Perspectives

As the anniversary of Martial Law arrives ... and the international scale of this Fourth Industrial Revolution is revealed by key players of the game ... the usual suspects, the super-rich, ably backed by contemporary Gods playing roles in international operations, let's say United Nations and their subsidiaries, notably the World Economic Forum with the quite convincing sinister Klaus Schab openly promoting his Great Reset, epitomising the existential fears of masses of semi-civilised societies subverted by fear of death and love of money.

Well, that's my perspective here and now anyway, based on the embedded prejudices of all the cultural biases of 70 years of history, informed, of course, by the received knowledge and wisdom of millennia. So, it seems there's little point defending my view as unique to everyone else. Or to be precise anyone else. The word unique being the clue!

And does all this speculation therefore mean all views are allowable and valid?

Well, that depends on who decides what's allowed and what's valid. It's tricky.

The day before yesterday, in linear time, your increasingly curious old blogger, having found a window in the mostly empty schedule, given a forecast of fair weather all day, yearning for another pilgrimage, set off with a light pack with coffee and water and headed South uphill, then East ... training for the Camino, building physical strength and anticipating few distractions from humans.

The first human duly turned up quite soon, with collie; a local stranger living nearby with her husband, both retired teachers and long term residents of the Dale. A fascinating encounter revealed her early years in Bucks, close to the third rate teacher training college which provided your semi-educated would-be philosopher with a piece of paper proving fitness to teach children.  There was a shortage of teachers at the time. Philosophy swiftly ensued with Pam, the new friend, the way it does these days.

Steeply up towards the ridge, a previous acquaintance, Eric, appeared; a keen ornithologist more interested in birds than humans, but happy to philosophise for ten minutes or so. His experience as an engineer repairing installations in Tripoli after the removal of the awkward leader of Libya, like other leaders of states with oil underground, was just as fascinating as his information about identifying flying birds not by sight but sound. Even the slight difference between red grouse and black as they chatter, awaiting the Autumn arrival of rich sheiks from oil states with guns; a boost to the local economy with jobs all year for gamekeepers rearing tame game, trapping small mammals, shooting predatory birds, burning heather to provide fresh food for grouse ... plus good pay for beaters, persuading the prey to fly high enough for the hunters to blast them as the lads and lasses duck for safety. The loaders are safer, ensuring the shooter has both barrels at all times, flattering the rich bloke and increasing their pay with cash tips. And so on.

Sun appears on and off, up and along the track past the landmark Elephant Trees; three women and three dogs stop briefly for a chat. To the South flames are seen from heather burning, to the North the distant reservoir of Tunstall, East is Wolsinham in the valley, soon reached, and back along the river path, a chat with a local Alan, gardening happily in his retirement, keen to share tales of the Dale gone by.

Yesterday was busy, relatively. Which is to say something was in the diary. A working lunch at the Retreat House with two dear friends to plan new ways to offer support to elders and others cruelly locked away with no choice of how to spend their time. Clearly such actions by Government decree infers either a deadly dangerous disease or a neo-fascist coup ... the evidence from the start and all through was that the disease was very infectious but not lethal to the general population and the rest was hyped up by corrupt politicians, scientists, doctors and mass media ... though different perspectives depend on which evidence you believe, of course!

Meanwhile, sensible folks plod on, finding loopholes in the increasingly senseless rules in order to act humanely, within the official guidance if possible and without if necessary. Your old blogger, by the way, was brought up to challenge everything and break unjust rules from teachers, employers and basically anyone misusing their authority. It didn't make life comfortable, but it was never dull, and frankly Normal as perceived in the world where humans killed each other with permission of Governments never made sense.

Anyway, dear reader(s), if any ... thinking, walking, reading, writing and talking to other humans, dogs, sheep, trees and all of Nature, is better than passing time alone, in fear, watching hypnotic television in retirement. Fear of Death and Worship of Money are completely absent, fortunately. That, plus seeing through the illusory nature of egoic self, feels like Liberation ... which is nice.
A win win approach in fact: contentment whilst living and if the story was just a big mistake as atheist friends insist, then where's the harm?

Time for lunch ...