Life…globalisation, economies, survival

During the past two weeks, leaders of Nations met in America to air some of the big problems that are allegedly facing us as a species on Planet Earth. The view from my perch indicates a large degree of chatter took place in an atmosphere of posturing, power control and jockeying to be seen out front in the line up on the world stage.

Its main thrust was to keep the general public [Everyman] teetering on the edge. Already stressed to the max with continual promises of additional taxes bandied in front of us at the home levels, the Heads of Nations gathered to exchange and establish and agree on plans that will halt the encroachment of decimation taking place in nature.

I have never been able to align the behaviour of our leaders with the reality. The main items on the agenda were:  [1] The economy. primarily about filling their coffers with public monies, which inevitably disappears into supporting grand schemes, i.e. wherein large numbers of people carry out investigations and produce endless reports that are a long way from the reality of what life is about. Secondly [2] the outcome from number one, usually further penalties levied upon public masses, i.e. additional taxes, plus rules and regulations that curtail necessities, such as restrictions on water, how to segregate and sort our rubbish, etc.

All of which ensure that we keep scuttling about, adhering to the mundane – the rules and  regulations that amass to improve our quality of life. Meanwhile, the perpetrators with the greatest input to ‘global warming’, industry, continues to create mayhem because of specific ‘let-outs’ that allow them to continue as is.

…it is really this bad?

Pondering the so-called problems of decimation of our natural habitat causes me to reflect on my life’s experiences, and am reminded of the view from my first home. Located in a British township, situated in a wide valley, overlooking a vast area of flat land. A large area of the valley floor was occupied by steel mills, foundries and chemical industries.

As I approached my twenties, change entered our lives. The industry changed and gradually in a short space of time all the works closed down in that valley. All signs of the past was removed to expose a huge expanse of wasteland that could easily have been the source of T.S. Elliot’s poem ‘the wasteland’.

Then something wonderful began to appear. Trees and shrubs began to grow, filling the area with natural life and exuberance in balance. AND…it was nature responding, not man. Man only became involved in plantings when prompted by the view appearing before our eyes.

I have returned to that place down the years and in the beginning there was a lightness, a naturalness in the regrowth. Man intervention was to continue planting prolifically until the whole area became dense dark, dank and impenetrable. I wondered if it would have been more prudent to have waited awhile, to allow nature its head. Man’s excessive replanting programme, done without finesse or forethought, its only purpose to fill space.

I wondered why man thought  that ‘filling the space’ was necessary. Nature was doing it for him. I  frequently witness nature’s natural ability to create sublime beauty and perfect harmony in restoration, while man’s intervention fails abysmally, as in this case.

Perhaps we should learn to stand back, learn to observe and allow nature to display its methods and means of restoration following rape and pillage.

A title humanity often mentions when discussing our role on Earth, is one of “stewardship”. A role/word that translates into ‘attending to the needs of’ the land, see that it has nourishment. It doesn’t mean that we own it, or allowed to take over and inflict upon it what we would have it do. To successfully ‘steward’ means that we observe and understand its requirements and respect it.

We need to understand and acknowledge that no matter how much we might pay for it, we are not the owners of this planet. Within our systems, applicable to our species – humanity, we can have an understanding of ownership between us as a legal process…BUT, the reality is we are all ‘stewards’.

Learn the true meaning, take time to observe its process and see that evolution is one of the natural phenomena that is in constant movement, as are we – a constant – when viewing life and our place in the larger scheme of things.

Both these reflections came together when jolted into comparison whilst reading a travel article by Rosie Boycott in the August, 2008 copy of ‘The OLDIE’. It was entitled “Skeleton Coast” and is the name of a remote 1,000 mile stretch of desert on the western coast of Southern Africa,  between Angola and South Africa.

Boycott talks about the natural beauty, the wildlife, the isolation, man’s inability to survive there alone and, the most important observation…nature’s acceptance and adjustment within the flow of life’s changing weather patterns.

