United we stand; divided we fall...
There are ominous signs, world-wide. Nowhere seems to be without conflict of some kind, and a lot of it is extreme. The topmost issue will soon be - I'm sure - the survival of the huge number of Middle Eastern refugees and economic migrants that have entered Europe. Many, many more will soon come and then will be faced with what could be a grim European winter, and I fear a crisis arising. There is already a serious food shortage situation in the camps that exist in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.
The 'migration issue' has certainly opened up some real issues in respect of our so-called eastern European partners. Up until now the European Union seems to have been operating reasonably well as it says on the tin (a Union), but the sheer scale of the migration has caused panic amongst the eastern countries of the EU and much criticism of Merkel's generous invitation.
The UK is poised to have a referendum on whether we should stay in the EU.
But not only do we have division within the EU but also within the constituent countries of the EU. We all know the situation in Scotland towards independence, and we are familiar now with Catalonia's claims. But how many know that other areas have declared their independence claims, including Brittany and Sardinia? The whole idea of the EU was to bring countries and peoples closer together, but the trend is now towards disunity.
Indeed, it could be claimed that any sense of a cohesive social fabric is quickly disappearing, and perhaps it has been partly brought on by the swing towards individual determination over the last 50 years. The human rights movements of the 60s were well-intentioned, but since then many people have evolved a selfish attitude as though togetherness is something outworn and should be thrown aside. Maybe we are now beginning to reap from the worst of that.
Whatever has developed on the selfish front, there is no excuse for the right-ist developments that have taken place in England. Well, if you can call a right-wing government that was elected by only 24% of the voting population as being a right-wing development. Also, we have the terrible state of affairs in the USA where police have reportedly shot and killed over 800 people this year alone. Last week's report of the police killing of an apparently unarmed man in a wheelchair being perhaps the most chilling report yet.
With the backdrop of a USSR/US unification against ISIL in Syria, we at least have the refreshing debate instigated by Jeremy Corbyn. At his Party's Conference in these next few days we'll find out more. It may result in more division, and a Party split. We shall see.
The 'migration issue' has certainly opened up some real issues in respect of our so-called eastern European partners. Up until now the European Union seems to have been operating reasonably well as it says on the tin (a Union), but the sheer scale of the migration has caused panic amongst the eastern countries of the EU and much criticism of Merkel's generous invitation.
The UK is poised to have a referendum on whether we should stay in the EU.
But not only do we have division within the EU but also within the constituent countries of the EU. We all know the situation in Scotland towards independence, and we are familiar now with Catalonia's claims. But how many know that other areas have declared their independence claims, including Brittany and Sardinia? The whole idea of the EU was to bring countries and peoples closer together, but the trend is now towards disunity.
Indeed, it could be claimed that any sense of a cohesive social fabric is quickly disappearing, and perhaps it has been partly brought on by the swing towards individual determination over the last 50 years. The human rights movements of the 60s were well-intentioned, but since then many people have evolved a selfish attitude as though togetherness is something outworn and should be thrown aside. Maybe we are now beginning to reap from the worst of that.
Whatever has developed on the selfish front, there is no excuse for the right-ist developments that have taken place in England. Well, if you can call a right-wing government that was elected by only 24% of the voting population as being a right-wing development. Also, we have the terrible state of affairs in the USA where police have reportedly shot and killed over 800 people this year alone. Last week's report of the police killing of an apparently unarmed man in a wheelchair being perhaps the most chilling report yet.
With the backdrop of a USSR/US unification against ISIL in Syria, we at least have the refreshing debate instigated by Jeremy Corbyn. At his Party's Conference in these next few days we'll find out more. It may result in more division, and a Party split. We shall see.
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