A VIEW OF THE WORLD

 

A VIEW OF THE WORLD

Actually, it’s about how you view the world.

It is a typical human habit to want to attach labels.  On a container it signifies immediately what you’re purchasing.  On our busy roads we rely on traffic signs.  Signs and labels for just about anything.  Drugs, poisons, paints, all come with explanations and signage indicating how lethal some of these products are and where to go for help.  Even on the news—sorry, it’s no longer called the news, but the show—the hosts feel obliged to explain the weather and the need for cautions, in case of rain for instance, “Be sure to bring your umbrella and wellies.”  Labelling.  Cautions.  We’re constantly getting in each other’s face.  Even unasked for advice, (we can’t seem to help ourselves) no matter how well intended; it is so pervasive.  Movies come with ratings and unpleasant news events come with a warning.  “What you’re about to view may offend some viewers.”

Labelling people.

This article is about labelling people into categories.  We do it all the time.  Obesity ratings.  Fitness ratings.  Toddler, infant, child, teenager, adolescent, adult, senior.  Old, young, bald, ugly, beautiful, wrinkled.  For some reason color has been segregated and black is no longer phonetically correct with a lower case.  White, brown, red or olive are still lower case and for some strange reason Black Lives Matter must have been responsible for that slight linguistic change.  I would have been much happier with a heartfelt legal equality, not only in law but one that comes from the heart as well, rather than settling for a capital B.  Anyway, that is just a slight deviation from the crux of the matter at hand.  How do you view the world and what kind of label would you attach to yourself?  You see, at the end of this article you get to decide.

Optimist, futurist, alarmist, pessimist, realist?

What kind of person are you?  How do you interpret your place in the universe?  Do you concern yourself with the present or the future?  Since my fingers are touching the keyboard and the subject matter is entirely mine, I get to decide a certain order and you will have to contend yourself with some of my personal biases slipping in.  Not to worry, even my objective mind suffers from bias and so does yours.  Bias is a subject for a much later date and it’s not a biggie.  Bias is a like a shadow comparable to the clothes worn by the emperor, yet semi-transparent and always close to the surface.  Not unlike the emperor, we see what we want to see!  We are products of the times we live in and how we experience the world is limited by personal knowledge and experience.  What you know and are exposed to go hand in hand.  Nobody is an expert on everything.  It also explains stupidity and stupid people. 

Are you a futurist?

Let’s start with the futurists.  I am an avid reader, but when it comes to science fiction and vampires, I kind of bypass that section in the library.  The world of the fantastic and totally imagined makes for light entertainment and amuses for a while, but it lacks substance.  For little me; fantasy in small doses please.  But the true futurist fanatics believe in all that anticipated technical wizardry.  The Jetsons coming alive.  We’re buzzing around in flying cars and live in floating worlds and robots deliver us meals that come in the form of a pill.  Yummy!  May the force be with you, Star Wars’ aficionados, and they’re convinced that one of these days we will be leaving boring planet Earth in search of exciting stellar systems filled with wondrous lifeforms and mindboggling technologies that will tickle our innovative imaginations.  The details are a bit fuzzy, but if you can envision it, it will happen.  Leave it to Musk and other space cadets to turn that dream into a reality.  For the futurists their motto is simple, “The future is ours and looking bright.  Warp speed 5, Mr. Zulu . . .  and beam me up, Scotty.”

An optimist?

A bit naïve they are, optimists, and what futurists share with optimists is hope, that silver lining kind of thing, sunny side up just like an egg.  Optimists are by and large nice people.  You can’t get mad at them.  There is an optimistic side to my realism because I refuse to go through life as a pessimist.  As a realist I am utterly convinced that my personal impact and opinion are by and large tolerated, but basically ignored.  When you’re not calling the shots, who listens?  Those calling the shots are however responsible for the tens of thousands of mostly innocent civilians who do get shot and killed each year.  The deciders is such a small category that it disqualifies most of us.  So, let’s skip the deciders.  (This is not an endorsement for home delivery services)

An alarmists?

I will skip this category as well.  They remind me too much of the fairytale of the boy crying wolf.  They tend to be miserable as well.  Perhaps the two go together, like peas in a pod.  Believe it or not, but you recognize alarmists from a distance, it is etched in their faces and reflected in their eyes.  A quick dash towards the next door behind which are encamped the pessimists.  (I can’t be seen to favor one home delivery service over another)

A pessimist?

Pessimists fall into the alarmist category, constantly worrying about everything and that includes worrying about the buffoon currently occupying the White House and the sinister little creep in the Kremlin.  We can only hope that a timely death will welcome all the little tyrants (and soon) who are currently hastening the demise of the planet and everything on it.  I’ve already let the cat out of the bag with the realist reference (my choice). 

I am a realist with a sense of humor.

A realist acknowledges that eventually we will be done in by greed, ignorance and stupidity.  There are so many of us that we can’t ignore the inevitable.  If there were very few of us I doubt I would be writing this down.  As a matter of fact I wouldn’t be writing at all, because I would be too busy loving and exploring the natural world, because I do love life and the fact that I am here and not on some godforsaken planet out in the galaxy boonies, surrounded by weird creatures speaking in guttural sounds I can’t understand.  For Pete’s sake, leave Star Wars out of my life.

