Drago's murder deathkill slaughter massacre panic petrol buying watch!!!

[Pale Rider]

A bit like recognising that you're not "stuck in traffic", you are the traffic.

I have always known it's not my car that causes jams, it's all the others.

 

[Rocky]

A bit of philosophy might help here.....

Great article by Matthew Barnard from Manchester Met, and I quote:

Starting in his book Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant tries to encourage us to be rational by arguing that we should all follow a moral instruction that he calls “the categorical imperative”, telling us that we should not do things that do not make sense if everyone did them. To act in a way that forces others to be irrational is, in itself, irrational. It is an affront to the dignity of the human being.

A relevant example is panic buying. To buy more than I need at the supermarket fails to pass the test because it is not possible for everyone to buy more than they need, it is only possible for a small fraction of the population to do so. However, if we all only buy what we need, then everyone can buy what they need.

The problem here, as Kant himself points out ..........., is that we have an innate tendency to make exceptions for ourselves when it comes to a matter of self-preservation. I know that buying more than I need is the reason why I’ve been struggling to buy bread. Yet, when I finally see bread in stock for the first time in a week, I’m very likely to buy more than I need because I am worried when I will next see it, and I am very disinclined to put my own and my family’s needs beneath that of the community.

The root cause of this reluctance to put society before myself is that Kant – and some leaders – are calling on a population that has committed to individualism to act in the collective interest.

In summary, I'm guessing Kant would realise that it's easy to apportion blame but harder to address the real causes.

 

[Alex321]

The fuel story is a huge story, thus at the minute the media want every dot and comma.

Those blaming the media in some may might do well to consider this thread.

It must be the fastest moving and best viewed thread on CC this year, and arguably has made its own small contribution to the general nervousness over fuel supply.

I'm not criticising anyone for posting on here, but let's not pretend it's the media, social or otherwise, which is causing the problem.

No need to pretend - it IS the media causing the problem. Very few fuel stations have actually run out, in spite of long queues all the time since about last Thursday.

Those queues have occurred because people think there is going to be a shortage, and they only think that because of the media stories.

The vast majority of us remain obsessively attached to our cars, and any attempt to weaken that attachment is vigorously resisted.

This is very true, but I don't think is the cause of the queues.

 

[theclaud]

we should all follow a moral instruction that he calls “the categorical imperative”, telling us that we should not do things that do not make sense if everyone did them. To act in a way that forces others to be irrational is, in itself, irrational. It is an affront to the dignity of the human being.

To be fair, this covers just about all private motoring.

 

[Joffey]

No need to pretend - it IS the media causing the problem.

The pesky media buying all the petrol...

 

[Rocky]

No need to pretend - it IS the media causing the problem. Very few fuel stations have actually run out, in spite of long queues all the time since about last Thursday.

Those queues have occurred because people think there is going to be a shortage, and they only think that because of the media stories.



This is very true, but I don't think is the cause of the queues.

That would be fine as an argument if the media were reporting what you say. But every bit of media I've seen or heard has put out the message that there is no shortage of fuel and that panic buying is making things worse (look at all the broadsheet headlines today, for example). So I think your argument doesn't stand up to scrutiny - perhaps we need to look elsewhere for the blame.

 

[Dolorous Edd]

That would be fine as an argument if the media were reporting what you say. But every bit of media I've seen or heard has put out the message that there is no shortage of fuel and that panic buying is making things worse (looks at all the broadsheet headlines today, for example). So I think your argument doesn't stand up to scrutiny - perhaps we need to look elsewhere for the blame.

Yes in many cases the media explain that in the text, under a big photo of an enormous queue or a closed forecourt. Guess which of those two messages is received most strongly?

 

[Pale Rider]

The pesky media buying all the petrol...

The vast majority of the stories carry the message there is no shortage and no need to panic buy.

Thus the media is doing its best to calm the public.

Despite this, panic buying takes hold.

Which goes to show how overwhelmingly selfish the majority of us are.

 

[Rocky]

Yes in many cases the media explain that in the text, under a big photo of an enormous queue or a closed forecourt. Guess which of those two messages is received most strongly?

I'm not sure the evidence supports this either - but don't forget, the media isn't just the tabloids - it includes the broadsheets, radio, TV, and web.

But even if you are right, I'd love to see examples of where the media's message says 'go out and panic buy fuel'. It's just not there.

 

[Pale Rider]

Yes in many cases the media explain that in the text, under a big photo of an enormous queue or a closed forecourt. Guess which of those two messages is received most strongly?

What photo would you suggest they use to illustrate a story about panic buying of fuel?

A landscape of the Serengeti?

 

[Dolorous Edd]

What photo would you suggest they use to illustrate a story about panic buying of fuel?

A landscape of the Serengeti?

Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain?

 

[Pale Rider]

Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain?

Only if taken from a Torquay hotel bedroom window.

 

[Dolorous Edd]

What photo would you suggest they use to illustrate a story about panic buying of fuel?

A landscape of the Serengeti?

Accepted. Nevertheless, the net message of a photo indicating shortages plus text not indicating shortages is - shortages.

 

[Alex321]

What photo would you suggest they use to illustrate a story about panic buying of fuel?

A landscape of the Serengeti?

Perhaps not every story needs a photo.

 

[Pale Rider]

Accepted. Nevertheless, the net message of a photo indicating shortages plus text not indicating shortages is - shortages.

Well, there are 'shortages', or rather not enough fuel in the right places, so a story saying otherwise would be inaccurate and rightly lambasted as ludicrous.

Perhaps not every story needs a photo.

Strictly it doesn't, but starting with the advent of colour printing of newsprint (remember Today?), photos, and now video, has become ever more important.