The Status Quo; a sombre assessment.

           Now firmly established in the new millennium, it might be appropriate to conduct some form of global audit to reflect on where we are and how the past one hundred years or so has shaped our present predicament. This has been a period during which more has happened in all areas of activity than in all of recorded history. In the Western world in particular, progressive thinking and advances in political and social structure of many countries, has bestowed undreamed of improvement in personal freedom and quality of life. The efforts of many visionaries and revolutionaries in many countries have resulted in a much more equitable distribution of wealth and benefits. In the more democratic countries, income levels have increased enormously. Indeed, until quite recently the concept of disposable income was something known only to the privileged few, the vast majority having to be content with maintaining themselves solely at hand to mouth subsistence levels.

            With the widespread collapse of the Communist system, there was even reason to hope that the benefits currently enjoyed by the western countries would progressively be extended to a larger number of countries around the globe. The technological revolution has been even more explosive, and is completely transforming the way we live as well as our relationship with each other and the environments in which we live. Initiated by the harnessing of electricity and with it the enhancement of creature comforts, the vast increase in mobility brought about by developments in mass transportation and more recently the colossal impact of computer driven communication and information for all are astounding.

            With this array of material benefits available to so many, it might be supposed that mankind has finally come of age and that over time with these multifaceted improvements available on a global basis. we will have finally arrived in the fabled land of milk and honey.  Within this earthly nirvana, it might well be supposed that there is no longer any need to concern ourselves with other than material matters.  Already, many of the ancient religious beliefs have come under critical scrutiny. Many previously held “truths” have been shown to be misconceptions. Science has explained away much of what had been believed to be directly controlled by divine intervention. In particular, medical sciences have transformed and in many cases saved the lives many for whom a terminal prognosis had been the case. Allowing the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk as well as many distressing physical and mental infirmities, are a few of their cornucopia  of successes. In some cases, some of the worst of afflictions such as polio and smallpox have been virtually eradicated.

            From a history of hardships at subsistence level, mankind now has the time to reflect on life in a new way and hopefully to adopt a more altruistic attitude to those still condemned to lives of penury and suffering. Were this to be true, the world would certainly be at least a more compassionate place where selflessness and concern for mankind at least for those for whom financial security -if not affluence, has become an accepted part of their lifestyle. However, whilst these worthy objectives are practiced amongst naturally caring individuals, sadly for the most part, closer examination reveals that a great number of us live their lives in contrast to the benevolence of the minority.

            Overall, what impact has this brave new world impacted on how we feel about ourselves, our interaction with each other and our relationship with the earth; the very core of our existence. Over humanity in general, a listing of the outcome reads less like an enhancement of the human experience and more like a litany of symptoms and sicknesses including  words which 100 years ago were unknown.

1. Personal:

Stress

Anxiety

Depression

Suicide

Addictions

Eating disorders

Cancer

Heart disease

 2. Societal:

Failed relationships

Divorce

Spousal abuse

Abuses against children

Cyber bullying

Violence

Cynicism

Apathy

Indifference

Pornography

 Greed

 Corruption

Corporate avarice

3. Environmental:

Global warming

Air pollution

Ozone depletion

Toxic waste

Acid rain

Clear cutting

Depletion of flora and fauna

Depletion of non-renewable resources

            What a devastating indictment of the modern world! Is this the cumulative result of thousands of years of “civilization”? More remarkable is the likelihood that none of the above will come as news to anyone. It seems that we have firmly embarked on a course which will lead us progressively down an alliterative descent of despair, despondency, depression and finally, death. What is worse, there is no sign of any turn round without which the prognosis for future generations gives cause for serious concern. Even if and when this is accepted and there is the will to halt the decline, with the best will in the world, the situation will take considerable time to reverse.

Much of the above dismal list has been aided by some of the  technical contributions to the modern age. Some notable innovations, things that should be of a positive nature such as communications technology -which includes popular entertainment and social media have in many cases been distorted. Responsible for the “dumbing down” of substance into style, distorters of facts into fiction, spinners of political agendas, and shapers of public taste (or lack thereof), the chief offenders are beholden to and faithful servants of the giant corporations without whom they would cease to exist.

Therefore it seems high time to stand back, take a deep breath, and with a clear mind, look at the big picture. It is vital to take objective stock of the status quo and to review, re-examine and question many of the long accepted fundamentals of “civilized” conduct and belief structure.

 For some this will be difficult. For example, it targets the mindless acceptance of primitive and arcane dogmatic superstition which for many has for too long been accepted without question. It demands the disposal of all unnecessary philosophical baggage to clear the mind and by sensible and logical reasoning get a more rational feel for what life is, free of any inherited predigested crutches, chemical dependency or cosmetic cop-outs.

Perhaps the best place to begin is with our relationship with the extraordinary and beautiful world around us. This is our home and the essence of everything we experience. Earth, air, fire and water is all there is, from which our bodies emerge and to which they will ultimately return. Sadly, our increasingly urban-based societies are moving progressively towards a man-made environment. Instead of embracing the world and its wonders, the trend is towards insulating ourselves from it.

I have an image in my mind of a stereotypical young urban person on the street, smart phone in hand or headphone in ear, their companions all similarly immersed in their own cyber world. Their mountains and landscapes are of steel, glass, and concrete, the rivers flowing between them made of tarmac. For them, stillness and tranquillity paradoxically seem to cause disquiet and anxiety and any silence has to be blotted out electronically either by texting, conversation or music of varying mediocrity. Indeed the presence of the latter is all-pervading and virtually impossible to escape. 

Many are given to question the purpose of their existence and find themselves in a spiritual vacuum from where they desperately attempt to submerge their neuroses in the pursuit of material possessions and corporeal stimulation. In my experience, those who have been brought up to experience the wilderness or at least unspoiled natural environments at an early age quickly develop a love of the outdoors. Moreover, looking back over the many years during which I have engaged with nature in a variety of pursuits including hiking, paddling, camping and cycle-touring, by far the  majority of those whom I have met and shared these experiences have been (-suitably in the circumstances) firmly grounded and almost without exception to be people of good will.