Without going into greater detail I will ignore all those fantasies about effortlessly travelling through space, flying from one planetary wonder to the other and leave that part to the futurists and optimists.  If you’re really curious, I wrote a book called—They were like Angels—and it will provide you with much greater insight as to why zooming through space is not in the human cards.  It will cost you.  Currently it is only available through me and in paperback.  Twenty bucks and shipping costs and it can be yours.

As a realist I love to shrug my shoulders when it comes to doom and gloom and all things hoped and wished for.  We are what we are and there is very little anyone can do to change anything.  I’ve never trusted politicians who claim they can change things for the better, nor will I blindly follow those who promise everlasting life if things don’t turn out on Earth.  Life is a journey and I revel in the experience.  Enjoying the ride if you will.  And of course it comes with aches and pains, with grief and disappointments, trials and tribulations and I do realize that for many of us the ride is pure hell and torture.  Be happy if you were born on the right side of the tracks and above all, be happy with who and what you are.

Ordinary and boring, don’ knock it!

Some people can be so unrealistic, constantly looking for things that are out of reach; success, the perfect mate and relationships, instant gratification, a career you absolutely love, money in the bank, debt free and you die at age one hundred without ever seeing a doctor and you were bright as a whip right up to final breath of air.  Just ordinary and mundane can be so gratifying.  Boring is okay.  Not getting bombed out of your home or moving from one refugee camp to the other, kept alive by aid agencies suspected of harboring terrorists while handing out food.  Apparently those two things go hand in glove if some of our less illustrious leaders are to be believed.  It also allows them to save some money by cutting off funding.  Killing two birds with one stone; hey, Bill, you’re full of phrases today.

Temper your expectations and appreciate the cards you’ve been dealt in life (I can’t stop or help myself once I’m on roll, with the phrases that is).  Appreciate what you have been given.  My nose is slightly crooked.  I’ve always had bags under my eyes.  My liver spots masquerade as a tan.  I’m slightly balding and I’ve got so many spare parts inside of me that I can be classified as a medical miracle and an impressive pile of scrap metal will be left behind upon the cremation of my dead body.  I am still very much alive, the dead reference was just that, a reference.  On occasion I have looked upon beautiful human specimens with envy, especially if they’re blessed with an impressive amount of luxurious hair, but it is usually followed by a disparaging thought to make me feel better: probably a salesperson or a politician, or in a worst case scenario, a lawyer.

I do feel bad for the billions of people who got stuck in a shithole from the day they were born.  Dumb luck.  Bad luck.  No intent involved and stuck with a shitty hands of cards.  Imagine being born black (Black with a capital B for those who insist on the ‘new’ literary awakening.  If there is such a thing as woke, this would be it for me) in the Sudan, stuck in a refugee camp and faced with daily deprivations and violence.  Life can really suck if you’re born in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Thank goodness that we can turn things off. 

Luckily for us all species are blessed with a shut-off mechanism that prevents us from cracking up when bad things come barreling down like an avalanche.  When we feel the worst while experiencing the worst.  If we didn’t have this we’d go out of our minds.  Not that we’re shutting out unpleasantness or disaster, but without that mental defense mechanism we wouldn’t survive.  In case of a major catastrophe the first order of business is cope and regroup.  It is a basic survival thing.

But what about wars and disasters that don’t take place in our own backyard.  Well, the coping in that case is a bit more altruistic, as in being pleased that it is them and not us.  A sort of remote empathy that doesn’t go very deep.  It is still part of that mental defense mechanism, but also plays into the basic survival strategy that we’re not obliged to feel pain that is not ours.

In my hometown there are currently about seventy people classified as homeless.  I could sell all my assets and hand over the money to these hapless souls and within one or two months of whooping it up, we’d all be broke again and stuck in the same rut.  I don’t have any answers and neither do you.  This is a quote from Lyndon B. Johnson—he wasn’t handsome either and apparently cussed like a sailor before they started to tape everything that came out of a president’s mouth—Life isn’t fair, it never was and never will be.

All we can really do is cope to our best abilities and go with the flow.  When something fun and exciting happens, enjoy!  If nothing out of the ordinary happens and everything is steady as she goes, count your blessings.  Even boring can be appreciated when everything else around you is going to hell in a handbasket.  If I’ve overdone the phrases, no apologies from the author.  I enjoy writing my articles.

So, when it comes to your view of the world, is there a label that fits you or a favorite inclination?  We just survived nearly five months of nasty winter weather.  I mean, this is Canada and even for us, it was bad!  I wonder if this kind of philosophical bender was a direct result of the winter blahs.  Cabin fever.  I even changed the lyrics of our national anthem.  Oh, Canada, land of snow and ice, freezing your ass off is never nice.

I purposely limited the views of the world to a few that are incredibly general and left out all the predictable subjects, topics, inclinations and phobia that lead to endless and annoying discussions and interpretations.  Keep it simple.  I also don’t want you to scratch your head incessantly, induce a headache or steer you towards intense soul searching.

I am a realist with a devious humorous streak.  What are you?

