There are Jews, Palestinians, Americans, Canadians, British, French, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and many others. They have these descriptions because of where they live, where they were born. In the last century or two, there have been changes in names. Even genders have been renamed. These are all humans and there are many others I haven't listed because I suspect no-one would be willing to read them all and these names can change without changing the personality of the ones named. Descriptions have more to do with politics and general attitudes than with lived realities.
These last few months have shown me just how much I don't know, and just how little my opinion and beliefs matter in this world.
There is one thing that shakes me about the world as it has been revealed recently. That is the extent of influence power has on our sense of well-being. That power can be political, economic, social and emotional. We are created by what we are taught and what we have endured. But will we become less human from now on?
Influencers are humans who have changed my thinking. Noam Chomsky, Gabor Mate, May Partridge, Wendy Burton, Leah Hokanson, Tony Vickers, Rose Grabinsky and many others. (Apologies to those who have contributed to my well-being whose name is not listed here.) Then there are those who have lifted the spirits of many others. All these names have made the world better because of what they have given of themselves, how they have nurtured civilization in profound ways. Heroe does not describe them sufficiently.
Today we have houses, heating, language, music, history and science in the mix, influencing our thoughts, less forests, more roads, and climate change.
The centuries seem to offer more violence or if not, the media focuses on violence. Entertainment is about conflict as if bloodshed is fun, a game for man to prove himself. The most famous names could brag how many people died for their leaders, for the cause.
Commentators like to claim they know the nature of the Jew or the Arab or the Christian. It's taken seriously as if we train a group of people to be one thing so we can spot one in the shopping centre.
This is not helpful. I have concluded that the natures of species are different. There is the Narcissist, the Psychopath, the Healer, the Leader and the Follower. This is not scientific, I am a poet not a scientist, but I am a passionate grandmother and it is past a century from the women who fought for the vote.
To watch or listen to media strikes me that everything depends on money and power. Or at least these are the only two newsworthy things. Sexuality and love are merely rewards who those who have won. Losing means you have failed. Being vulnerable means you haven't grown up. Supremacy is whiteness and whiteness is a clean blank slate with no character or colour, manageable to the imperialists.
Since the Israeli issue I have been consumed with one question. How does it benefit humanity to have the most in harming, destroying and killing, rather than building, saving or healing? Commenters, reporters are supposed to be human, perhaps were raised by loving parents, inspired by kind teachers and gentle health care.
The Holocaust succeeded in making the world a place where power was the only thing. How to harm others, how to kill the most, was the game. The suffering was well reported by those who suffered.
Gabor Mate probably had the most significant report and knowledge but has suffered terribly. Yet most media attention goes to a man who promotes rape as an achievement, possessions as proof of success. To abuse others for one's gain is the highest achievement.
This is the greatest and most destructive lie since the Nazi's marched across Europe, finding any reason to kill others and destroy the lives of those who remained. We are continually traumatized by opportunists who think the proof to winning is the number of dead bodies we leave behind.
We are being destroyed by the will to power turning individuals into "isolated units competing for the most". Our minds are complex and we are being conditioned to fear and hate so that the ego of one can rule without conscience. What would we call this creature?
