Valle de Bravo before the lock-down. Gorgeous tress every where!By Isis Win
Through the frequent chats I have with people, locally and through the internet, I hear people throwing a statement about the world being upside down and then wonder the reason for that. I reckon the world is not as most believe it was, but I differ with this idea.
Since the inception of the industrial revolution, the world changed, not gradually, but fast and massive changes took place. Considering what it was before and it turned into, in less than a century, it is expected that the world could go in the wrong direction, and the time available to fix it was too short and shallow. Just the advent of the car and electricity changed everything the world was. Millions and millions of people of the world accepted and digested the comfort provided by the advance of technology. For instance, people in the US through generations did not travel more than twenty miles away from their homes, then they started to explore their neighbor states, and the next one, and their life became a different life. Electricity had a similar effect. Before it existed, it was “normal” to end daily activities after sundown and start after the sunrise. Not that people were not busy laboring or entertaining before and after those hours, but electricity extended to 24 hours the activity time and whatever can happen. The list grows as those two inceptions integrated newer technology.
As technology improved, just about everything in our personal and general world changed, and we went along with it. Population spread like rabbits; we accepted the enlargement of living areas, a buildup of larger homes spread, etc. (now shrinking). We consumed more of all types of resources. How much of that expansion was prepared for the negative impact? Just electricity shows a perfect example.
Electricity consumed vast amounts of coal. Coal created a considerable amount of contamination, then power plants came, and a war between suppliers of energy sources started. Solutions were designed and placed, but problems continue growing and growing. We people reacted in the very same way technology changed and changed us. Issues were “fixed,” but the number of problems increased as well the population and spread of people, the more problems appeared. The result, we have enough to worry about the consequences of that and that. A few things were addressed, but most were not and all based on the cost and revenue of whatever was in sight.
Everything started to fragment here in the US. Divisions multiplied among all sorts of differences among us, but we manage to keep our act together. Then, we have to count government actions. Among the different administrations, there were good and bad ones. Every admiration focused on one, two, or more issues, but many were untouched. Politics aimed (a promise!) to fix them, but every person representing a location wanted to be favored. With so many states wanting a piece of the cake, the cake is to be divided. Their representatives are getting a piece as well. However, some satisfaction was achieved, by any means- all problematic issues were not addressed—that increased level of the crisis, which sooner or later affected everyone.
Among the many not dealt issues of the past is racial discrimination. Slaves, blacks were liberated and theoretically were able to seek a better life on their own – whatever opportunity they could find and meld with the rest of the population. Meld with the original people that once slaved them. Injustice against blacks, Latinos, Asians, etc. continued happening. Apparently, not much focus was placed on those issues because they were considered political, and the supporters of the politicians and politics were not in agreement on how to fix that. The problem was not fixed, and it created the Civil Rights movement that as well, was fought to death, killing the leaders of that movement. Although there is a gain through the desegregation process, ethnic groups still have been victimized by those not willing or able to support the civil rights act.
That is one problem, a large one, but as I mentioned above, the spread of everything came with additional issues that needed to be addressed in a timely fashion. We were on the right track until recently, but this administration conceived an idea that many of those improvements were not at all such. Such as our intent to move towards fixing or aiding the world’s environment- that has been causing massive deaths and material losses. Expect to face more and worse natural disasters because we are behind the needed action, to at least reduce its impact.
We are, where we are because of the simple fact of cause and effect. Nothing critical we have faced since the last century is an accident. We are looking at the impact, but it seems that we are going to leave any possible action to the next administration. We were already late, we have lost four years, and it will take more time to undo, the wrong by this administration. Include into that package, the racism problem that is causing more effects to be paid in the future.
Racism, right now and ever, is wrong. However, ignoring the roots of that problem will not serve a real purpose to what is needed. Although it is undeniable that different ethnic groups are not treated as our constitution mandates, we cannot turn a blind eye to see why so many people feel antagonistic against a minority group. Not many people are willing or able to voice many of the elements that are part of this issue. Because said statements, against any of these minorities, will be seen as another form of racism. There is so much to be said about this growing problem! Although I do not support the way racism has been dealt with in the last four years, I dare to say; there is some valid basis to feel wrong about some of the people in those minority groups. Whatever can be said, requires an in-depth examination based on real, reliable facts that the other end would oppose to it. Such as members in those minorities do not behave like the rest of the population does, which is part of our protocols, and they believe their anger entitles them to act wrong – to act violently. I see this prevailing situation among Latinos, blacks, Asians, recently Arabs, etc. If you are invited to my house, you have to behave accordingly; otherwise, you are not invited. People filled with anger because injustice exists have nothing to win by acting up their sentiment. The same way our government needs to look into the parts that increase this situation, not to find an ending all solution. Those minorities must examine how they can stop what a few of their members do: pour barrels of gas to an already ignited fire – for far too long.
This is one of the too many reasons it seems the world is upside down. We are facing a lesson that we cannot ignore, and if we do, as we have done in the past, the crisis will increase, creating more damage and cynicism around all of us and the world.
The real important issue now is we must start addressing what we can – in the proper order – because the view about a screwed up world – may become a full reality – when we reach the point of no return. We have loads of issues that require immediate action, so we can have a certain future, not like the future we have now.