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A DISTURBING UPTICK IN TRIBALISM

 A DISTURBING UPTICK IN TRIBALISM

 

Sometimes I like to use a dictionary’s definition of a word to jumpstart an article and this one hails from the Webster’s Dictionary in regards to tribalism: tribal consciousness and loyalty, exaltation of the tribe above other groups, strong ‘in-group’ loyalty.  A bit vague because a lot of it depends on the size of the tribe and how most of the members identify.  The interpretation does hint at exclusivity, which basically means that certain people are either excluded or discriminated against.  And that is where an increase in tribalism can turn ugly and even deadly in a hurry.  We’re all familiar with phrases such as: letting the cat out of the bag.  Letting the genie out of the bottle.  We all know that the result is a permanent kind of thing.  The same sentiment applies to tribalism once it takes front and center.  All of a sudden it becomes a phenomenon that takes on a life of its own.  The notion that all their problems will be over if only all the members of the tribe stick together and act as one.  Sensing a golden opportunity, they are always led and misled by political hopefuls who pursue a course of exclusive tribal action in the mistaken belief that they can succeed where others have failed.

What triggers tribalism?

Amongst the members of the tribe there is a growing sense of unease:  a steady decline in income, job losses, an influx of immigrants and refugees, inflation, price increases, a lack of housing affordability and a steady erosion of savings or not being able to keep up with the bills.  Irate tribal members don’t need a single specific reason, like the threat of war or an invasion, to invoke an increased sense of nationalism, protectionism or isolationism.  It can be a case of all of the above.  One thing all of us avoid around the globe is the disturbing fact that we persist with an image of false growth, all of it subsidized by a growing mountain of public debt.  This is a public sector phenomenon as out of control spending is solely aimed at placating the masses and to keep government programs and subsidies in place.

An increase in tribalism is not the answer, because it creates the exact opposite as it promotes all the ugliness that segregates nations and its people in the first place in a time of crisis; race, religion, ethnicity, language and culture.  When we need to pull together, we actually start pulling apart.  Size does matter when it comes down to tribal identity and how one identifies.  The smaller the group the easier it is to connect.  In large and more complex societies you will see clusters emerge and it can be based on race, culture, religion, language or a shared environment: a city, a suburb, a region or province.  Tribalism is by and large grounded in a conscious and subconscious erosion of confidence and trust.  Unscrupulous leaders prey on these base emotions of insecurity and start providing an outlet: others are to blame.  We’re under attack.  Our way of life is threatened.  Scum is crossing our borders, drug dealers and rapist embedded amongst the thousands of refugees and illegals.  We have been taken advantage of.  Hit back or perish.  All they need to do is pour on the gasoline to keep the fires of discontent burning and with careful tweaking the tribe starts to react as one.  A new truth.  What used to be minor irritants turn into major causes, and spats turn into ugly conflicts and even war.

It’s that letting the cat out of the bag!

Tribalism grows out of desperation when none of the traditional fixes seem to work.  What most fail to acknowledge is the simple fact that the issues all of us face around the globe are universal in nature and they affect everybody.  To name a few of the current culprits: climate change, global warming, resource depletion, disparity in income and wealth division, deficits and debts, overpopulation, uncontrolled migration and refugees, shortage of affordable housing, inflation, safety and security, air, ground and water pollution.  A toxic and volatile mix.  An increase in tribalism is motivated by attempts to isolate the tribe from all of the above.  One way to achieve this is by blaming anything and everyone not connected to them.  A bizarre form of protectionism that resembles a turtle withdrawing within its shell to discourage an attack.  But even the turtle knows; you can’t hide forever.

How bad can it get?

A prime historical example in our recent past is that of Nazi Germany where an ethnic white majority tried to banish all unwanted elements from their society; Jews, communists, the feeble minded, handicapped, homosexuals and anybody suspected of harboring any kind of immoral deviancy.  Increasingly creating an atmosphere of narrowmindedness that excluded anyone not adhering to Nazi party standards and rules.  Total obedience.  A delusional belief that their Aryan ancestry entitled them to behave like they did.

Every superpower has created these kind of ideological justifications and it is playing out around the world once more.  Over the top, pretentious posturing, threats and bullying turning into official political policies and protectionist measures.  Tariffs, threats, sanctions, military strikes, whatever draws attention.  Whatever they feel might work!  And therein lies the greatest threat in the increase in dubious tribalism; that there is some kind of moral justification behind all their actions and activities.  The USA versus all nations that may or may not have impacted on their peace and prosperity, defending themselves against all threats real or imagined.  Israel versus all entities that impact on the survival of their nation, (despite legitimate objections by Palestinians under constant attack), and those suspected of harboring enemy forces and undermining their legitimacy of statehood.  A Russian state guided by a psychopath who envisions a resurrection of the glorious era of Tsarist power, influence and wealth.  A global economy under siege by an America attempting to stave off a financial collapse brought on by excessive borrowing and debt accumulation and faced with an implosion of their imperial dreams of remaining the biggest superpower in the world.

We’re not learning.

And then there are all the other hotspots around the globe filled with religious and regional conflicts; fights about who owns what, what they feel they are entitled to and who get access to wealth and resources . . .  and who gets nothing.  What we fail to acknowledge is that the world has reached a saturation point in the human population numbers it can realistically sustain; when it comes to providing for all.  And when it comes to a shortfall it is affecting not millions, but billions.  The negatives are starting to pile up by the baker’s dozen.

