Saturday, 28 February 2009

Raising Wimps...

Today seems to be a day for discovering all those 'problems' you never knew existed.

The 'Guardian', as Tim Worstall notes, is concerned about the increasing propensity for orchestra members to get blind drunk (unlike those quiet, sedate rock stars, one presumes...), while over in the 'Mail', the FA is looking at the important social issue of young footballers losing by too many goals:
But the days of double-digit goal tallies may be numbered.

Some officials want the Football Association to introduce a so-called 'mercy rule' in youth soccer.

An import from the United States, the rule means that if one team achieves a certain goal advantage over another the match is declared over, thus sparing the losers further humiliation.
Newsflash. FA - 'humiliation' is nature's way of telling footballers they aren't trying hard enough, and need to do better next time.
The rule already operates unofficially in Devon's Pioneer youth league. Now both counties want the FA to adopt the idea more widely, saying it will encourage more youngsters to enjoy the game.

But sceptics believe such measures merely provide a politically correct comfort blanket for children against the realities of the wider world.
No doubt the FA brains-trusts that want to bring this in would agree with the parents who believed, last week, that disabled presenters were too much of a reality for their little darlings to face...

What sort of a new generation are we trying to raise, exactly?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

No real news really, although I enjoyed the read. In Sweden, and other countries, there are some discussions about abolishing study results- “It increases unnecessary stress” - and apparently students can learn stuff without grades. This cuddling and fuzzy muzzy and nothing really new, it’s mostly a way for the government to indoctrinate us with the notion of “being weak” and consequently we are “in need of help” and who will help us? Yeah… that’s right… Once upon a time I did take a little time reading newspapers, watching TV and listing to politicians and only listening for phrases to determine “who is weak” and you can probably figure out the result; everyone is. I find it funny actually, but that’s just me.

JuliaM said...

"...it’s mostly a way for the government to indoctrinate us with the notion of “being weak” and consequently we are “in need of help” and who will help us? Yeah… that’s right.."

Indeed...

AntiCitizenOne said...

What about the sheer enjoyment of handing out a good thrashing?

I think it's that the neo-puritans really hate.

Anonymous said...

The consequences are more serious than a lot of people think.

A year or two back I met an old army mate who is now a Company Sergeant major at the training depot.

Over a few drinks, as one does, he expressed serious concern about the new recruits.

One is that they are mostly fat lazy bastards, but his MAIN concern, in his words (Or as close as I can remember them;

"The recruiting offices send us these fat lazy bastards, they can not run to save their bloody lives, they catch the bloody flu if the sun goes behind a cloud,and MOST seriously, 90% of them have not even been seriously fucking SHOUTED at, let alond bloody DISCIPLINED. If we send these to Afghanistan or Irak, all the enemy have to do is shout "Go away you naughty boy" and most of them will break down in bloody tears screaming for their Mummy to "chase away the nasty man".

Von Brandenburg-Preußen.

JuliaM said...

"A year or two back I met an old army mate who is now a Company Sergeant major at the training depot.

Over a few drinks, as one does, he expressed serious concern about the new recruits..."


And people keep trumpeting National Service as a way of taming our wayward youth...