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B
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lood in the streets
was, I once thought, the only possible resolution for our troubled and
dysfunctional world.
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| Blood in the streets - it doesn't work, leading simply to more violence. |
That in itself was rather strange for violence was something
I found abhorrent, yet “blood in the streets” seemed to a youthful mind as the
path to a better world.
Fortunately, age and philosophical maturity saw that sense
quickly evaporate, bringing an understanding that the difficulties of the world
cannot be resolved through violence of any sort, rather only worsened.
That “blood in the streets” ache was a combination of
youthful vigour, aspirations and hope tangled up with a sense of uselessness,
desperation, isolation and impotence.
Fortunately other influences in my life were absent, I
didn’t drink nor smoke and although heavily maternally influenced as a young
boy, I had risen above religion and my sense of self was secure.
Fortunately, also, the times of more than four decades ago
were different; dramatically different and the contemporary rash of discontent
sweeping around the world was a distant and unimagined reality, as was the
internet.
The idea then that people could be radicalized and so embark
on a bloody crusade against ordinary people to make a point about ways of life,
and philosophies they disliked seemed inconceivable.
Questions about why young men, and young women as
illustrated recently by the fleeing of three British girls into the embrace of
ISIL, appear to have obvious answers; answers many leaders throughout the world,
particularly in the developed nations would not like to hear.
There is, of course a large slither of what most perceive to
be religion involved, but in a more human way it is about people responding, as
mistaken and distorted as it may be, to the damage that you and me, and all our
fellows, are doing to our only home.
People, regardless of where they are from, all have a
profound sense of place, their home, and when they see that threatened they
will react, frequently violently.
Beyond that, our modern corporatized and globalized world
promises much, but delivers little, particularly to most people, exampled by
the fact that just one large bus-load of people have control of more wealth and
resources than nearly half the world’s people.
Such inequality breeds discontent; discontent distorting the
minds of people such that it manifests itself as blood in the streets.
Violence presently witnessed around the world is becoming
ingrained and will not be easily resolved, but the first step is about more
equitable sharing of the world’s wealth and resources.
Beyond that the governments of the world need to reinvigorate
democracy and regain control that by sleight of hand has been surrendered to
the world’s corporations.
The option is more blood in the streets.