Tribalism is a simplistic attempt to plug holes in a sieve.  It doesn’t make sense.  Once more the impact of energy and momentum is the driving force behind all of this.  This is our boat.  We’re all in it together.  I am one of you.  Withdrawing in the wilderness and living a life of subsistence and isolation is not the answer.  When you turn your back on life, the world behind you goes on as usual, whether you like it or not.  I don’t have any real answers other than following my own mantra: Be the answer.  We either learn to pull together or we keep pulling apart.

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THE PROVOCATIVE NATURE OF CONFLICT

 

THE PROVOCATIVE NATURE OF CONFLICT

“History shows that a single person can change the course of history, for better or worse.”

I am going to start this article with several premises, three to be exact, and hopefully clarify the heading by the time I finish writing.  No, not to worry, it will be article length like all the others on my blog.

War is a net-negative undertaking.  The proof is in the historical pudding as it never changes anything and the only thing war leaves behind is a negative residue that consists of resentment and distrust, laying the foundation for future conflicts.

There is no such thing as a benevolent autocratic leadership because none will tolerate any kind of opposition. 

Only delusional, psychotic leaders believe that they can win a war where all others have failed.

Hate is the fodder that narrow minded people feast upon.

Leading the pack of grabbing international headlines is an America led by a president who is well on his way to go down in history as the worst of the worst.  America’s solo war efforts combine threats, coercion and unilateral actions that include indiscriminate bombing and killing.  Nonetheless it comes with a level of political impotency that puts all that military, superior weaponry to shame.  They are blundering all across the globe.  From trade to tariffs, sanctions and military strikes, all followed up by waffling, retractions and indecision.  Compare the movements to that of a weathervane and it explains US politics.  They have focused on targets that are small and lack the means to effectively fight back: shooting fish in a barrel.  Iran is a much bigger target and although militarily inferior and lacking real defensive and offensive capabilities, its size and numbers pose a serious threat because when it comes to boots on the ground America’s track record is abysmal.  Vietnam, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq; trillions spent and nothing gained.  Trying to zap civilian morale by bombing the crap out of cities and infrastructures doesn’t win over hearts.  Even the protest marches across the globe, pro and con, have come to a grinding halt.  There is an astounding disbelief across the divide.  Incredulity.  How can anyone support what is going on?  Where is the justification?

A staggering loss of life and horrendous, needless destruction.  There is no rhyme or reason.  Irresponsible, political stupidity has reached stupendous new heights.  And wagging the threat of that nuclear finger!  Around the world degrading nuclear stockpiles and bombs are deteriorating in bunkers and silos.  A nuclear nightmare waiting in the wings and we’re still arguing as to who is allowed to pursue nuclear capability and who is not.  That bird left the cage a long time ago.  Let’s take a look at all the nations that have nuclear weapons and then you decide who is in his right mind and who is not.

Enough nuclear bombs to blow the planet to smithereens many times over.

The USA and Russia have the most nuclear missiles and warheads between the two nations; 5459 and 5277 respectively.  Bear in mind that since the first nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the lethality of these weapons has only increased.  China has 600, France 290, the UK 225, India 180, Pakistan 170, Israel 90 and North Korea 50.  Another six nations are host to nuclear missiles.  Italy 35, Turkey 20, Belgium 15, Germany 15, the Netherlands 15 and an unknown quantity in Belarus.  Ukraine used to have nuclear weapons on its soil but gave them up in exchange for independence from Russia.  Hmm . . . that is not working out too well is it?

Who can we trust?

If we look at political stability and trustworthiness alone, who of those nine nations would fit the bill?  The USA used to brag that only they could be trusted because they were the most politically responsible and stable nation.  A democracy, honest, trustworthy and reliable.   But, if the political scene changes dramatically as it has in the USA, what can we do about it?  And if we look at the behavior of the USA and Israel in regards to Iran, can anyone blame Iran for not pursuing nuclear capability?

The USA is blaming NATO for not stepping up to the plate after their unilateral decision to declare war on Iran has turned into a political and financial disaster.  NATO members are sitting on the fence because none of their members are itching to unleash World War III.  This is not a sign of weakness but of a deeper understanding of the ramifications of following a narcissistic psychopath who has been blundering his way across the globe since taking office.  And in his wake he is followed by Putin and Netanyahu. 

Am I hopeful?  No.  Historically appeasement is the process of delaying the inevitable.  The top three troublemakers are under the illusion of having the upper hand and are busy stirring the opportunity pot in the mistaken belief that they are a powerhouse and that they can win these localized wars.  What they’re hoping to gain is something that has me stumped and I am not alone in this.

The consequences these psychopaths would face if they were to stop their aggression.

None of them would be allowed to remain in office because the public backlash would be enormous, especially when they can no longer hide their incompetence and have to account for their actions.  The true nature of the conflicts they have unleashed would ride to the fore and it is not the loss of face that would concern them the most.  All of them would face impeachment, jail sentences or even death.

All of them are guilty of infecting the psychic of their nations with fear, anxiety, paranoia and needless fear mongering and repression.  Through their propaganda they have made the masses complicit and compliant in following their disastrous agenda and ludicrous scheming.  When a nation regains its moral compass, something that is absent in these characters, it will involve decades of addressing the wrongs once the true extent of what has been set in motion has gone through a process of national healing: To regain confidence and their standing in the international community, to accept past misdeeds and to move on without guilt, remorse and anxiety.

