We were talking recently about the world. And the conversation was taking a jolly turn before I, true to form, managed to bring it down. And, in the process, slightly alienate my flat mate. (Though thinking back over most of our conversations, I probably haven't alienated her as much as I did when I met her).
Anyway, what confused her was this. I said, very bluntly, "I don't particularly like the world. I don't like it much at all". This both shocked and confused her. My flat mate is someone who loves nature, loves to go open water swimming, animals and everything. So for me to turn around and say something like that to someone like her must've taken her aback. But when she pressed me for justification, I wasn't able to give any. Because, I couldn't really think of anything right there to back up my point. And the conversation changed topic.
She told me yesterday that she told her dad what I'd said. Her dad travels a lot and has seen an awful lot of the world. He thought it was rather sad that I thought that and said something along the lines of my travelling more. (Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do that! If I only had the dosh to do it!)
Travel broadens the mind, the old phrase goes, but that's not the only dimension to my point. So, I'd like to explain why I don't particularly like the world. (And especially with the news today, I think I've picked a good time to write this).
*WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SOME THINGS SOME READERS MAY FIND UPSETTING*
1. Humans. I'm a human (I think), you're a human (presumably) and we somehow manage to all tolerate each other for 80 odd years and then go back to sleep again for the rest of time. But the thing about humans is that we're all so different. I know that it's a good thing we are (as it'd be a boring world if we were all the same), but there are problems with that too. You can get on really well with one person, and then another can be a total dick to you. I don't get that. And it annoy me. I try to be as nice to as many people as possible but it's so damn hard! I tried for many years to be a polite and kind young man, but that eventually wore thin. And, over the past year or so, I've become slightly more militant in my approach to things. Basically, if you're nice to me I'll be nice to you. But bad mouth me or anyone I care about, rest assured, I will raise merry hell on you. And I'll never do anything physical. I'd much rather mess with your mind. Be polite and then bitch slap you with words. Who needs guns when you've got a good vocabulary. There are even people who'll just aggravate you for no reason just because you've done something completely innocent. This happened to me on Facebook this weekend where some guy started being weird because of a vlog I made about Nelson Mandela. Well, this goes for anyone who listens to my music, watches my videos or reads this:
If you don't like it, don't bother looking! I can't offend you if you avoid me altogether can I!
2. Human Relationships. When I say this, I don't mean love or sex or anything, I mean the human relationships in the national and international dimension. Our history is full to the brim of killings, pointless wars and silly little conflicts that only end in death. I don't agree with war generally. If my country was invaded, fine. Defend yeah. But I don't like military aggression in any form. There are certain wars, conflicts and other atrocities where it makes me feel ashamed to be a human. The Holocaust, Bosnia, Slave Trade and others. It's sickening. I wonder how many of you knew it was the British who came up with the concept of a concentration camp? And I don't like relationships in the non-military sense either. We still live in a world that objectifies women for corporate consumerism, subjects kids to the culture of sexualisation, continues to have unequal pay for all walks of life and where people claim to be free but are actually rather not. And we live in a world all about the individual and the individual's wants and needs. (Known to most as Capitalism). And this system has somehow evolved into a way where those who earn the most (CEOs, Bankers etc) can take all the money, while the person who does most, if not all, of the work gets paid pittance with the very real chance of being somewhere below the poverty line. Education has now become all about league table results instead of children's education and life has all become all about getting the next big thing that the big companies like Apple or Microsoft churn out to distract you from the real problems that are going on in the world. I despair how you lot can like that world.
Mind you, if you're reading this on an iPad I hope you enjoy the irony of your current situation.
