Monthly Archives: January 2025

The Age of Turmoil

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            ‘Did you see Musk’s imperial Roman salute, later adopted by Hitler? Do you think it was on purpose, to send a signal to the world that he wants to be in charge?’ I asked Camp after we toasted out health at our usual watering hole.

            Camp shrugged his shoulders. ‘It doesn’t really matter since its evident that Musk is a genius with the personality of an adolescent, probably somewhere on the spectrum. Not that this excuses his outrageous behaviour towards people less rich than himself.’

‘What about 1500 rioters, including the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, that Trump set free. Both those organisations have sworn revenge whoever that includes.’

‘Well, my friend, I hate to repeat myself but as we both know, the stage is set for an America that resembles a dictatorship more than any other democracy on the planet. Welcome to Trump Land and good luck to you through the next four years if you’re a migrant, a transgender person or even a liberal democrat. Hate is on the program as are detentions and incarcerations. Families will be torn apart and criminals and people smugglers will thrive since the price for drugs and illegal migrants has just increased.’

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 The Donkey, the Tiger and the Lion

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Mike sent me this perfect little allegory for these times we’re living in. Maybe it will help to get us through the next few days, weeks or even years. With the coronation, sorry inauguration, just a couple of days away we need every bit of sanity to keep on going.

The donkey told the tiger, “The grass is blue.” 

The tiger replied, “No, the grass is green.”

The discussion became heated, and the two decided to submit the issue to arbitration, so they approached the lion. 

As they approached the lion on his throne, the donkey started screaming: ′′Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?” 

The lion replied: “If you believe it is true, the grass is blue.” 

The donkey rushed forward and continued: ′′The tiger disagrees with me, contradicts me and annoys me. Please punish him.”

The king then declared: ′′The tiger will be punished with 3 days of silence.” 

The donkey jumped with joy and went on his way, content and repeating ′′The grass is blue, the grass is blue…” 

The tiger asked the lion, “Your Majesty, why have you punished me, after all, the grass is green?” 

The lion replied, ′′You’ve known and seen the grass is green.”

The tiger asked, ′′So why do you punish me?” 

The lion replied, “That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green. The punishment is because it is degrading for a brave, intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with an ass, and on top of that, you came and bothered me with that question just to validate something you already knew was true!”

The biggest waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who doesn’t care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions. Never waste time on discussions that make no sense. There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand. Others who are blinded by ego, hatred and resentment, and the only thing that they want is to be right even if they aren’t. 

When IGNORANCE SCREAMS, intelligence moves on.

Carriacou (six months) after Beryl

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From the ferry approaching Tyrell Bay the island looked much the same as I remembered it. Colorful houses and roofs spread across the green hillside and plenty of sail boats anchored in the harbour. On closer inspections there seemed to be quite a few blue roofs which turned out to be tarps and sailboats without masts. It was to be expected after the devastating impact Hurricane Beryl had on the small island.

The Chinese built ferry terminal building had no roof anymore and was closed. We all disembarked and walked through an opening in the fence across the large parking lot toward the road. Driving along towards Hillsborough the true extent of the carnage Beryl left behind in July was evident everywhere and made us stare in silence and shock. ‘It’s much better than it used to be,’ our driver said, displaying the sunny optimism of many of the locals despite hardship and heartbreak. ‘There is much progress.’ It was hard for us to see. So many destroyed homes and missing buildings with only the tiled floors left behind as silent witnesses. Sometimes with a cubicle like a telephone booth left standing; remnants of a former bathroom. 

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Lords of Chaos

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The new year is starting to evolve in a political direction none of us thought possible just a few years ago. I’m referring to the ongoing slide towards the extreme right, not just in Venezuela and Nicaragua or Russia but in stalwart democracies like Austria, Germany, France, Italy and in the USA. Canada is also being blown off course by stiff and cold winds coming from the right and the south.

I met Camp at our usual watering hole by the harbour and voiced some of my concerns once again about the dire outlook for democracy and inclusiveness, virtues we have come to accept as unassailable principles in modern, western societies.

‘Well, my friend, we are in a different world now, a world where memories fade into history and atrocities and events that we accepted as facts are being revised, reworded and even denied. Like the holocaust or the Tiananmen massacre, the Landing on the Moon or the January 6th Insurrection attempt. And the lie will become the truth as Orwell predicted.’

‘Not exactly an uplifting and inspiring assessment Camp but I’m afraid you’re probably right.’

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