I agree that these are weird times and I often think of the Roman Empire falling into trivia, gluttony, and collective blindness - although I haven't actually researched the end of the Roman Empire, so I might be imagining a myth! Still it does so often seem as if many people are off point somehow. And, most annoying of all, I waste time and energy talking about how off point they are. Are there really only two big issues - planetary systems - i.e. the natural world, and massive material inequalities? We seem to have forgotten the material in so much of our talk - how we actually live, individually, collectively and comparatively. And what that is doing to the life systems on which we depend.
As a bar man i hear different conversations, where no one can pin the tail on the donkey.
Divisions and convictions are erected, defended and commonalities and similarities of position, place are overlooked or mistaken.
But all agree, something is not right.... (Admittedly sometimes headlines are parroted and cliches, urban myths expounded as truth.) And yes alcohol can distort differences.
And today fake news has filtered or trickled down so the common man, or in this case an ex- soldier with PTSD, who states Angela Merkel as a socialist, whilst holding his head intermittently as the horrors of the Falklands flash back. His government pension enough for self medication but not real care. Yet he still defends them in argument, the ever loyal soldier.
The wider narrative is unravelling, in the vacuum real terror may come.
In this country presently is another leadership contest and so paper thin are the lies, 'integrity' from a billionaire chancellor whose wife evaded her taxes... Are derisory and laughable ...
Yet the game is played interviews given and media backing and gravitas supplied to a parody of a tragedy. There is no real opposition be that in voting choice or on the streets...yet...
Individualism leaves us as tombstones in the graveyard.. with only epitaphs to cling too...
Agreed, to a certain extent. But I think you could also argue that you see more factitiousness, narcissism and self-serving in peoples' "worldviews" as a symptom of the internet and how easy it is to share ideas and information. These platforms often make the more extreme (world)views more regularly the loudest voices. But cutting through that, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about our collective action, even if it is currently not sufficient to address the crises we are faced with. Look at Gothenberg's socio-economic disparity alleviation scheme, backed by the banks at the demand of civil society; or even the climate marches here in Aotearoa... I don't think collective thinking has been abandoned outright (surely capitalism and our consumer culture is testament enough to this) - I think it has become more about harnessing this collectivism for positivity rather than "growth".
"It was then I realised that societal breakdowns breed war bands with beliefs madder than a chilli-powdered ferret."
I worked on a development project in Mozambique. One of my work colleagues wanted me to go out into the wilderness to shoot 'game'. I declined and he replied "Common, we might get to shoot a Rhino" !!!!!
I replied "WTF, there might only be one left".
His retort; "Someone's got to get it".
Another way point in my journey of collapse and extinction, this anecdote from 3 decades ago!
Yeah I was more than a little stunned to read earlier that Paul Kingsnorth had found Gawd.
He really does movie in mysterious ways, that invisible white dude from the Middle East who has apparently relocated into the ether I mean
This is the best analysis of religion I know of ;-)
I agree that these are weird times and I often think of the Roman Empire falling into trivia, gluttony, and collective blindness - although I haven't actually researched the end of the Roman Empire, so I might be imagining a myth! Still it does so often seem as if many people are off point somehow. And, most annoying of all, I waste time and energy talking about how off point they are. Are there really only two big issues - planetary systems - i.e. the natural world, and massive material inequalities? We seem to have forgotten the material in so much of our talk - how we actually live, individually, collectively and comparatively. And what that is doing to the life systems on which we depend.
As a bar man i hear different conversations, where no one can pin the tail on the donkey.
Divisions and convictions are erected, defended and commonalities and similarities of position, place are overlooked or mistaken.
But all agree, something is not right.... (Admittedly sometimes headlines are parroted and cliches, urban myths expounded as truth.) And yes alcohol can distort differences.
And today fake news has filtered or trickled down so the common man, or in this case an ex- soldier with PTSD, who states Angela Merkel as a socialist, whilst holding his head intermittently as the horrors of the Falklands flash back. His government pension enough for self medication but not real care. Yet he still defends them in argument, the ever loyal soldier.
The wider narrative is unravelling, in the vacuum real terror may come.
In this country presently is another leadership contest and so paper thin are the lies, 'integrity' from a billionaire chancellor whose wife evaded her taxes... Are derisory and laughable ...
Yet the game is played interviews given and media backing and gravitas supplied to a parody of a tragedy. There is no real opposition be that in voting choice or on the streets...yet...
Individualism leaves us as tombstones in the graveyard.. with only epitaphs to cling too...
Agreed, to a certain extent. But I think you could also argue that you see more factitiousness, narcissism and self-serving in peoples' "worldviews" as a symptom of the internet and how easy it is to share ideas and information. These platforms often make the more extreme (world)views more regularly the loudest voices. But cutting through that, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about our collective action, even if it is currently not sufficient to address the crises we are faced with. Look at Gothenberg's socio-economic disparity alleviation scheme, backed by the banks at the demand of civil society; or even the climate marches here in Aotearoa... I don't think collective thinking has been abandoned outright (surely capitalism and our consumer culture is testament enough to this) - I think it has become more about harnessing this collectivism for positivity rather than "growth".
"It was then I realised that societal breakdowns breed war bands with beliefs madder than a chilli-powdered ferret."
I worked on a development project in Mozambique. One of my work colleagues wanted me to go out into the wilderness to shoot 'game'. I declined and he replied "Common, we might get to shoot a Rhino" !!!!!
I replied "WTF, there might only be one left".
His retort; "Someone's got to get it".
Another way point in my journey of collapse and extinction, this anecdote from 3 decades ago!
Yeah I was more than a little stunned to read earlier that Paul Kingsnorth had found Gawd.
He really does movie in mysterious ways, that invisible white dude from the Middle East who has apparently relocated into the ether I mean
This is the best analysis of religion I know of ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iouZYYzQEjU