Uh-oh
So, we’re completely fucked. What do we do about it? Hide out in dark rooms listening to psy-trance and wanking into our socks? Make a TV ad about mad African people being chased by a disembodied voodoo head? Talk through a powerpoint at a conference of people who’s egos are too big for their hemp cardigans? All three?
Who knows, I certainly don’t. In trying to think of something to actually say about this picture other than ‘we’re fucked’, I realised two things:
1) I have an overwhelming sense of impotence regarding the state of the world which I believe to be shared by a lot of people my age
2) I think this is different to how things were even 30 years ago. In the 60′s, the 70′s and even into the 80′s with Live Aid etc I think that people believed, perhaps naively, perhaps not, that they could make a difference. Rebelling, protesting, challenging the status-quo were all interesting and fairly productive things to do. Once people started self-organising to fight for civil, gay or womens’ rights, they managed to affect change rather promptly (in the scheme of things).
The question I ask and also propose an answer to is why? Why do we not think we can change things now? Why could they be changed before? Why did these things seem productive then and why do they seem useless now?
The thing that springs to mind immediately is the presence of information in our lives from the global media. I think, the main reason we don’t feel able to change things is that because of the ceaseless flow of information into our brains from everything that happens around the globe.
In other words. The change we can affect is the same, the problem being that we hear of so much fuckery from around the world that any possible positive impact of what we’re doing is drowned out by the unending sensationalised negativity. We never reach a critical mass, a tipping point, that makes it look like we’re winning.
So, we’re too aware. We’re paralysed by information because our impact is always drowned out, but there’s another reason. We’re paralysed by taking our own causes passionately, because we’re all too aware of the other, much more severe shit, happening elsewhere. Right now, I’m pretty concerned about the political and economic situation in this country – but I know the people in Darfur have got it a lot worse, and the dudes in the Congo are having a quite awful time of it. There are much bigger issues out there than mine, right? I am paralysed by perspective, and maybe, to top it all off, I’m paralysed by the fact that the status-quo has become too comfortable to destroy. Help.
Suggested listening: Beck – Modern Guilt
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Comments ( 2 )
Where is the anger?
Billions in debt and the students of Paris haven’t even raised a pain au chocolat in protest.
London fashion week is tame. Nice middle class Lilly Allens all hailing caps and drinking glasses of whatever at Shoreditch House.
Communication is hiding on twitter and iPhones the streets are empty.
Rooney added these pithy words on
Sep 23 09 at
9:13 am
Do something.
Give.
It doesn’t matter how small.
Dig an allotment
Do a little charity work
whatever.
You’ll feel a million dollars better off for it.
And a hundred times better.
Kev added these pithy words on
Oct 07 09 at
4:27 pm
