As the poor of the world feel compelled to abandon their homes to floods and fire, our governments feel free to leave us to it, their attention focused on grabbing one last handful of the spoils. Our needs are defined by capitalism, and our capacity to fulfil them are distributed unevenly. We are building up greater inequity for future generations by stealing their resources and burdening them with catastrophic living conditions. Freeing ourselves from this is tough, as we have lost our control of the land, we have lost the power of our hands, and we have lost our connection to each other. Solidarity, love and conscious effort to change are the only tools we have.
When I witness acts of love and solidarity, I feel hopeful for change. They are indeed powerful. Thank you for your thought provoking piece today Jo. X
Thoughtful and thought provoking as ever, Jo. I would only observe that "gender critical " women are rarely single issue. Few people would argue with the main thrust of this piece that the world is being captured by dangerous right wing ideologies and that, unchecked, they will be the architects of global catastrophe. X
You're right; I should be far more nuanced about 'gender critical' women.
My thought about them, and the connection between what some of them say and what the Pope said, rather unexpectedly occurred to me when i was writing. I got excited by it, and impulsively put it in...
Glad someone is helping! Things are not quite so bad here in Scotland, but we are still affected by the Westminster's government to underfund the NHS to the point of collapse so people lose faith in it and go private...it's a painful place we're all in....xxx
I was thinking how quickly the news cycle moves on. I was due to travel home from Trans Pride in Brighton on Monday, but my train was cancelled due to the extreme weather. I had to hunker down with bottled water in a sweltering hotel room for a couple of days until it was safe for the trains to run again. I was reading headlines about London's fire brigade being stretched further than at any time since the Blitz (the papers like bringing that up) and seeing pictures of motorway verges on fire like it was Australia in the dry season.
This week all that is totally forgotten as people are inconvenienced by those pesky workshy French border guards. I thought about how both situations were caused by people with power making the easy short-term decision, rather than making the difficult decision for the long-term good.
You're right, Susan. And the ever-changing news cycle makes us constantly distracted, and unable to focus. And we get lost in a labyrinth of angry issues, none of which ever get resolved.
I once had a friend whose sole focus of attention was the welfare of cats on a small greek island.
In a way, I found that quite admirable.... (although there's dangers in that too!)
You must have had a wretched journey back. Hope you're safely home...
As the poor of the world feel compelled to abandon their homes to floods and fire, our governments feel free to leave us to it, their attention focused on grabbing one last handful of the spoils. Our needs are defined by capitalism, and our capacity to fulfil them are distributed unevenly. We are building up greater inequity for future generations by stealing their resources and burdening them with catastrophic living conditions. Freeing ourselves from this is tough, as we have lost our control of the land, we have lost the power of our hands, and we have lost our connection to each other. Solidarity, love and conscious effort to change are the only tools we have.
You're absolutely right, dear Ang.
This is what is happening, and these are the only tools we have.
I think they are perhaps more powerful than we can imagine....
love and solidarity to you....xxxx
When I witness acts of love and solidarity, I feel hopeful for change. They are indeed powerful. Thank you for your thought provoking piece today Jo. X
so glad it made you hopeful. we need all the hope we can get...xxx
Thoughtful and thought provoking as ever, Jo. I would only observe that "gender critical " women are rarely single issue. Few people would argue with the main thrust of this piece that the world is being captured by dangerous right wing ideologies and that, unchecked, they will be the architects of global catastrophe. X
Thank you, dear Ruth.
You're right; I should be far more nuanced about 'gender critical' women.
My thought about them, and the connection between what some of them say and what the Pope said, rather unexpectedly occurred to me when i was writing. I got excited by it, and impulsively put it in...
Hope you're feeling better.
Best, Jo xxx
Thanks Jo. Had something to eat tonight after three days on the water. And, as you can imagine, it's not my beverage of choice as a normal rule!
all best
Ruth xxx
Glad you're back on a bit of food at last! That all sounds wretched.... hope you stay on the mend xxx
Thanks. Kind friend brought some sustenance yesterday. Doc will phone today but they can't advise when! I do love the NHS, but sometimes.......xxx
Glad someone is helping! Things are not quite so bad here in Scotland, but we are still affected by the Westminster's government to underfund the NHS to the point of collapse so people lose faith in it and go private...it's a painful place we're all in....xxx
I was thinking how quickly the news cycle moves on. I was due to travel home from Trans Pride in Brighton on Monday, but my train was cancelled due to the extreme weather. I had to hunker down with bottled water in a sweltering hotel room for a couple of days until it was safe for the trains to run again. I was reading headlines about London's fire brigade being stretched further than at any time since the Blitz (the papers like bringing that up) and seeing pictures of motorway verges on fire like it was Australia in the dry season.
This week all that is totally forgotten as people are inconvenienced by those pesky workshy French border guards. I thought about how both situations were caused by people with power making the easy short-term decision, rather than making the difficult decision for the long-term good.
You're right, Susan. And the ever-changing news cycle makes us constantly distracted, and unable to focus. And we get lost in a labyrinth of angry issues, none of which ever get resolved.
I once had a friend whose sole focus of attention was the welfare of cats on a small greek island.
In a way, I found that quite admirable.... (although there's dangers in that too!)
You must have had a wretched journey back. Hope you're safely home...
Love, Jo xxx
Oh the deep down ache of all this .
Where oh where is love ?
Thank you, dear Jo, for your beautiful and heart-rending response.
I obstinately believe it will never be wholly lost...
All love to your dear self.... Jo xxx
Love to you too. I treasure your hope xx