The wrongs in the world are being called out. People are fighting against discrimination, harassment, inequalities, abuse, climate change. The current economic, sociological and ecological models are not working anymore — we have known it for years and are raising our voices.
Why then? Why are they changing so slowly, if at all?
There are so many battles to fight, we are dispersed, losing energy and synergy. In each of them, there are several layers to uncover as we go past our privileged biases. We are fighting for equal pay for women in the corporate world — what about the ones who could not get an education, let alone land a corporate job? We are fighting against harassment in school — what about the kids who don’t even make it to school? There is so much to do and so little resources.
And mostly, what about the war? The one against ourselves for the survival of our species? All these other battles, however important, will not mean a thing if our planet becomes inhabitable, if our species is reduced to just a few. Yet things don’t move at the speed they should.
Seemingly intelligent billionaires are investing unthinkable amounts to maybe one day establish a liveable colony on Mars. Why not spend that money to rebuild what we have damaged on earth? The very fact that they are investing in this solution proves that they have in no way learned anything from the climate, economic and sociological crisis we are going through; at best, they will be transposing the same human shortcomings to another planet.
The American President just announced he would raise taxes for the richest Americans and corporations and fight tax evasion — about time — to invest in the economy and create more jobs. Great. But so… the system will not change? This is a long overdue rebalancing of wealth, until the next government comes along and decides to change it again. This is just a patch — albeit a considerable one — not a cure. Is there no one in the government who realizes this could be the opportunity to rebuild the system? To make it circular, to bring back into focus human well-being and ecological balance?
I hear at every corner that investors have more cash than ever, that they are looking for good ideas to invest in. I understand return is their primary concern. How much return, though? What good will all that wealth do when there is no more planet to inhabit, when there is only a handful of us left on earth, or when all fellow humans are in deep misery. Is there any portion of their wealth they could allocate to tackle the future of our species, or will they look away and focus on counting their bills?
What I don’t understand, is how, collectively, the human race remains blind to its doom ahead.
Around me, no one speaks about this. When I do, I am faced with awkward silence, looks averted, tension rising in the hope that someone will crack a joke that will save everyone from the uncomfortable thought that we, too, are contributing to our own doom. Let us forget and close our eyes. There is nothing we can do, right? We might as well be oblivious and keep on consuming instead.
If we don’t do anything, then who will? Surely not the fauna and flora we are mistreating — they couldn’t get rid of us any faster. Do we really think the situation will magically resolve? It is a fact: we will reach the end, in pain, and having deeply failed our children. We knew what was coming, and we let it happen. That is the only truth. I know we all want to forget, me first. But I can’t anymore. I physically can’t.
What do we do now?
