Thursday, December 1, 2016

Edge of the World

 Yesterday I read a blog, about living on the 'Edge of the World' what she was talking about of course was retiring to a quiet part of Ireland, buying three acres with a rundown bungalow, and then making it into a marvellous self sufficient place surrounded by the trees she had planted, the vegetables and flowers and the homemade crafts in the house.  Of course that is retreat from our world, a world that is not only turbulent but fast going into destructive mode.  In a way that is what we all do retreat from the chaos, we made the decision to live in a quiet Yorkshire village, far removed from the skirmishes of the South savouring a slow quiet life but maybe my judgement is all up the creek,  How do we banish news from our lives and do we have a right too?



Trivia news - tallow in five pound notes,  To those who complain just give up money!
                       Trump and family and the fantasy they live in!

News we should really be worried about; And above all caring.  Of course the list would get too long.

Aleppo and the whole of Syria, being beaten to death by opposing factions. I wept for that young teenager sobbing his heart out because his mother had just been killed by a bomb as they made their way out of the city on the 'exodus road', on the news last night. The bodies of other victims lie scattered around the road, what is the answer the UN man did not know he seemed in despair at the enormity of the tragedy that has displaced so many people into refugee camps.                  
                       
So many places in Africa, where starvation and sickness are the normal 'round' of the                           day, girls that are seized by rebel groups and taken into captivity/

The slow extinction of flora and fauna, whilst the world gobbles up all mineral resources.  The daily rape of jungles to destroy them and the wild life associated with them for the growing of palm trees for palm oil.   We should really put every biscuit package down with the word palm oil listed in its ingredients and just maybe fight at the tills for the creatures that are slaughtered in our names, the tuna fish and salmon. Just off a coast in America the orcas, or killer whales are starving to death because of lack of salmon.                                 

So once more the dreaded news  hits home, and I realise hating all the cruelty in the world will not stop it we are indeed helpless, less babies being born might help, the daily drudge of calling people to account for their deeds  also helps, but the images we see on our screens, the military  bullying of the indigenous people of Standing Rock so that an oil pipeline might be driven through their ancestral land, will also be found in places such as South America, as mines use slave labour to gain the materials for your computer or mobile phone.

Standing Rock, the barbarians at the gate?
Bill McKibben - Standing Rock is the Civil Rights issue of Our Time;

If you think protest is good, look at the military facing up to The Standing Rock Sioux Indians and fear for democracy, now more people are joining the protest, including war veterans.  To use the military and private security firms to force through the Dakota oil pipeline against the wishes of the indigenous people, brute force is being used.  But never forget that the piper calling the tune is those great oil companies that have an uncanny grip on world politics.
This is a battle not just between military and ordinary people, it is the need to for everyone to take control of the greed of a few and wrest our world back to a gentler backwater. 

9 comments:

  1. And the more that join the struggle the easier it will become Thelma.

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    1. I think the problem is there is too much media coverage of everything, people hurt when they see cruelty either to humans or animals, but turning away is not the answer.

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  2. We have to stand together, we have to be strong, and we have to not look away.

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    1. Very true Tabor, every day I sign some petition or other, I suppose it is daily attrition of the evil in society that wins the day.

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  3. During the mid-sixties my flat mate and I decided not to watch TV or read newspapers or listen to the radio for three weeks. When we eventually returned to the media we both became very depressed and morbid - our cure was to drown our sorrows in the local pub. On reflection today, I am not sure that either of our activities were the wisest of things to do perhaps we should have entered a Krishna Monastery instead.

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    1. ;) neither would have worked, but sadly nothing is working. Think LS would have gone for the beer option, a year as a monk in the 60s led to him being starved!

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    2. New to this blogging lark, apologies. I've read your blogs for some time now Moss. I look forward to your gentle, lovely descriptions of your observations on the day; your links & interests.
      This post affected me quite profoundly. It has long been obvious to me that acquisativeness governs this world, helped along by some of our supposed representatives. I used to be so active in my opinions; lately I feel defeated. I retreat into nature & our history realising that for me this soothes my soul; but lately I feel a niggling uncertainty that I'm not doing enough. Thankyou for your eloquence dear.

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    3. Hi Carol and welcome. Blogging is at times difficult I find, there is the history where we can bury ourselves in and then there is the current problems of the real world we are witnessing - almost overwhelming. Many bloggers do not touch the news, perhaps wisely.
      As a TMAer you bring a lot of light to the forums, which can occasionally end up in lots of snappy dogs;). Try your hand at blogging it is very soothing! Moss X

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