As we observe a moments silence for the end of the first world war (28 July 1914 - 11 November 1918), one looks on with mixed emotions at the progress our world has made. Thanks for cancer research, advancement in medicine and care for infants and the elderly, human rights protection, travels to the moon and space, the internet, Amazon, Google, technology to improve farming and safeguard produce, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, You Tube, Twitter and the intrepid reporters access to a world audience plus the quality and quantity of educators and entertainers. In the meantime, in my neck of the woods, there is productivity-sapping traffic on Londons M25, and for those who elect to commute to avoid the snail pace and carbon monoxide-inhaling race, London Transport has put out an official statement asking travelers to walk or ride their push-bikes if they have one to help reduce congestion and strain on services. There are too few jobs for too many young graduates, too many homeless and too few new houses. And if you are lucky enough to have shelter and work within central London you are saddled with a daily congestion charge of £10 for driving into the city whilst a little bite on the lunch break costs 20% more. To top the tariff increases in electricity, gas and water, 500 workers in the private sector are just being laid off whilst FlyBe pilots have just agreed to a 5% pay cut to keep their jobs, and the private airline afloat. Pay the TV license or face jail time, pay your bills on time or pay more later. To be broke is not an option. It is akin to crime awaiting excessive punishment by way of fines, bailiffs and time spent with felons. Some Parliamentarians have been cautioned, fined or imprisoned for lying about their expenses and more youngsters see no difference between the political parties and their leadership. More citizens are more suspicious of the Police as complaints are made about their opaqueness, planting of evidence to ensure convictions for youths from the poorer neighbourhoods, even lying about what a Government official said to ensure his swift departure from public office. Government spies on its allies and citizens like a peeping Tom seeking some pervert pleasure. Colleagues record colleagues as they work or banter in the hope of trading them in someday for a reward sufficient to purchase a retirement home, motorcar or some long summer holiday. All these from one of the worlds leading democracies West Africas western-educated, of which I am one, eagerly strives to emulate, and for which more native spokespersons and followers clamour for divisions, hatred and war with their divisive political invective. 95 years after the end of WW1, our suspicions have extended from our enemies to our allies, our compatriots, even our own brothers and sisters. The struggle is, however, not between political parties: our modern struggle is with the human condition. The choice between a willigness to serve and a desire to be served. It is between wisdom and folly, existent in all parties, honesty and deception, existent in all parties, intelligence and ignorance, evident in all societies, willingness to safeguard the communitys wealth and collusion to steal from it, existent in all walks of life, competence and ineptitude, existent in all groups, selfnessness and selfishness, existent in all humans.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:33:23 +0000
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