Firefighters .. Is it just me who's a cynic or?

I pay a lot for car and household insurance - I don't get to use it very often, but if I had an accident, or my house got broken into and everything was stolen then I'd have something to fall back on.

Firefighters fall into that class of expenditure, necessary because you want them they'll be there, but expensive the rest of the time.

Kipling wrote a poem about this - about how soldiers are treated in war-time and peace:

I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,

The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."

The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,

I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;

But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play

The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,

O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play.

I believe our motivations and the result of our actions are not interlinked. If we choose to do something that is perceived as "good" it has no bearing on why we chose to do that deed. We ultimately chose to do that deed because we had some motivation. Usually that motivation is because it makes us feel good about ourselves. Most people don't participate in things that don't make them feel good. They usually stop doing the activity once they realize it is unpleasant (however, there is a whole realm of psychosis dedicated to classifying us when we don't stop doing those unpleasant things). Altruistic by definition is the deliberate pursuit of the interests and welfare of others. It is only when we chose to sacrifice our own welfare and interest that this argument comes into play. It is ultimately the degree to which we are willing to be self-sacrificing that determines how far we will go to ensure others thrive at our expense. This in itself can be its own psychosis, and something that we don't derive pleasure from nor enjoy, but feel compelled to do it. Does it affect the outcome of the "good deed"? No, but it does begin to question what our personal motivation is. Does it matter? Not really, the two actions are not linked together. So by definition, someone can be altruistic without genuine concern for the people they are helping. But ultimately, there is little to nothing we do that does not involve a level of personal pleasure somewhere down the road - otherwise we would do something else.

Most fire fighters are more than happy to tell you that their average day involves cutting open cars in traffic accidents, cutting free idiots who have got their heads stuck in railings (and the like), and carrying out prevention and education work. To say they only go into burning properties a few times in their career, however, is wrong. The fire fighters I know are called out to burning properties, which may or may not have people in them but either way can and do endanger lives, several times a month at least.

To say they sit around and drink tea is not an accurate description of the fire service where I live at least.

It's very easy to be critical of them saying they spend a lot of their time sitting around, but if the day comes when it's you that needs their help I imagine that will very quickly change an opinion

I also assume they dont just spend all day waiting for a fire, there is probably a lot of training and going out and about advising and checking businesses and people on fire prevention.

You could also claim that the armed forces are a waste of money unless their is a war on, a lot of services are only there "just in case" and it's only when something happens you realise how much they are needed

To be honest I wouldn't like to do it, I imagine for every fire they attend they probably go to an equal amount of accidents and pulling mangled bodies from wrecked cars just doesn't appeal to me, particularly if its children

I have nothing against them. But when they aren't actually fighting fires they still get paid. And its on my dime for playin ping pong

Remember the twin towers, I will say no more.

Don't be so critical