The Hourglass

Displaced innocent people. State sanctioned murders. Atrocities beyond belief. All committed in the name of my cause is more right than your cause.

Hatred between whole races and whole religions all based on superficial or even just fictional differences, all blown up in the name of power and dominance of one tribe over another.

None of of this has achieved anything positive in the long run. But instead, it has turned our world into a cesspool of hatred. With feuds that have run through so many generations that people can barely remember what it was all about in the first place.

This is the ridiculousness of the world we live in. And the world that many of us keep in this state through our petty prejudices, our pathetic narrowmindedness and our inability to see both sides of any given issue.

I would like to say that there was a time when this was not the case but that would not be true. Our history as a species has always been one of conflict and prejudice and bigotry and arrogance.

I know that this is not everyone. It may even be far from everyone. But this aspect of human nature is quite pervasive. Those who recoil from all this ridiculousness and put all their efforts into simply making themselves small and staying out of the way, only allow the insanity to take centre stage and suck in converts on a constant basis.

Right now there are more autocrats in power than probably at any time in modern history. They are not just fueled by their supporters but also by those who say nothing or do nothing to voice their disapproval.

And so the world, despite all the amazing innovation that is going on, that could reduce the negative effects of all the crap these autocrats are creating in their mindless quest for power, continues on a not so slow and steady downhill slide.

Unless these innovations are allowed to become major tools in the fight against outmoded thinking, I do believe that when my time comes to check out, I will be checking out of a world that is well into a complete state of chaos that none of these narrow minded autocrats could have imagined, simply because they if they had any imagination at all, they would see that the future does not lie in keeping the past alive to satisfy their greed.

Just look around. Feel the conflict. See the ignorance and arrogance of many of the so called leaders of the world. Just look and you will see that the need for change is far beyond urgent. It’s at desperate.

And all the while they keep lying to you. They have lied so much that you no longer have any idea what to believe. And this is exactly how they manage to carry on. They spew ignorance and bigotry until the critical mass of it reaches the point where it’s considered normal.

But it’s not normal. The basic concepts of right and wrong have not changed. The basic ideas of love and hate have not changed. All that’s changed is our resistance to these lies and bigotry, which has declined.

I don’t have any real answers or magic pill that will resolve any of this. Not yet. But the first step in solving problems lies in the ability to admit that the problems exist.

After that, there are only two things than can happen. The problems get solved or the problems destroy us.

I know there are many people working on solutions. What we all need to do is find them and support them to the best of our ability.

Otherwise, you might as will put on a little lip balm and kiss this crazy world goodbye.

Because the sand in the hourglass is quickly running out.