smoke due to claiming > expenses more than legally allowed. This are MP’s who work hard for their > electorates, yet the self-interest aspect overpowered them. > Both former Prime Minister Blair and President Bush are enjoying lucrative > lecture and private invitation due to the name they attain as politicians. > Why should men be willing to die for others? Is your live less valuable > than others? Soldiers are told to obey orders even if it meant shooting a > human being. Why should people leave their faith in the hand of another? > For those of us who believe in God and a day of reckoning, killing a person > unjustly is a sin which cannot be forgiven. > Dictators don’t go out and about killing people. They recruit ordinary men > and women to do the evil act for them. They employ killers; these killers > are protected by a sophisticated machinery of civil servants. Sometimes > people help dictators without realising it. Many good men/women are helping > Yahya Jammeh for instance by covering up for him, brushing up his image, > diplomatically working hard to make him look good. Why? Self-interest. > > However, the Islamic standpoint is that, not everyone who dies in the cause > of good is a martyr. People can die for far complex reason other than for > God. Hence we cannot just ordinarily know the real reason people do the > things they do. Some of our predicaments are by accidents, unexpected. > The politician in question should be patient and avoid trying mind control > Gambians. Some may have allowed themselves to be captivated, giving up their > minds unquestionably, that is not the norm, it is a misnorma. > Therefore, let him put to rest the talk of sacrificing for the people. The > people should be the judge of that. Self-serving politics is unattractive > and self-defeating. Condecending at best!!!! > “Hide your good deeds like you hide your bad deeds” (Abu Uwais) then only > God will reward you. However politics is a profession were such is not the > case. Everything must be put under the media glares. > Yahya Jammeh came upon us with the claims that politicians are lairs, dogs, > evil etc. Yet he is the biggest of them today. His self-interest pursuing > has resulted in him curtailing the rights and freedom of Gambians. He has > created a nasty entity of the NIA, Green boys and made the civil service his > personal slave enterprise. > Gambians are willing to kill for him, torture for him, fabricate evidence > for him, harass for him, spy for him, lie, blindly follow him and many other > filthy human characteristic are done for Yahya Jammeh, why? Some now even > looks at him like a God. People wish to enhance their self-interest through > Yahya’s favours. > Gambians who decline to get involve in attacking and exposing Yahya in the > open are equally guarding their self-interest. Think about strolling round > Bakau beach, taking pictures of Westfield, Kairaba Avenue. Visiting the hot > spots and enjoying the delicious local foods. Why should you spoil that for > anyone? > Yahya has destroyed his legacy and sadly maybe his relationship with his > maker. No amount of charity absolves a tyrant. It is because of the quest to > see freedom and prosperity in our country people risk their privileges in > exposing Yahya. However, at the bottom it all, it is our self-interest to > see a free and better Gambia for all. And for that we are willing to die, a > noble cause by all standards. > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