What Ru(i)ns The World?

Naturally built around a sense of choice, or choice reduced....

If Only We Saw History As Tidal......

Much of the 'Atheism' that I accept,
because I accept the folk who profess it,
owes more than is admitted to people
trying to dump their pasts,
the stuff of their metaphorical back yards,
anywhere but home. Only to find said place
refills-with what they threw out, returned recycled
and in worse condition for being unrefreshed.

When folks try to present their lives as all-new
as if they have never been where they are now, 
we know that denial is close, just behind them.

Note To Self (1)

Because in the short term permanent looks the same as temporary...

Essay Ahoy; Review Of The Film 'Spotlight'

Every so often a subject absorbs me,
provoking me to write at length, great length.
Much longer than I would impose on the folks
who usually find me here. If you have the time
and the curiousity please find the latest essay here.  

Frozen Warnings

The Martin Niemoller quote

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
 
is rightly famous and often paraphrased in social media
to point towards who the latest dangerous demagogue is
for their presuming to speak for all through a biased media
which is distorts every message whilst drowning other voices.

But when Martin spoke his truth at the public meetings
he was invited to lead his warning came after WW2
and it was told to convict reticent Protestants of the silence
that had made them complicit whilst other groups perished.
It took him many years to appreciate the error in his ways.

The greater the cause, the later the warning is given.
Far too many a warnings are heard after the event. 

Two Philosophers In The Pub

Down at their local pub The Duck and Gun Dog,
linguist Roland Barthes and philosopher Slavoj Zizek
were sharing pints and misfortunes, hoping for flattery
from their being overheard by merely ordinary mortals.
Slavoj reached the peak of his discource with...
'Love feels like.. ..a great misfortune, a monstrous parasite,
a permanent state of emergency that ruins all small pleasures'.
After an aptly quiet reflection Roland took a long sip on his pint,
looked around their confused audience and replied to Slazoj
'Being in love is like being in Auschwitz'.
At the bar, in the background, more rounds were ordered.
An anonymous voice heavy with regret broke the tension
by shouting above the hubub 'Shall we all toast the dead?
They are all more alive than us lot! They are our future!'.
He suggestion was followed by a heavy silence,
broken by the ringing of the tocsin bell. Last orders.

An Alphabet Of The Effects Of World Illiteracy

A is for A.I.D.S which still spreads like wildfire.
B is for Bloodshed, where grief breeds desire.
C is for Child brides, how tradition removes choice.
D is for Drug Abuse, how life loses it's voice.
E is for Ebola, which destroys life and tradition.
F is for Female Genital Mutilation which pleases men.
G is for Gender Inequality which breeds the loss of respect.
H is for homelessness, which inspires neglect.
I is for Infant Mortality which makes parents want more.
J is for Jail, where the young get sent and they lock the door.
K is for Kalashnikov-a reliably apalling invention. Encore!
L is for Life Expectancy-their hopes are shorter than yours.
M is for Malnutrition-where hope empties out intention.
N is for No Childhood,where child labour crushes invention.
O is for Overdose, proof to others of self neglect.
P is for Poverty, the dirt poor living rich in regret.
Q is for Quitting, leaving school early to work in the factory.
R is for Radicalisation, teenage fears rendered a reality.
S is for S.T.Ds, something many men carry, pass on, and deny.
T is for Trillion, as in $ promises for which the poor have to apply.
U is for Undermined, which describes the value of the vote.
V is for Voiceless-where elections make leaders seem remote.
W is for World Hunger, always looking for someone to feed on.
X is for X-rated, where the innocent are sexualised by porn.
Y is for Young Offenders, who consumately wish they'd never been born.
Z is for Zero, the number of options that some 800,000,000 humans have left
when all the above have done their work, and yet many affected by these things
remain far more cheerful than we would if we had suffered similar.