Mass psychosis and anxiety.

Friedrich Nietzsche referred to this as: Madness in the individual is rare, but quite common in the masses.

It is accomplished through propaganda, tribal indoctrination and manipulation.  Mass psychosis is the product of deliberately massaging the minds of a nation by a dubious leadership that preys on our weaknesses, pride and prejudices.  They know that we’re fractious and ornery by nature and that we’re easily taking in by their lies, distortions and distractions.  Bad leaders know that it is easy to set the masses ablaze and all of them are gambling on the notion that they can win where others in the past have not.  We’re talking massive egos.  Delusional, narcissistic and lacking any kind of moral compass.  It comes shining through in everything they do and brag about and their character traits are easy to identify once they’re out in the open and in power.  It is also a tad late by then.  Putin has his billion dollar hideaway and loves strutting through the doors of the Kremlin while crowds stand in attention on the side.  Netanyahu is caught up in a drama with little or no way out as he will face corruption charges if voted out of office.  And Donald.  Plans for a victory arch that will be bigger and grander than the one in Paris.  His billion dollar ballroom will be more impressive and gilded than the one in Versailles.  The wannabe emperor in the making.  Parades, pomp and pageantry and a few more golden statues, plastering his name on Federal buildings and institutions and of course, his images draped across the facades of government buildings.  His insecurity comes shining through in this outrageous display of his persona; a Fuhrer-like culture.  Always front and center, no matter how ludicrous the occasion.  Put a microphone in front of his face and one nonsensical phrase after the other spews forth from his lips.

None of these characters care about the damage they inflict or the casualties that are piling up.  Psychopaths have no soul.  They are incapable of feeling guilt or remorse.  Basically they are insane and they surround themselves with a dubious caliber of people who have been groomed and manipulated to follow suit.  A lot of them won’t sleep well at night if the nightmare starts to unravel.  Life is about choices, good ones and bad ones.  When you choose bad, you’re either all in, or all out.  We continue to seesaw between war and peace.  Anybody can start a war and history shows that none have ever produced a positive and lasting result.  Violence simply takes a break, waiting for our true nature to be provoked once more.

We’re always taking sides and therein lies the rub!

We’re easily provoked to enter into conflicts.  Good leaders bring out the best in us, bad ones bring out the worst.  Unfortunately the bad ones get the most attention.

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IGNITE AND DIVIDE

 

IGNITE AND DIVIDE

Sing along with me, “Alberta bound . . . Alberta bound.”

 

Separatism, or the threat to separate, is not a unique phenomenon and it is a tool often used by fractious politicians to draw attention to themselves and their personal pet peeves and causes.  Alberta’s separatist movement was not a self-awakening lightbulb moment grown out of frustration and feeling abandoned or neglected by the federal government.  Smith simply planted the initial seed and watched it germinate, injecting the odd bit of fertilizer when needed and stepped back, probably with a big smile on her face.  Within no-time-flat a separatist movement sprouted and bloomed into being as if it were something they themselves invented.  Shrewd politicians know: plant the seed and play on the fractious nature of people, inclined to complain rather than examining whether there is a real foundation for all that griping and whining.  We’re a funny breed.  Once we commit ourselves to a potentially negative course of action we turn into hapless home wreckers who haven’t got a clue as to how to build and construct something that is built properly.  Separatism is a typical one-way street proposition, motivated by separation only and not the consequences.  It is inspired by the current international political thinking of the likes of Trump and Putin and other autocratic leaders.  Simplistic and effective.  Scream, shout, threaten and bully and watch the scenario unfold.  To the naturally dissatisfied and the unwashed this is like manna from heaven.  Don’t think.  Join the fray and wave your placards and flags.  If you’re really lucky the signs will be supplied and you don’t have to do a thing.  Just show up!

Hate once ignited is a nasty virus.

Around the world Smith is joined by other tribes, past and present, inspired by leaders that wave the fractious knife of separatism, of going it alone, with accusations of neglect, of being taken advantage of, of being robbed of their rights, of being treated unfairly.  None go out of their way to examine if there is a justified foundation for all those grievances.  All of them count on our fractious nature to ride to the fore and crowd momentum takes over.

Give them a cause and they will run amok.

Albertans are made to believe that somehow they have been shortchanged within the federal framework of Canada and they’re not lacking for examples of other provincial separation threats used to extract concessions and favorable treatment from the federal government.  It is so easy to ignite and divide and ignore the consequences.  If it all falls apart you can always blame the masses; for bowing out, getting cold feet, caving in to pressure.  Before Alberta’s oil bonanza the federal equalization payments and federal infrastructure projects were eagerly received.  Canada strong has been the result of a federal investment structure and provinces working together to build a nation that is the envy of the world in many ways.  A huge and wealthy nation.  One of the largest countries in the world and connected by impressive highways, railroads, bridges and ports of entry that have transformed this nation into a democratically run and impressively stable country.  An economic powerhouse with all the parts working together!

Counting on our fears and anxieties.