Almost 50 years have past since having that first experience of natures wonderful ability to restore itself when left to its own devices. During that time, I have been privileged to reside for extended periods of time on other continents and observed examples of natures unique ability to survive and evolve effortlessly.

…what about humanity?

Do we take to change effortlessly…I think not. We seek to change things to our way, we fight, bicker, continually alter ideas, outcomes, or the land without real forethought. The one attribute we all fail abysmally in is to…PAUSE, TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY OBSERVE THE PICTURE EMERGING.

One word that constantly comes to mind when I review government bodies within nations, international global conferencing between nations, corporations, the media and everyman is  ‘choreographing’.

Its all about structuring nature and humanity, i.e. for the self-aggrandisement,  betterment of and control by the few. It’s as though ‘9-11’, to quote the euphemism, has developed into a monstrous farce allowing for control of the masses and, even more concerning, wild attempts at bastardising nature into submission. If we pause and look at the results it could be viewed as terrifying.

Added to the above, humanity has become numbed as a result of the medias’ 24 hour style of inducing constant fear into news reporting,. The former, aided by governments introduction of daily, weekly new/amended rules designed to restrict and affect public freedoms.

Is that really a true picture? Pull away from the bombardment of current communication/media tactics. Look at the present situation, we constantly get fed language to demoralise, destroy hope, repeatedly reminded we are ‘meltdown’,  another euphemism!  However the real problem was the ‘meltdown’ of the money markets. Banks collapsed, but a sharp injection of public monies by governments and they are back on their feet, making offensively high profits.

It is a magnificent example of a ‘choreographed’ RECESSION…and all over in the blink of an eye, so we were advised! What recession…Politicians are still awarding themselves constant rises in salaries, but the public are denied such rewards. Tens of thousands of job losses in lower income brackets – no sign of recovery there. Increasing numbers of homeless – nothing being done there.

Major problems are escalating within the public sector but are not discussed, OR get aired in detail in the media.

Humanity is still into the same old, same old…particularly those in power  who are intent in continuing to play at the pretend game…monopoly with public monies and maintaining their lifestyles. CEO’s are still leaving their contracts, having done little or nothing during their short reigns, with millions in ‘hand-shakes’. All this when public investors have lost entire savings with no signs of recovery ever happening.

Unlike nature, which when faced with a wasteland, it quietly acknowledges the process of evolution, responding to the challenge of returning its lands to stasis, Everyman is numbed, silent, crushed, apparently weighed down in apathy.

SIT UP & TAKE NOTE…

We are all involved in that same process of ‘evolution’. Right now those who occupy the ‘ruling positions’ are proving themselves to be incapable of committing to the slow process of applying themselves to the needs of their individual nations.

All of you, forget the posturing, the idea of global power…GO HOME.

Acknowledge the need for real change, the need to plan and implement sound structural foundations, changes that meet the needs of its people. Acknowledge that the era of ‘choreographing’ instant chants is just that…a fantasy.

Take a look at the real world…problems of needless homelessness in all nations. Masses from third world nations running amok looking for the better life, disregard for our young people…to name but a few of the endemic problems within our species, as inhabitants on planet Earth.

Our problems’ are not planetary. Speculating 50, 500 or 1000 years hence are  phony diversions. LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN IMPROVE.

TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU…it is within our means to create significant change for the better.

HUMANITY IS IN A CRITICAL STATE OF UNREST…We can restore hope, pride in humanity if we first attend to what needs to be done at home. Return our countries to stasis, acknowledge where you are in time. We are not owners of the planet Earth, BUT WE ARE HERE…

Its not a question of going back, pushing the replay button. LIFE is about going forward, being observant, acknowledging where you/we are, putting our home in order.

Instead of imposing our will upon nature it’s time to pause and observe its ability to operate in a perfect state of renewal within the process of evolution.

Learn from it…and do likewise.