The Choice is ... Choice. But of Trump's Version?

Dear Reader,

Strange isn't it? Here we are being told on one hand that we must focus on Brexit and get that out of the way by forcing a no-deal form of the exit, while (probably) a majority don't want a 'no deal' and are unlikely to be given a choice about it. In fact there's a strong argument that the 2016 referendum also assumed that 'exit' meant with a deal, and not no-deal, in which case a no-deal exit would be quite contrary to democracy and the concept of choice (which is what people thought they were being given).

On top of that I would think that very few of the 'no-deal exit' voting fraternity have thought properly of the quite real ramifications - e.g. that a US trade agreement would give us less trade than we currently have with the EU, added to the likely situation that the UK would then be importing food products that do not pass our current stringent quality tests. Trump doesn't have to be clever to realise that Boris is just the PM he wants to enrich the US trade position with us ... a position that is likely to be detrimental to the UK but lovely for the US, and Trump.

And there's another aspect of a no-deal Brexit. The fact that we would return to a form of trading that depends on supplies from around the world via ship and plane at more cost to the eco-system. And back the other way.

This topic brings us back to the matter of Climate Change. 

Though the UK has just noticed a few changes in the weather ... some much hotter days and some wetter days ... the rest of the world, very much including Continental Europe, has noticed a great deal more in the form of weather system changes. This summer, most of Europe has been 'basking' in very high (dangerous even) temperature levels for long periods, whilst other parts of the world have received massive flooding and others, like Guatemala, prolonged droughts. etc. etc.

So the lack of major Climate Change around the UK (in comparison with elsewhere) to-date tends to put us into little change in our thinking. Except that we get upset that Tesco has moved up quite a few shelf prices, partly because of the Climate Change in the rest of the world and their ability to produce quality foodstuffs.

While the Brexit fiasco is taking place, our eye is off the ball of Climate Change and we continue to be bombarded with advertising for holidays abroad and toilet products that do not do anything to help the eco-system. And the great boom in the computer gaming industry and the triumphant UK 15-year-old who wins one million dollars in a gaming competition and says "Look, Mum, I didn't waste my time at school!" 

And the football world, in particular, continues to behave as though that's the only economic model that matters. Yes, I have an affection for football, but as it was 50+ years ago - not as it has been these last 20 years.

All the above-stated issues are numbingly mindless. Money, money, money. We must all be asleep. But it's not money itself that's the problem but we humans and how we use it together with a lack of appreciation of ecology and Systems Thinking.

To certain people, my previous essay about our move towards Systems Thinking must seem like a foreign language. 

No, I don't believe the World is about to end. But I do believe we are fast reaching the end of life as we have known it for the last few decades. That end is closer than we could possibly imagine.

Ignore the TV ads and what Boris and Trump say. Insist - please - on a Brexit with a deal and an immediate higher focus on climate change and its imminent effect, which is already being felt in most of this planet. Not to do so will probably mean much clenching of teeth in 2020 onwards, and even much greater suffering than we would care for if we were to listen to our real selves - our common sense - and the teachings of the great spiritual masters.

It is believed that Chief Seattle  said:

Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. One thing we know: our god is also your god. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.

Thank you for reading this.