“The times they are Achanging” Bob Dillon.
Since last May I have been writing about combating climate disaster, suggesting how we the people can take action together. A disaster that we humans have created together, a mix of Corporate greed and our complacency.
“Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen” B.D.
My own, as yet, small readership, cannot solve the issues, our own. Critics abound, and are doing a great job of expanding our awareness, acceptance is clearly on the rise. Yet we urgently need a MASS co-ordination of writers and good hearted promoters Pushing Intelligent Workable Solutions, for moaning ain’t enough. Neither is blind trust in those Governments who repress rather than consult their people. To the Nay Sayers the only response is “Admit that the waters around you have grown, Please get of the new road if y’ cain’t lend a hand !”, yes Dillon again.
A month ago I found Suzanne Taylor’s ideas for bringing writers together, I responded by calling her the potential catalyst for such a gathering. I mention her daily to new audiences, The responses to us both are numerous, more importantly talented writers are joining her project daily. There is the deadline of Valentine’s Day to partake in the first stage. See https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/an-essay-contest-its-january-1-2050 Updates will follow soon.
“The battle outside is raging” B.D. (who inspired the youth of his day with lyrics even more valid for all generations now).
The thrust then, must be to encourage a global desire for honest discussion to “Heal Our World”. Complacency is Complicity with Criminal Conservatism, It is we the people who must take responsibility. N’est ce pas ?
This modern society WILL succeed in destroying Our World, just as it has almost succeeded in destroying our consciousness of community spirit - AKA - Our ability to Group Think with Clarity. What do you think ? Can we do it ? Will you do it ?
“The order is rapidly Fading,.. fading”, Thanks Bob, ‘Nuff Said.
Thank You All for being here. Peace Maurice, Take care…
Some feel overwhelmed when thinking about the scale of issues, and might need encouragement to "do what you can, not what you can't" in their everyday. Drive less, consume less, roll down your windows, turn off the AC, take public transportation when possible, and so on. Everything matters. Not throwing stones here, just encouraging anyone who reads this that they can makes changes, and change begets change in others. It really does.
You said, This modern society WILL succeed in destroying Our World, just as it has almost succeeded in destroying our consciousness of community spirit - AKA - Our ability to Group Think with Clarity. What do you think ? Can we do it ? Will you do it ?
Yes, you are right, we do need to come together and do something to save the world, but your sentence there also got it right: we (almost) lost our ability to group think, the community spirit. But I will talk about myself because I feel so isolated from any kind of community that if everyone feels as alienated as I feel, we're fucked. I write critical posts, The Nasty Woman Rages Against The Machine, so, you can imagine, but when it comes to solutions the only thing I can propose is two words: solidarity and cooperation. And I know that those are concepts of which I should learn more but also, they should become actions, concrete things, and I have no idea how to go about that. I feel alone. My friends are moms and teachers, and artists who also have zero activism interests or experience. I never been in a political party. I don't know where to start. I join groups in the internet but it just stays there, nothing happens. So the only thing I can do is this, write, point to the problems because solutions I don't have.
Also I need to point to the fact that I lost faith in humanity. I used to be very positive, very nice, very catholic, I even wanted to be a nun at some point! And look at me now, I am The Nasty woman full of rage! The final transformation happened during the covid quarantines. My neighbors got pleasure torturing me, and I felt like the whole world did. It was then that I learned that some people are evil, malignant. And not just my neighbors. I also saw evil in myself and that scared me.
I don't believe that technology will save us. To the contrary. Technology is programmed by people and people, as I said, can be very flawed. I don't believe in a green revolution and the world sustainability makes me vomit. It's just another economic model. The extraction of rare metals to make batteries will not make the world better.
My vision of the future is this: we will have to go through the dark night of the soul as especies before we can get to any better place, if we survive it. I don't see paradise before passing through purgatory (the present) and hell (the near future).
But, my gleam of hope comes from the thought that, if we can organize ourselves now and think and plan what kind of world we want, what kind of good vision for all, if we are prepared when everything falls, maybe we can find hope for the future. But how?
I'm on the other side of the world now, in my Buenos Aires querido, I just arrived a few hours ago from The Netherlands, that's why I haven't had the time to write and I am not sure I will be able to write something for the contest. I would like to, but let's see.. Thanks Maurice for speaking out.