3. What Nature? And how about how we treat the world around us? We're constantly destroying the rainforests, forestland, woodland, killing off countless species and even destroying the geography! I mean, do any of you realise how dangerous Fracking is?! The world's supply of oil is running out faster than previously thought and, pretty soon, we're going to face a crisis. But is anyone listening? No! Of course not. No-one is listening and that's terrifying. I remember a few years ago, when I was at school, the local council wanted to put some wind-turbines in a field just outside of town. But on 3 separate occasions, local townspeople (of the older generation I seem to remember) protested for hours outside the leisure centre across the road talking about how they thought it would be a blot on the landscape. A few of them started on my year group peers and they gave them what for back. I don't normally condone that sort of thing but I think that this was completely justified on this occasion. Because there's a sweet irony somewhere that some of those people protesting contributed greatly to the mess we're currently in. Well, they'll likely be dead by the time it's too late so why should they care. Don't worry guys, we'll deal with it! But everytime there's one little thing to help the world, whether it be turbines, hydro-electricity or eco-cars, there's always a big group of those narrow-minded bigots who will just protest it because they can. And, more often than not as the case with the local wind-turbines showed, they get their way and nothing changes. I don't know much about the Kyoto Protocol, whether it's helped or not but all I know is that it expired on the 1st January this year.
Has it been renewed? It's be interested to know.
4. Politics. The politics of this world is fucked up. I'll say it if no-one else will. It seems to have got to the point where, in order to make a stand for something, you have to blow something up or kill thousands of people. And there's other times where an atrocity happens and nothing changes. We're coming up to the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings in America where a young man took a gun into a school and killed numerous of children and teachers. But has anything changed? Not much. Obama tried but he's always blocked by those wretched Republicans. But this isn't the only thing where nothing changes. The point is, no-one listens to each other and nothing ever gets done. Well, unless it serves the interests of the ruling class, in which case it's done quicker than you can make an ommelet. How can I like a world where a Superpower is systematically persecuting homosexuals and doing nothing when its citizens take it further. (You all know to whom I refer). And how can I like a world where my own country is close to its collapse and the MPs who helped cause it are getting an £11,000 pay rise while my own mother is struggling to make ends meet, earning less than £10,000? And how can I live in a world where racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination are still commonplace in many parts of the world?
And for God's sake don't get me started on Bill O'Reilly...
So, maybe I worded my original answer wrong. Maybe I don't dislike the world. Because there are many things I love about it. My family, my friends, music, Doctor Who, Cardiff and Berlin to name a few.
But I don't like what humans have done to the world. I don't like how the world works, the effects of what we've done to it and what it now stands for. Now, I'm not trying to make myself sound like an innocent, I've contributed to that world. I spend. I don't always recycle and I probably use more electricity than I should. (But then Hamsters and wheels are not cheap to keep...)
And there are so many things that can change this world. So many ways in which we can all work together to make this world just that little bit better! But will we? No fucking chance. The world will just keep turning the way it still does and nothing will change. The Government of Britain will still fuck us over day after day, you'll still go buy the latest gadget and update your Instagrams,
So until something does, this will be my world view. But with that, there's that question of who will change it? Who has the guts to take all these things to task? Well, no one person can! No one person can tackle all this in one foul swoop. But there are certain things we can tackle at once, together. I know I sound like I'm either a hippy or a communist but prove me wrong.
But to my friend's father point about travelling more, there's nothing I'd love more. I'd love to travel Europe, America, China, Japan, parts of Africa but it's just not possible for me currently. But that's not the issue here. The issue is not me travelling, it's what I'm travelling into. I'm travelling into the same old world, it's just a different named country. Greed, corruption, materialism and poverty.
But I'm just one person in one corner of the world. What the hell do I know. I know enough to want to help in changing. Anyone want or care to join me?
Thanks for listening me justify myself and whinge about Planet Earth. I understand that what I've put down here tonight is heavy. So, as a reward and a thank you, here's an insanely cute kitten who always has its tongue out for some bizarre reason. Meet Lil Bub.
Thanks again.
Until next time.
See ya.
EDITED ADDITION: My flatmate wrote a response to this as she is also a blogger. Here are her reasons as to why she likes the world. http://acrystalsscrapbook.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/why-i-think-this-world-is-awesome.html
Very well put, someone had to say it didn't they! :)
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