We’re living in challenging times and around the world manufacturing has come under fire because of the fractious, ignorant behavior of some of the current leaders.  Energy is a bright light—currently—because of conflicts and wars and with energy in short supply or at least threatened, it has become a hot commodity that is giving Smith and her cohorts and excellent window of opportunity to leverage that power.  Their vision is all about the now, not about the past and not about the future with dwindling oil sources as we’re talking about a non-renewable resource that we are extracting at neck-braking speeds.  When the oil runs out Albertans can go back to wheat and cattle, keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that Canada as a federation made up of provinces will be understanding and magnanimous.  All parties once more remembering that we’re stronger pulling together.

People living in glass houses.

Separatists are a funny lot.  One foot in and one foot out.  The foot in wants all the perks that come from what a federal government has to offer and the foot out doesn’t want to share in any federal obligations or programs.  Kind of like rowing a boat with one oar paddling in one direction and the other in the opposite.  That boat isn’t going anywhere.  Smith’s duplicity comes shining through in all the glad-handing and smiles when new pipelines and energy projects are announced with Ottawa greasing the wheels, followed up by more snide remarks of federal interference in provincial matters.  The fact that she is able to do this without any legal repercussions or penalties is a glowing indication that democracy in Canada is alive and well.  It is also a sign that the federal government respects the independence of provinces in provincial matters and that she is not being called to Ottawa for a well-deserved spanking.

Beware what you wish for.

If Smith and Alberta decided to go it alone it would have to negotiate all kinds of treaties and agreements, from funding formulas (including repayments), to border regulations and cross-border trade, defense and mutual cooperation in international affairs.  If it wants to join the United States it would have to put up with a president like Trump and if Smith loathes her subservience to Ottawa, just wait my dear girl until you feel the hammer of the US federal government and how powerless you will be made to feel if you have to submit to Washington.  Smith and a bevy of other likeminded politicians have embraced Trump-style politics: ignite and divide, blame others for mistakes and never, never apologize for anything.

I can’t think of a better example about pelting rocks at your own window than Smith fueling the separation fire, even when advocating with a sanctimonious smile on her face that she is not.  Anyone can start a fire.  Hard to put out when it turns into a blaze.

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WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE UNITE OR DIVIDE?

 

WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE UNITE OR DIVIDE?

 

Will we control AI or will AI control us?

 

I have no stake in artificial intelligence and although I use intelligence/information, for referencing and research, I do rely on my creative mind to interpret the world as presented to me and in this article, although with limited personal expertise, I will still venture to put in my two cents (I was brought up in a time where pennies still mattered) as the road AI will follow is as unpredictable to me as it is to anyone else, even to the so-called insiders.  When it comes to AI the prognostications are all over the place and one of the original creators is now regretting his involvement with the same concerns expressed by the scientists involved in developing the atomic bomb.  No, AI itself doesn’t explode as a device of mass destruction but it could have a similar impact if unleased on humanity without controls and oversight and it appears that is already the case.  As with everything humans design and concoct the negatives are initially ignored as the euphoria of a new invention overshadows the concerns.

Who profits from its labor?

In this article I’m going to hopscotch through some of the commentaries and concerns espoused by the so-called experts.  I have my misgivings because nothing pertaining to AI has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by anyone and therefore I can be forgiven for my trespasses.  (I love the odd biblical references as our western hemisphere is riddled with them)  We may well hope that if there is a God, he or she will be on our side to deal with the fallout of AI.

People want to feel useful, they need to feel useful.

One prognosticator predicts that humans will go the way of the horse because of AI, a reference to horses being replaced by motorized horsepower and we only keep a few of the beasts around for sport, show purposes, recreational entertainment and as a curiosity.  What this implies is that there will be no real purpose for many of us to remain on the scene.  At least we could eat the horses when they were no longer useful and needed.  Horses didn’t disappear overnight and neither will we, but the question it raises is the following: If AI makes a lot of us redundant, what will happen to us in the interim?  I do hope that cannibalism or being turned into dogfood is not on the menu.

AI is mechanical learning, a distinct technological advantage over our computers which are basically limited to data storage, so is AI, but in a far more sophisticated way.  AI can sort, sift and crunch data and present solutions and possibilities in record time.  It can replace humans in many applications, especially when it is used in conjunction with robots and automation.  You can view AI as an extension of the human world or as a threat that will reduce many humans to a state of redundancy; not a pretty prospect.

AI should enrich our lives, not cheapen it by taking away jobs and income.

The development of AI and its implementations has been a financial bonanza for some of the biggest tech companies in the world and their shareholders.  Those with the most to lose and the most to gain have of course been hyping AI as manna from heaven.  (I like to stick with the biblical)  The lure is appetizing: work faster, better, and above all, with fewer people.  In this article I am not going to bother with all the crooks and nefarious characters that are already abusing AI through cyber scams and hacking, blackmail and crypto currency fraud.

My biggest concern is the persnickety fact that once more we have constructed something that has the potential to harm an awful lot of people by making them redundant or turning them into second class citizens, dependent on government handouts.  If that is the case, AI could turn out to be its own worst enemy and the impact could be devastating.

AI is not a consumer.

