Staying Close Apart

“It’s all for nothing, if you don’t have freedom” – attributed to William Wallace

Division, separation, freedom, whatever you may call it – it is happening all around us. Everyone is splitting or threatening to do so and declaring autonomy. The Scots appear to have recently watched Braveheart one time too many, lightly calling for “freeeeedom” from the clutches of the UK inland revenue service..ahemm..I mean government, we all know what the strong-man Putin is trying to achieve with his tough-man tactics in the former USSR satellites (nothing irks a power-hungry leader like a broken NATO promise not to build bases so close to his home), and the CR-ISIS movement has ruptured a line right through the heart of the Middle East by declaring for itself a non-existent border – hold on..is that not exactly what the Allies did themselves after destroying half the world in 1917 and then returning to finish off the second half in 1946? Now we have had Obama and the rest of his super-hero buddies agree on concerted anti-evil action (i.e. bombing ISIS), the Western media have a new foe to report on for the foreseeable future… plus ça change…

Whilst the twin global cities of London and New York revel in the midst of high-heels and gorgeous hair during their respective fashion weeks - such a joy to sit in sunny Sloane Square and witness the free outdoor catwalk that the King’s Road strut is - the rest of reality and base humanity dwell in the depths of violence and religious persecution..ohhh when will the masses realise that their manipulation at the hands of supposed religious leaders is nothing more than a high-stakes financial power-struggle (Iran vs Saudi) twinned with an unerring military munitions technology test (Israel vs the World ex US)? How much longer till China goes the same way and begins disintegrating from within?

Trouble in Hong Kong can often be a signal of things to come for the mainland and there are a lot of heated protests taking place there in the face of seeming growing exertion of influence by the Beijing authorities. Are they turning a blind eye to the problem hoping that money will be thrown at the issue and somehow magically resolve itself? It may, it very well likely will not. Since the loss of the teachings of Confucius, the great China Empire has struggled to find a coherent and unifying factor to glue its massive population and diverse ethnic base – money has been that glue for the last 25 years and catalysed its speedily impressive return to the world economic stage, yet greed and corruption are too fallible a sticking agent. Ruptures along the provincial lines are hastily repaired by the central government. Constantly papering-over the crack without fixing the foundation is never a long-term solution though. The world’s most populous Muslim nation is in fact North China (c.120m), given the increasing noise surrounding calls for territorial liberation and precipitous rise in violent action, economic factors are truly the least of the CCP’s worries right now.

The pace of divarication is increasing - What exactly is it that is driving this thirst for independence and a recognition of individual rights and land?...flying in the face of “bring the world together” social media and technology. It is as if a backlash against the humdrum monotony of identical Tweets and Instagram postings - where everyone seems to think they are a star just for prettily posing in a bikni or spouting silly nuggets of wisdom that then get meaninglessly re-tweeted ad nauseam – has resulted in a growing dichotomy sprouting the first shoots of resistance and a hunger for change. Whilst the setting for such global events may appear aleatory (after all..why would you assume ISIS have anything to do with protesting Thai anti-government supporters?) a calm and cynical inward look reveals the binding movement of a desire to “belong”. Paradoxically, we may well have moved so far from our own identities, flummoxed by the identity-sapping-banality of modern social obsessions and materialism, that we now only feel unique enough when part of a movement seeking specious uniqueness.

So what exactly is going on, why are we experiencing such a lurch towards freedom of individual rights and practice in some parts of the world when others are almost now umbilical-cord - attached by the proximity of technology sharing? Why exactly do the Scots want to move away? Money..that’s why (a greater share of their own oil and gas revenues). Why was there a rumour that Dubai wanted to declare itself independent from the UAE...Money..(from a desire to introduce and enjoy the revenues of gambling as it happens). Why did Singapore declare itself no longer part of Malaysia in the past?...Money and land ownership…and why do ISIS really want to behead innocent reporters in some suicidal bid for swift global super-power retribution..yep..you guessed it..Money..from controlling the main oil wells. That is how it goes all around us and always has done. We are but a blip in the greater scheme of human history and events. Not for a second should we consider what we are going through as either special or unprecedented, in every chapter of our run through recent civilisation have we witnessed colossal changes in the face of technological advancement.

Why are we kidding ourselves. We are all looking for the same thing. If the only ones to say that money does not matter are those that have plenty of it..well then life is surely about the journey and not the destination. People are so intent on reaching their goals and dreams..tasting that bit of success.. that they truly think it will be that way all the time when they get there. But no..they are sadly wrong it seems...the destination is very rarely as good as the journey (any billionaire’s biography attests to this). Tasting something for a short while is invariably better than living with it. Those currently fighting and struggling for the summit of independence they currently crave, may well be left depressingly disappointed when the reality of ‘being there” proves a barren view.

“Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it”..Mel Gibson’s William Wallace character in Braveheart uttered some immortal lines, resulting in some gruesome (for that time) big screen violence. Today’s move towards independence from recognition-seeking-Scotland to the hinterlands of no-man’s-land-Iraq is taking shape in varying degrees of democracy and sheer barbarism. It would be best for all concerned if braver hearts prevailed and fewer heads were found rolling on the bloodied earth of failed diplomatic efforts.