I hoped this would be a comfy recollection of 2018 reflecting on humankind's desire to be a world community. Alas, it is not so. In every direction my mind goes towards seeking harmony in the human predicament it is brought to an abrupt halt and I become apoplectic. I am rendered speechless and thoughtless and that makes me feel worthless and weak.
Here in the United Kingdom (?!) we are ruled by pettifogging little emperors more interested in filling their own coffers by sycophancy to the wealthy who fund the Conservative Party, than in opening our portals to desperate refugees who need the help of the sixth wealthiest country of the world. We are ruled by those who punish their own - the less well off in our country - in order to make the rich richer and of course themselves richer. Let's see Jeremy Corbyn's bank balance compared with that of any Conservative MP's and then you'll see what I mean.
We are citizens of a state which allows the production of armaments to kill the innocent in Yemen and Palestine and other places. You and I acquiesce to this. Why do we accept being killers?
Why can't we celebrate being in a wider community like the EU or even better a world community? Why can't we accept that the poverty of any of our fellow kind and the cruelty meted out to the endangered of any species on our planet is our responsibility. That we can't seem to own up to this is symptomatic of our self-interest and greed.
I didn't mean to go off on one like this but every time I think of what has gone on in 2018 my mind explodes into highly dudgeonised and unspeakable despair. In order to articulate these feelings, I rely on the words of a gifted author. Here is Elisabeth - the main character in Ali Smith's superb novel, Autumn, giving forth:
"I'm tired of the news. I'm tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren't and deals so simplistically with what's truly appalling. I'm tired of vitriol. I'm tired of anger. I'm tired of meanness. I'm tired of selfishness. I'm tired of how we are doing nothing to stop it. I'm tired of how we are encouraging it. I'm tired of the violence there is and I'm tired of the violence that's on the way, that's coming, that hasn't happened yet... I'm tired of liars. I'm tired of how those liars have let this happen. I'm tired of having to wonder whether they did it out of stupidity or on purpose. I'm tired of lying governments. I'm tired of people not caring.
I hope, with little optimism I'm sad to say, for a better 2019.
Reference : Autumn; Ali Smith, published by Hamish Hamilton, London 2016.
See also : https://leavingdundee.blogspot.com/2017/12/and-i-would-walk-500-miles-and-i-would.html
Here in the United Kingdom (?!) we are ruled by pettifogging little emperors more interested in filling their own coffers by sycophancy to the wealthy who fund the Conservative Party, than in opening our portals to desperate refugees who need the help of the sixth wealthiest country of the world. We are ruled by those who punish their own - the less well off in our country - in order to make the rich richer and of course themselves richer. Let's see Jeremy Corbyn's bank balance compared with that of any Conservative MP's and then you'll see what I mean.
We are citizens of a state which allows the production of armaments to kill the innocent in Yemen and Palestine and other places. You and I acquiesce to this. Why do we accept being killers?
Why can't we celebrate being in a wider community like the EU or even better a world community? Why can't we accept that the poverty of any of our fellow kind and the cruelty meted out to the endangered of any species on our planet is our responsibility. That we can't seem to own up to this is symptomatic of our self-interest and greed.
 |
| A global community on a torch procession, Edinburgh, 30.12.18 |
I didn't mean to go off on one like this but every time I think of what has gone on in 2018 my mind explodes into highly dudgeonised and unspeakable despair. In order to articulate these feelings, I rely on the words of a gifted author. Here is Elisabeth - the main character in Ali Smith's superb novel, Autumn, giving forth:
"I'm tired of the news. I'm tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren't and deals so simplistically with what's truly appalling. I'm tired of vitriol. I'm tired of anger. I'm tired of meanness. I'm tired of selfishness. I'm tired of how we are doing nothing to stop it. I'm tired of how we are encouraging it. I'm tired of the violence there is and I'm tired of the violence that's on the way, that's coming, that hasn't happened yet... I'm tired of liars. I'm tired of how those liars have let this happen. I'm tired of having to wonder whether they did it out of stupidity or on purpose. I'm tired of lying governments. I'm tired of people not caring.
I hope, with little optimism I'm sad to say, for a better 2019.
_____________________________________________
Reference : Autumn; Ali Smith, published by Hamish Hamilton, London 2016.
See also : https://leavingdundee.blogspot.com/2017/12/and-i-would-walk-500-miles-and-i-would.html
