Friday 15 July 2016

Unsettled.

How easy it is to become unsettled - maybe easier as one ages.   I do like the status quo to be maintained and with all this business of Brexit, then Cameron's resignation, then the new Prime Minister and Cabinet, then all the Labour Party leadership problems, it seems that everything has shattered and is having to be rebuilt.

Now this morning I hear of yet another atrocity in France with many people killed and injured, and I ask myself why there should be such hatred in the world.   It seems to me (in my simple way of thinking, I suppose,) that killing never solved anything (wasn't it Winston Churchill who said 'jaw, jaw, jaw is better than war. war.war'?) and I ask myself why can't we all live together in peace and help one another?

Apart from religious differences (and I do realise that they play a huge part in many of the world's present problems) there is also the major problem of the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'.   I have just read a book lent to me by friend G about a British chap working for a year in a school on an Ashram for orphaned children in Poona.

It is a delightful book about the good humour and the thirst for learning that these children have.   Is it only when we become adult that we begin to think differently?

Maybe my whole mindset would be different if I was living on the bread line or even well below it.   As it is then I just want there to be peace in the world and a settled, ordered life within our own country.

But it seems it is all too much to ask.   Instead I think of the bereaved families in France this morning (some will be Muslim, some will be Christian and/or other religions I have no doubt) and I think of all those throughout the world who live well below (and I mean well below) the poverty line - and I despair.

21 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

I think it all pretty much comes down to bloody religion. Most places in the world where's there's conflict, religion is at the bottom of it. All this "my religion is better than your religion and I fight you over it" stuff is pathetic. Thankfully I've never been into religion and think it's all a load of rubbish dreamed up by some good storytellers.

Frances said...

Weaver, our time zone differences allowed those of us over here to learn of the Nice horrors in early evening. The story became more terrible with each hour.

Investigations will investigate, but I doubt will be able to prevent other such murders.

I know that I live in a place that is always a target and continue to try to enjoy the many positive opportunities the place offers.

(Switching topics, I wanted to let you know how well you told the story of the adverturous cows. Glad that it was concluded without more serious consequences. Sorry about the soggy Witabix.)

xo

George said...

Sad times that we live in, for sure, whether one lives in the U.K, France, the U.S., or one of the more economically impoverished countries of the world. All that any of us can do is offer what we can, when we can, where we can. Beyond that, the challenge is to always find meaning, joy, and gratitude in the ordinary pleasures of daily life, even as the world seems to be careening into an abyss.

Mary said...

Last evening here in the US we were stunned by the news from Nice. Watched the horrific news coverage for a while until we couldn't take anymore. At least they opted not to show the amateur videos being made which were apparently just too graphic to put on national TV, especially at a time when children could be watching. Thank you for doing the right thing for once media!

My heart is broken at yet another terrible tragedy where so many innocent lives have been destroyed. The world is becoming such a sad and dangerous place.

Gwil W said...

Violence. One of the common ingredients in the 3 famous religious books. No wonder we are in a mess.

Gwil W said...

For me it always comes back to the Bush-Blair Crusade. Admittedly there was violence before the Crusade it wasn't directed very much at Europeans. Mainly it was towards the US and the Middle East. With the killing of Saddam, we looked around to see who was next on the list. Turned out to be a certain Libyan. Then who would be next we wondered. Well that's still going on. But the Syrian leader has Russia on his side so this could take a while. So who benefits from toppling these people? Obama knows but he won't release the famous 28 redacted pages and the other redacted pages that never made the official version of the 9/11 report. And he won't or can't because the consequences to the US economy if the Saudis carried out their threat to dump all their US credits would be disastrous.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

I shall go running tonight, no one can stop me doing that. No one can or should stop us enjoying the outdoors.

Heather said...

Life is so complicated when it could be so simple. Greed and hatred seem to be rife at present and there seems to be nothing that ordinary people or the leaders of our countries can do about it. Not a comforting thought.

Terra said...

In the New Testament Jesus spoke about love and we read there that the greatest two commandments are to love others and to love God. So not all religions condone violence, thankfully. These are dangerous and heartbreaking times when violent attacks are being carried out and I pray for love and support for the victims and their loved ones.

John Going Gently said...

I was in the village hall this evening listening to some great singing.
Then i thought
I wished every country of the world could be there in miniature , all listening to the good humoured songs..
The problems would be solved

Having said this . Perhaps more women leaders would be e way to go.......every country one woman leader....

Cro Magnon said...

And today we wake to news of the attempted coup in Turkey, and another 42 dead. The whole world is in turmoil.

Judy said...

Human nature.It's never been any different.

Librarian said...

Judy is right, as sad as it is.
Weaver, if I think - really THINK - about it all, I will despair. So I cowardly try to hold fast to my neat, happy little life here. Sometimes things get closer; for instance, the Nice attack could have easily resulted in my losing some dear relatives.
My cousin, her husband and three boys have been living in Nice for around 20 years (the husband is French). My cousin and a friend had been watching the fireworks from the Promenade des Anglais, less than 10 minutes on foot from their house.
About 5 minutes before the mad b.....d and his lorry arrived, they decided they wanted ice creams... and so weren't there when the horror happened.

Derek Faulkner said...

So far, we haven't got any problems here in England and I have no intentions of going abroad, so to be honest, it's not something that bothers me. For Pat, daily enjoying farm and village life in Yorkshire as it always has been, it must seem like another planet.

Elizabeth said...

All the more reason to try to behave as well as one can towards all the people we encounter
and treat them respectfully.
Enjoy what we can!

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I can't imagine what happens to a community when an act of violence such as that occurs. Thankfully, here in Canada, we rarely have to worry about such things. My husband is a political / news junkie, but I prefer to focus on my gardens or a good book. And yes, too many terrible things have happened in the name of religion. -Jenn

Rachel Phillips said...

Women leaders? I don't understand.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Oh Rachel - that last comment has put the cat amongst the pigeons! Well it is good to have a woman PM here for a while (let's keep our fingers crossed and see how it goes) - and then there's Angela Merkel, Nicola Sturgeon,is there somebody in India? (I have forgotten) and - hopefully - there will be Hilary in the US (yes I know, but anything is better than Trump) - things can't get any worse with women in charge -can they?

Derek Faulkner said...

I'm all for it Pat, they can't do any worse a job than many of the men in recent times and good old Maggie was terrific. When she said something she meant it not like Cameron and Osborne - say it today and drop it tomorrow, all the time.

Rachel Phillips said...

If a leader is the right person it does not know what sex they are. Margaret Thatcher was a great Prime Minister. Angela Merkel has not achieved anything to be proud of in her role in EU and Nicola Sturgeon is not my cup of tea, male or female. It has nothing to do with what sex you are, it is whether you are up to the job. I dislike all talk of whether good and successful people are male or female. They are either good at it or they are not. I am very pleased we have Theresa May as our prime minister for the person she is, not because she is a female. If women want equality then we have to forget about talking about the fact that they are women.

Rachel Phillips said...

And Hillary Clinton is a warmonger, male or female. Beware there will be more dead bodies with Hillary Clinton.