The irony, the irony. The thieves and pillagers who ‘run’ our world are running out of ideas of where to store their loot, so they bid up artworks at auctions. Right up to the vertiginous heights of $119.9 million for Edvard Munch's The Scream (kid’s crayon version). Just think for a moment about the small change you get from $120m. One hundred thousand dollars buys a lot of Big Fat Macs for the drones. Even art is now bought like fast food by ignoramuses awash with plunder. Can’t they even see that the man on the bridge isn't the one screaming? He is dumb-struck by other people’s screams and is trying to block out the cacophony. The shrieks and moans are coming from the hearts of countless poorly treated impoverished humans scrabbling across the surface of this woebegone planet like beheaded chickens.
Who cares?
Giving at the office
There used to be a handy little expression to sum up life on this piece of coagulated spare dust. Going to hell in a handcart. The sentiment is still accurate but the vehicle has changed. It’s now a Lamborghini or an executive jet, sales of which are booming regardless of the growing poverty of most of the populace. You can see these limp dick toys in the City of London, on the streets or in the air. Sometimes both, when Johnny Wideboy has had one coke snort too many in the john at the office. Pity the cleaners on minimum wage (if they’re lucky) who have to clean up after these addled numpties with insatiable appetites for brainless excess.
Who cares?
The human species crawled out of the swamp, stood up, learned how to use tools, harnessed fire, the spear and the wheel to outsmart biological rivals, started to farm the land, built a trading economy with the surplus production and then organised into groups engaging in permanent war over resources. Give or take a few short bursts of ingenuity and creativity, everything changes but everything stays the same. Rule by brute force continues by proxy, the majority are subdued by the minority’s paid-up bully boys in uniforms. Scientific mumbo-jumbo and religious hogwash are both deployed to mask the greedy intent of vested interests.
Who cares?
Weren't they clever
People are programmed to chat about the catatonically boring problems of fictitious stupidos on TV ‘reality’ shows, rather than question the equally lame-brained elitist politicians who are eagerly conspiring with ‘free market’ asset strippers to slash the already meagre quality of life of the general public. The same kind of docile robots pay to see musicians demonstrate their artistry and then jabber to each other all the way through the performance about multimillionaire zombies kicking an inflated blob around a sports field. Talking of music, the talentless feted by the cultureless grab all the receipts, while those of the genius of the incomparable Ozric Tentacles and Limited Edition play for crumbs. And we wonder why there’s been no contact from extraterrestrials seeking out intelligent life.
Who cares?
Violence and abuse are fine and dandy but caring is the dirty word. Health service staff care and are treated with blunt disdain by their paymasters when it comes to valuing their work. Firemen care and continue to care even when they are periodically treated as superfluous by successive governments. A handful of teachers care, and are drummed into obscurity unless they sell out and apply empty-headed (non) educational policy that maintains illiteracy and docility. The police used to care before they were instructed from on high to falsify crime numbers and put their own ‘health and safety’ before public safety. The other side of the coin: those who care not a jot about anyone else are the self-appointed kings of the castle. The spoils go to the care-less and couldn’t-care-less.
No point in going on. With brainpower spread so thinly, there’s only one direction the world will go. Down the smelly pan with the rest of the unwanted by-products of Nature’s consumption.
Calling all cosmic explorers: Planet Earth. You’re welcome to it.
Bring plenty, Zog
This is the good one.
Good job Oliver!
Maybe some of the sleeping can be awaken by your words. On the other hand if they get to your writing then they aere not so sleepy by definition.
Either case it is good you write this. If it only helps you it is worthwhile.
I always say that each of us should first try to make themselves happy.
And that seems to be happening. Only we all have different ideas of "happy".
And from Nature's perspective all those ways of making oneself happy are equally pointless.
Whether we happy or not does not matter and if some are happy by pigging out and some by inflating their egos and some by quietly acquiring knowledge without sharing it with anyone in the end it is all boils down to replicating DNA - for as long as the nuclear fusion reaction is going on inside the star by the name "SUN"
Great post and keep up writing.
Posted by: Aboc Zed | 15 May 2012 at 15:32
Thank you AZ. You are very kind to say this.
It is a very interesting paradox about trying to be happy. In my experience, one person's happiness often seems to cause another person's unhappiness. And someone who puts another person's happiness above their own, such as in a personal relationship, can end up feeling quite unhappy. (I am familiar with this situation.)
Anyway, as you say, Nature is oblivious to all this angst. Wouldn't it be nice to be a tree? To be a tree and just "be"!
Best wishes, Oliver
Posted by: Anywhere But Here Is Better | 15 May 2012 at 16:22
In the days befor I finally did my "homework" I used to go from one deprecion to another always looking for "solution" to my "problem of unhappiness". All until my first marriage collapsed some 10 years ago. The soul searching that ensued helped me to realize that it is not possible to make someone happy if they do not want to be happy. I also figured out that having expectations is the sure path to disappointment. Finally my views of what it means to give and receive love have changed. I managed to see that most of the beliefs I had in my mind were there by accident and it could not be any other way simply because it takes time and experience to become truly "self-aware". Over the year that followed my marriage collapse I thoroghly examined all my beliefs and got rid of most that were not being confirmed my direct ecxperience. Morover I understood that the very process that forms beliefs puts one at a disadvantage relative to always changing environment. Now I believe in having no beliefs. In permanence of change. And the loving nature of soulless and heartless emptiness of space. I like to laugh at my ego whenever I detect it being hurt by criticism of my actions or inactions by people around me. I like to think that with every bit of information I learn I find how hopelessely infinite is Uknown. And that makes me happy because I know that I will never ran out of learning opportunities. And by sharing what I have learnt with others I stay connected with the source of learning: life. All of that makes me aware of how precious each moment is and how soon it will be my time to become dust again. With that I am in the moment all the time, in the flow , focused on here and now. Neither happy nor unhappy. Just being what I am and keep learning what that is thru the reflections of others. Like a tree. Or a rock. Or a falling leaf.
Posted by: Aboc Zed | 15 May 2012 at 19:50
AZ, I try to avoid saying "wow" but ... wow! I thank you for this brilliant insight. Every sentence is packed with wisdom.
You have taught me more in these few words than I have picked up from reading about Buddhism and other "live in the moment" texts.
I am going to get to the bottom of my problems with 'Love' and 'Happiness', which it seems you have already done. Thanks for the steer.
All the best, Oliver
Posted by: Anywhere But Here Is Better | 15 May 2012 at 22:07