AI is machine learning and it doesn’t invest or purchase anything and it only makes a lot of money for those people owning and using it.  Other than regular maintenance and servicing it is basically an anomaly where it concerns the benefit, welfare and prosperity of the average citizen.  It doesn’t require any of the services and needs people rely upon.  Work and contributing has been the way of the world for a very long time; besides meaningfully occupying one’s time and feeling needed as a productive member of society.  In other words, giving life a purpose, rather than merely existing and loafing around. 

People like Musk have been prophesizing that work and poverty, because of AI and other futuristic wonders, will become a thing of the past.  There are a number of things all these tealeaf readers are ignoring.  We are living on a finite planet with limited resources and without any escape hatch in sight.  We are robbing the planet blind of its natural resources and we’re blundering through those that are renewable, but we don’t give them a chance to renew.  8 billion plus people can’t be ignored or conveniently turned into dogfood.  Unless you find a way to get rid of us, our presence cannot be ignored, nor can our needs and demands.  Neither can we ignore the expense of providing for people, especially in the face of the stupendous levels of debt most governments have racked up to keep us in our boots and standing straight up.

We are great at turning on and we suck at turning off.

I have alluded to this in previous articles and I will take a stab at it again.  Humanity has been great at devising new technologies that looked promising from the onset and that in the long term have been anything but.  Anticipating the consequences has never been our strongest suit.  From forging metal into weapons rather than ploughshares, turning gunpowder intended for fireworks into cannons used to kill and from rockets flying to the moon and bringing back a few hundred kilos of useless rocks, the list of unexpected side effects keeps piling up into negative territory.

All these technological advances have not turned us into a better species, one that should behave according to that much vaunted so-called superior human intelligence and not by pretending that we can replace nature with artifice and get away with it.

Whose brain will YOU be using?

If we start using AI to circumvent learning and if we stop massaging our brain by actually using it to explore, to question, to examine and to consider our actions and activities, it will turn all of us into a self-defeating entity and AI won’t come to our aid when it becomes essential to turn that brain of ours on.  We have always used learning and the imaginative abilities of our mind to solve problems.  If we use AI without critical thinking and original thought it will turn all of us into dependent, shallow and ineffective individuals.  But when we use AI to infuse our thought processes with additional information and evidence, it can only strengthen those ideas and solutions.  But AI should never do the thinking for us.  AI should never do the deciding for us.

What are we going to do with all these people?

There are no convenient escape hatches.

Governments are up to their eyeballs in debt and I don’t think a guaranteed wage or income plan is in the cards.  Neither will the billionaires voluntarily hand over their wealth to keep the masses alive.  The human journey is hallmarked by stupidity and greed and the urge to dominate, to exploit and control is stronger than any appeal for moderation, cooperation and sharing wealth and knowledge with all.  Throughout human history a few have always lived well at the expense of the masses and I don’t think AI will change that.  These past two centuries we have added several nails to the human coffin and the doomsday clock has just been moved up closer to midnight.  AI could well end up as the final nail.  I am sure that you could come up with better pros and cons and with more intriguing examples, but I hope that with my articles I can keep the conversation alive.  None of my novels or articles are AI generated or sourced.  I have always taken great pride in using my own brain rather than borrowing and stealing from others.  Literary theft is only acceptable as a kudo to the author who thought of it first.  As one of my language professors reminded me, “Everything has been written about, said or done before.  It’s your take on it that will hopefully be new and exciting and justifies chopping down a tree.  (At the time of his lecture paper was much in vogue and home computers only existed on someone’s drawing board).

Whose wealth is it?

We are once more living in a world where the bulk of all global wealth is held by a few million people and their families and 10 percent of that group controls the lion share.  This is a recipe for global financial and economic ruin.  Throughout human history we have been there before.  Greed, ignorance and plain stupidity bundling in such intensity that the release will be catastrophic.  It is staring us in the eye once again.  A meeting with destiny. 

As per usual, feel free to comment or share.

Questions to ask and consider: AI is not a consumer and it doesn’t purchase anything, nor does it save or invest.  Neither does it raise a family.  Do you work for AI or does AI work for you?  Do you benefit from AI or the entity that owns and controls it?    

Knowledge when shared by all is the greatest source of wealth.   

Purchase my novel Energy & Origin on KDP Amazon.ca and use my full pen name, W.M.A. Bes

TRIBAL ANXIETY AND IGNORANCE ARE VYING FOR OUR ATTENTION

 

TRIBAL ANXIETY AND IGNORANCE ARE VYING FOR OUR ATTENTION

 

Have you ever felt like a puppet as if an invisible puppet master is pulling your strings and the path and the story are no longer your own?  You feel like a piece of flotsam floating on the river of life and nothing connects.  Despite all the gadgets that keep you hooked and entertained, despite all the images and blurbs, there is only the illusion of connectivity.  The substance is lacking and a sense of truly belonging; to a family, to a community, to a place of work and even to a nation, it is simply not there.

Not only do I like to keep my articles short, I also prefer to concentrate on the essence.  Forget about the tiny details and the exceptions or providing proof by the baker’s dozen.  Facts and proof are only relevant if you’re prepared to accept them, not at face value, but through fact checking and verification.  I have never cared for the bits and bobs masquerading as news, for the kind of infotainment that has turned the newscast into ‘the show’.  We’re not even pretending anymore that investigative journalism and the accuracy of reporting is an actual requirement.  There are a few holdouts that deserve praise and I won’t name them for fear that either their funding will be yanked or their presenters vilified for having the audacity to report and investigate the massive amount of distortion, lies and fabrications flying under the radar as official policy.  As news!

