George Monbiot Sounds the Alarm
And thank goodness he still can! We must not falter, my dear fellow citizens of Earth.
I’ve both admired George Monbiot, and disagreed with him, for years now. He, like all of us, has a brain that works! And, in so operating said brain, he passionately - and sometimes angrily - treads upon complicated and hotly contested terrain. That we part ways from time to time, is natural. I think differently from him, as I am not him.
I am me, and my thoughts should differ from every other complicated brain on this planet. This innate, inescapable and glorious state of uniqueness is what makes life worthwhile, because it means we are truly ourselves. Not an automaton merely mouthing words programmed into us. Right?
George Monbiot’s article, This is the Moment, came out mid-December, and I’ll be honest. I haven’t researched the hows and whys and whatfors regarding Britain’s apparent decision to step back from mandates. Good news tends to get a relieved sigh from me (given how super busy I am), but there’s always a bit of concern.
We are not any different today than we were during the Italian Renaissance, when the Medici family ruled with fierce commitment to success. In an effort to curry favor (and forgiveness) with the Medici family, Niccoló Machiavelli wrote his treatise on political power in 1513. The Prince was largely influenced by the real world power grabs and political machinations of Cesare Borgia; played by François Arnaud, of Montreal, Quebec on Showtime’s The Borgias.
Have we evolved, as a species, over a mere 509 years? No. Daily atrocities committed on Planet Earth are undeniable evidence that we are as we were, and we are NOT entitled to a peaceful, truthful, accountable, transparent and trustworthy government.
We must work, struggle, strive and fight for our lives…whether against a bear, or a street thug or a well-groomed and perfectly placed member of a global elite that sees us, the common people, as “less than and disposable.”
The wealthy countries of the world are huge chicken coops being guarded by mink, raccoons and foxes. The resulting carnage and power overreach is only to be expected. We made a tragic error by turning away from the grotesque circus that our political systems have become. Our disgust was legitimate and earned, but the response required was to pay more attention, not less. Trudeau and Trump and Hillary Clinton and Biden have all received votes from barely 20% of the population.
With 60% of society unengaged, of course our lands, resources, taxes - and now - our basic citizen liberties and inalienable Human Rights are being stripped from us! If we don’t maintain the garden, the weeds take over.
I applaud George’s rallying cry two months ago, and I pray that the good people of the world are preparing to re-cast themselves in the mold of fiercely engaged & active citizens of their myriad Democracies, Republics and Territories.
Thank you, George and I’d love an update! ❤️
We were born spontaneous, unpretentious, authentic, and mostly joyful. Then our parents told us to be less so, to do as you are told. This becomes more so when you go to school, to learn to get the right answer, keep quiet, raise your hand to speak. You are not ever asked your opinion or whether you want to do it. It is expected!
Then you get a job, now someone has the power to take away your livelihood if you dont comply.
Maybe you get married. Now someone has to be in charge. Power struggle over every aspect. Maybe you have kids, and raise them just as you have been raised.
This is what it means to be civilized. We are domesticated animals raised by domesticated animals, and so on, each generation less connected to innate authenticity, spontaneity, and joy, numb to our own bodies, the world around us, and the wonder of Life all around us. It's a deep hole we have to climb out of. Are we up for the task? Pain causes awareness so how much pain will it take? Time will tell.