ANOTHER ANTHEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LliKxwn2KDw
MIGRATION versus COLONIZATION
I'm all for people living where they want to live, individually or in cultural groups. A borderless world.
Borders. A man-made concept.
With only natural borders, humans were initially free to roam the earth*. But then or now, nomadic or settled, there must always be respect for others' territory. Like non-human animals, humans claim their territory, the place they call home, be it temporary or permanent. We need to feel safe, we need to feel connected. I don't have a problem with shifting, ethnic demographics, a natural occurrence over time as people come and go. Not calculated, not forced, but with respect for the current inhabitants, their home, their safety, their connection to the land. Settler colonialism denies this respect.
Formed borderless (other than naturally occurring ones), the earth belongs to all of us. From the beginning, it seems, humans were compelled to move across the earth. Curiosity? Necessity? Restlessness? Whatever the reasons then or now, movement should always be welcomed. Moving to, migrating, immigrating is not colonialism. It is not taking over, not ethnic cleansing. Political rhetoric that fear mongers about the onslaught of terrifying refugees is a typical tactic to gain power by offering false solutions, by scape goating the vulnerable.** And usually propagated by countries with colonial history. Scared of their own crimes coming back to them?
ISRAEL, PALESTINE: TAKING A SIDE
Some will argue, that one shouldn't take a side. It's complex, it's their issue, it's unfair because both sides have a point. That may be so in a situation where both sides are equal, but an oppressed people are always at a disadvantage. Military might presses down, propaganda justifies the assault, aiming to confuse the public and sway them in favor of the oppressor. Or worse, relegate the oppressed to the margins of public consciousness. (And just because there are always two sides, that doesn't mean both sides are valid).
In these cases, one must always side with the downtrodden. In other words siding with freedom, justice, anti-colonialism, anti-violence, equality.
This does not mean that all oppressed people are faultless. There are no purely good and bad people/sides, but there is a power imbalance, and power can twist the minds and hearts of those who possess it leading to acts of shocking brutality.
Yet, despite the callousness and cruelty it also does not mean that the culture and ethnicity of the oppressor should be thoroughly demonized, but one can and should harshly criticize the cultural mind-set and consequent actions, keeping in mind that they too could, potentially, act like that if brought up with such dreadful cultural conditioning.
All peoples have the capability to be the oppressor, as do all people have faults. Like borders, cultures and countries are also man-made. In the end, with our many identifies striped away, we are all just people with the same basic needs.
As we were in the beginning.
For humanity to evolve, it's important to see the horrible acts of injustice as power gone wrong. Keep focused on what desperately needs to be righted, keep fighting for truth and justice without succumbing to simple narratives of good versus bad. Otherwise, we will never escape the cycle of trauma and violence that is, tragically, such a feature of the human story.
Yet, if escaped, we will stop creating cultures where such barbarity can thrive. Cultures, corporations and politicians reflect our stagnant evolution. Around and around, the same ol' story. Break free and move on.
Having said that, despite one's compassion, and zeal for social and global justice, when we look at humanity as a whole, (excepting some remaining indigenous tribes), we see that we are the colonizers of the earth. We are the oppressors of animals. Like governments (especially the US and Israel, the mini US), and religious institutions, humanity thinks it can act with impunity. Humans are power tripping the earth and all its non-human inhabitants. Our collective attitude is wrong and plays out on the world stage in many forms. Integrity is missing!
I'm not saying anything new here, many have thought and do think along these lines. But we just need more and more and more people on board, and I refuse to accept it is impossible. Not top down changes, but bottom up, people uniting, not dividing over fear of the other and partisan affiliations. These are nonsensical allegiances and world views that only benefit the ruling class. If we come together and create a powerful paradigm shift, the powers that be will naturally topple and merge into a non hierarchal system. What will they have to rule if no one is paying them any heed? There are plenty of intelligent, talented and good hearted people that could work to create societies where technology, resources and funds are used for the good of all.
This can work in all societies, cultures, countries. When the people truly see they are being manipulated to perpetuate broken and sick systems they will see each other as one.
*Humans never should have settled, but that's another story.
**The first half of this podcast covers this topic as it relates to Ireland. (Since covid times, US political rhetoric has been steadily making it's way into Ireland).
https://shows.acast.com/blindboy/episodes/how-ireland-invented-spaces-between-words
Also the Blindboy Podcast. An excellent breakdown of the Gaza catastrophe.
https://shows.acast.com/blindboy/episodes/the-state-of-the-world
A concise and potent speech explaining what happened and what needs to happen to end the ongoing Palestinian Nakba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldIfup1F8D4&t=5s
Let's use the UN for its original purpose, a world united for peace.
Let's come together in small, self governed communities that look out for one another while celebrating our individuality and diversity. Then let's have those communities make up a world community based on respect and equality for all living things.
