People Power - means that people like you and me have to get involved?
It is odd - sitting here and thinking back how thoughts have altered over time. It is difficult to understand how three years ago, Brexit was a non-issue to most people and came from nowhere, to become such a divisive issue that would end up devastating so many peoples lives and livelihoods. How the whole process of Brexit has been unimaginably damaging and allowed to become such a toxic issue in our society is bewildering.
All this came about because a few of our MP's were prejudiced against Europe. Their prejudice was solely because they did not like some of the decisions coming out of Europe. Whatever happens now - the utter havoc, turmoil and division wreaked on our society by these rebelling MP's will have long term effects. Individual people, family's and companies will get hurt. Nobody, except possibly the very wealthy, will be untouched by this.
The simple question is, do we, as people, gain more from leaving Europe or staying in Europe? Do the few decisions that we disagree with outweigh all the benefits of being a member of the EU?
The truth is, the unprofessional negotiations that the UK has held with the EU during the past three years have been embarrassingly amateur and have yielded little.
I know I could not vote Conservative now. Brexit aside, there is something unpleasant about this current set of ministers. Something, not just in their policy's or language but in their tone. The "feel" of Prime Minister Johnson's cabinet is dark.
Their values and mine are not aligned. I feel politically homeless. There does not appear to be any party that represents the majority of my views. I don't think I am alone.
I have much the same feeling about the US Republicans. They appear to have lurched to the right. It seems all the mutually agreed protocols of common decency and behaviour have been swept aside in favour of a hard right Trumpian way of behaving.
What is so disappointing, is the men and women who we thought we could count on to uphold the conventional protocols of decency have failed to do so. These politicians who we thought were people of stature and character have kowtowed to the unpleasant and thuggish behaviour of this hard-right movement that we have borne witness to.
Like on a still, humid, heat-wave day - one longs for a fresh breeze or to dive into a pool of clear, refreshing water - so it is with the world right now. We yearn for enlightened leaders.
The dark side of human nature needs to be balanced by the light, the loving-kindness of humans. With leaders such as Trump and Johnson, that balance is now shown to be absent. So why should the bad guys worry? Trump certainly, seems quite relaxed about "buddying-up" to some very bad people. And in turn, Johnson seems quite happy buddying up to Trump.
We have to defeat this tendency to vote in leaders who are extremists and liars. Be it Far Right or Far Left. We need to make a shift back to the middle ground and honesty.
Our MP's need to understand they have to fight for the trust they want from us, the people, the trust they want us to bestow on them. Our democracy, now more than ever, needs individuals to get involved and make themselves heard. Change for the better will take "People Power".
My biggest fear is that failure to do so, will, in the long term, result in conflict. And those of us who have witnessed conflict first hand know - not just the futility and cost but once started, conflict cannot be controlled. I fear we are right on the edge of civilisation here - starring over the abyss. I worry for my children, for everyone - for all living creatures, for our world.
We need brave people to stand up and fight for what is right, good and fair - even if only to speak up when they can see the wrong being done. The young at heart - the enlightened - they are our hope for the future.
Robert Jordon in Ernest Hemingway's - For whom the bell tolls: "Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today."
Richard Summers - 28th August 2019 Notes for England
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