The
militarization of society nears completion.
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| Police officers all around the world look increasingly like armed soldiers. |
And, it seems, the only thing that can "rescue" us
from this ugly realization is climate change.
That, however, is demonstrably false for rather than turn to
collaboration and co-operation that will enable us to avoid the worst of what a
disrupted climate will bring, our first resort will be the only thing we know,
confrontation and violence.
That is exampled by many things, among them the increasing
armed forces-like appearance of those responsible for ensuring we adhere to the
rather simple laws of a civil society.
People of all stripes from all parts of the world have said,
with facts being the only provocation, climate change is the greatest security
threat that humanity has ever faced, worse even than the two great conflagrations
of the 20th Century that killed millions and dislocated the lives of even more.
Climate change has been on and off the agenda, political and
otherwise, for some 50 years and yet nothing has effectively been done rather,
we procrastinate and prevaricate and some find comfort in arguments that the
science is not yet conclusive.
Behaviours remain largely untouched and the peace of mind of
most is not disturbed even though clear evidence illustrates that this century,
certainly the latter decades are going to be difficult, if not impossible.
The contradictions are astounding; climate change is the
greatest physical threat humanity has ever faced and yet many, closeted in
their modern-day comforts, argue the change is not human-induced.
It clearly is, but climate change is frequently denied,
considered someone else’s problem simply awaiting a technological solution and although
it advances slowly, that’s in human terms, but with lightning speed
geologically, and beyond inexplicable changes (to the ordinary man) to our
weather, nothing appears to be happening.
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| Bill Kelly (right) and Juris Greste at the launch of Bill art exhibition at Melbourne's MARS Gallery. |
Terrorism in its many forms is clearly more visible and
unlike climate change, has an identifiable enemy and living lives soaked in
violence, we know how to respond as exampled by Great Britain’s reaction to
what is presently happening in Syria – a day of lively discussion in England’s
parliament resulted in a decision to bomb the terrorists and just six hours
later English bombs were reigning down on supposed terrorist buildings, not
doubt killing many innocent people as well.
As mentioned earlier climate change has been an “off and on”
discussion for some 50 years and no one has yet done anything near as decisive
as bombing.
Addressing climate change demands something quite different
and just a few weeks ago Nathalia’s Peace, one of the world’s great peace
advocates, claimed that peace is the primary avenue through which climate
change can be addressed.
Peace, he said, is about caring, co-operation and collaboration
and not about the destruction epitomized by the militarization of our society;
violence manifesting itself as a dangerously disrupted climate system.