Let’s stick with the basics.

The essence of life is about the preservation of life and the majority of species will engage in the act of procreation as this instinctive aspect is present in all of them.  All part of that mysterious evolution thing tangled up in our DNA.  We can try to ignore it, but it doesn’t quite work out that way.  The urge appears to be a majority kind of thing and few opt out.  Don’t try to rationalize it other than that evolution packs a powerful punch that is difficult to resist.  Self-preservation comes next and in this case it is all about survival.  Not a single species likes to give up the fight when it comes to life and living.  Incidents of suicide are infrequent in the individual, but mass suicide incidents are even rarer.  Only a few such historical events have been documented.  To illustrate how desperately we cling to life I will use the Nazi death camps as an example and you would think that faced with a certain death a large number of those held captive would consider suicide.  It didn’t happen and as one survivor reported, “Tomorrow could be the day of liberation, so you don’t give up.”  Look at all the misery that has descended upon cities and nations these past few years and how the masses rally, despite the suffering, the hunger and starvation, despite all the misery and deaths.

For the sake of clarity and keeping it short, I will stick with our species.  All living species follow the same patterns, needs and requirements.  I don’t want to get hung up on small differences and exceptions.  Whenever the occasion permits and warrants I love to put in a plug for my novel, Energy & Origin, based on the premise that energy created life, and life is energy.  Energy and momentum are joined at the hip because you can’t have one without the other.  Energy bundles and dissipates and we’re all familiar with the following:  We all eat at regular intervals because the food that we ingest doesn’t provide everlasting energy.  All lifeforms on Earth respond to the same instinctive needs and we can divide those needs in three.

Our primary need is for oxygen, food, water and sunlight (we don’t do well in the dark, except for night owls).  Secondary needs include shelter and clothing, although clothing can be optional depending on climate, culture and proclivity.  Some of us like to be covered from head to toe and others prefer au naturel.  Tertiary needs conform to tribal requirements; health, safety, and security concerns.

Humans excel in the anxiety department for a good reason.

None of the above, even when met, alleviate all of our concerns, because all species have a limited lifespan and are prone to ageing, disease and misfortune, no matter if optimum living conditions are met.  Life is a crap shoot from start to finish and there are no certainties.  We are constantly reminded of the fact that we are fragile creatures and it is this uncertainty that fuels anxiety.  We intellectualize everything!  People that study the natural sciences marvel at the way that nature—and I am sticking to trees and vegetation—have their own ingenious ways of protecting themselves from harm and adversity and they show an incredible resilience.  By the way, so do we, look at the numbers?    But, a mobile (ouch! Intelligent, ouch!) creature such as ourselves, has developed a much wider set of responses and some are rooted in some questionable attitudes and motives.  Color, race, language, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, customs and traditions; all can invoke actions and reactions that have little to do with meeting primary needs, but has everything to do with how diversity looks great on paper, but in reality, when adversity comes knocking on our doors, can produce some extreme responses.

Currently planet Earth is bearing the full physical impact of our species and in the complex societies we have created there is little we can all agree upon.  If anything, our disagreements are like the migratory paths of birds flying from one continent to the other.  We can’t seem to be able to make up our minds either.  We’re better known for our bitter infighting and picking fights with neighbors.  And what most conflicts and wars have in common is an irrationality that defies description.

It is hard to stop what we put in motion.  Momentum can be an ugly thing and anxiety levels amongst global tribes are on the rise.

Anxiety is creeping under our skin like a virus that defies antibiotics.  Regressive/negative human behavior has to run its course until it runs out of energy.  Put us under a microscope and what emerges is an argumentative, ungrateful lot, often resembling our political parties, sniping at each from across the aisles in never ending attacks, complaints and grievances.  A courteous discourse is simply not in the cards and only in our passing, when death comes knocking on our doors, timely or untimely, can all agree that we have lost a dearly beloved one and that he or she will be sorely missed.  At times our hypocrisy is the only thing we celebrate with gusto, as our insincerity flows from our visage in copious rivulets.  Actors all of us, so take a bow.

Lately my anxiety hails from an ageing body that increasingly shows a reluctance to comply with my wishes.  My mind commands, but the body refuses to follow suit.  In life there is only one certainty.  There is a finality to death that none of us can escape.  Death is the great equalizer.  Therefore, why complain about a fate that has befallen everyone that has preceded us, just as it will meet up eventually with anyone following in our footsteps.

May your future be short on missteps and be blessed with good health and fortune (if not found in a Chinese fortune cookie, it should be).

No, I didn’t leave out or forget about that ignorance thing, because honestly, does it need an explanation?  Ignorance is the fuel that anxiety feeds upon.

Feel free to comment or share and I am not so sure I want to hear about personal anxieties.  Keep it short and general.  Once upon a time I was a counsellor and I have worn out my empathy bone.

If you want to feel better about yourself and where we’re headed and why, purchase my book: Energy & Origin on KDP Amazon.ca

My official penname is W.M.A Bes