Reality or Surreality...The World Today

I don't know if it happens to you, but there are times when I get a feeling in my stomach that all is not well - but I don't know why! I cannot quite put my finger on the cause, and that in itself is a worry. I have been experiencing it rather a lot at present.

For example, you know what is happening in Thailand - but do you really know why? Do the Red Shirts have some genuine grievances that have driven them to attack the Government so violently and if so, do you know what those grievances are, or does it all have something to do with the fact that they are being paid daily to stay where they are? Is this a genie that Mr. Thaksin has inadvertently let out of a bottle that will be difficult to put back?

In Hong Kong over the weekend there were 5 by-elections, created (at some cost to the taxpayer I must add) by political activists to demonstrate that the people of Hong Kong were crying out for political change and in particular to push hard for a true democracy. The pro-democracy candidates were all elected by large majorities in their constituencies - but the voter turn out was under 18%. Hardly a ringing endorsement by the "deprived of democracy" Hong Kong public. And isn't it anyway rather ironic that under British rule in Hong Kong, democracy was only really introduced as a topic in the last few years of that rule?

I don't think that China has yet expressly said that Hong Kong will never ever have full democracy, but I believe I am paraphrasing Deng Xiao Ping who said that if you are crossing an uncharted river, you need to know where the stones are as you cross.

A letter in the Hong Kong press last week which became a little too close to comfort for me personally, took to task those selfish people who didn't want to retire at 60, thereby depriving younger people of the opportunity to earn a living. The author had obviously not yet realised that people are living longer (even in polluted Hong Kong - so far!), and that many want to carry on working. Indeed many countries are tackling this as a serious problem - Singapore being one of them.

And of course I cannot miss an opportunity to have yet another go at our Hong Kong Civil Service  Government, on the subject of pollution. I was in Sydney last week. The air was brilliant. I have also been in Taiwan and Korea recently, countries where the capitals both had previously chronic pollution problems that today, if not entirely solved, are much better than they were. I'm sorry, I don't want to leave Hong Kong but there is a limit ... 

The economic fallout continues to cause problems, and this is one that will run and run I'm sorry to say. At present the USA can sit back and watch Southern Europe in particular struggling financially for a change, their minds having been taken  off foreclosures, bank failures and regulatory changes by BPs oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But only temporarily I suspect. And environmentally the problems continue with that volcano still keeping parts of Europe pinned down, floods in China, and much else.

And of course it doesn't end there does it? We seem to have been hearing a little less about Afghanistan these days, and Dafur. Little news about despotic regimes - but these things are also all still there...... and I wonder why I am nervous? Maybe not!

People of my age and good fortune have much to be thankful for - which we must never forget. After the second world war ended there has been no major global conflict since that time, although there have been some pretty horrible extended battles, causing much loss of life, hardship and grief. There have been parts of the world that have done better than others, been able to steer away from corrupt leaders, had better luck with vagaries of the climate - no droughts, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis. But I am not convinced we are reaching upwards and forwards, and perhaps it is this that makes me nervous.

I didn't start off the Blog with this sort of conclusion in mind. I was intending to lead in to what happens when families quarrel - and how insignificant it all becomes within the big picture. I might still do so later, because there are lessons for all of us in how families get on with their problems and how they can prepare for them. But much of what happens in our world today is shaped by our social environment. By the families, and maybe if we made a start there, we might see some improvement in our world. 

That was where I was going, and it ended up in a bit of a rant - sorry - but then it is what blogs are for!!

At least I am not feeling as "unsettled" as I was when I started, and I must just share with you, in my own words, what that very talented American show host Jon Stewart said the other day on his Daily News programme in relation to Britain's new leadership. As a caption to the picture below, he said

...is it just me, or is this an advertisement for a "before" and "after" weight loss programme?? 

Comments

[Henry]

No - I think you might be right about the cave

[Msimon]

the by elections of may will turn out to be far worse for government than any of he nit picking over cost and turnout. The one democratic group that the mainland was trying to co-opt is done, The Democrats. And there is a more radical youth now coming up.
--
The Donald-Audrey debate is what the Chinese hope the Ma-DPP debate in Taiwan turned out. Problem there is DPP is insane and Audrey is not....
--
by election shook things up far more than most now understand -- mark simon, Next Media

[David Eldon]

Henry, good point and I agree with you ... but if we hadn't looked for the stepping stones to help us cross, we would have drowned - as has happened to some.
And there again, looking at the way the human race seems to treat each other maybe the cave wasn't such a bad place after all! (Alright, so I don't really believe that - or do I?)

[Henry]

Hmm... if we hadn't crossed uncharted rivers we'd still be living in cave.

[hans]

if everyone would spend maybe 6 months of his life working for a NGO in Africa, Asia or where ever and help the poorest of the poorest ...maybe the world would become better place..