There is just so much skepticism and cynicism in our world that the situation may be hopeless. If the recent climate change conference offers any indication, it pretty much looks like we’re doomed

I find it wildly amusing and totally hilarious that our world leaders seem to feel they’re got room to negotiate this whole climate change deal with Mother Nature – or whoever in christ they think they’re negotiating with….there’s no room for negotiation in this whole situation. Our scientists are telling us – and have been telling us – what we have to do to avoid catastrophic outcomes in this whole scenario…..and our world leaders are “negotiating” terms. We have to do what we have to do – it’s been pretty clearly spelled out for us. But we’re not gonna do it anyway – we’re going to do what we feel like because if we do what we-re supposed to do, it might hurt the economy. Gawd-damned, we’re f###in morons…. And if you can’t see that, you’re part of the problem…

Of course, it’s like this godforsaken COVID thing. For some unbelievable reason, or reasons, there is a significant chunk of our population who think they can research and do science-type stuff better than the godforsaken actual scientists…..how has that happened? How is it that nobody believes anything anymore? We are an entire planet of skeptics and cynics and it’s no real wonder the way the media herds us along….heard on the radio the other day that only about 50-60% of parents will be getting their children vaccinated against COVID – the rest aren’t sure it’s safe. And maybe it’s not safe – but all indications are that the science is pretty solid on these vaccines. And I guess if everybody that’s getting the vaccine grows a third eye in the middle of their forehead or simply dies off, people will be seeing more clearly or we will have solved the over-population problem on the planet.

I mean, were we all total idiots back in the 1950’s when we lined up and got our polio shots? Did we just blindly follow along in those days and do what the government told us to do without so much as a question about the outcome. Apparently, we sort of did. For some reason, there seemed to be some modicum of trust in government and the decisions it made. That it was somehow acting in the best interests of the people it served. That, obviously, is not the case these days when there are a whole lot of people in our societies who don’t believe government – even when what it’s got to say makes sense – like in the case of the COVID vaccine. When there seems to be a reasonable and effective way to end the damned virus, but the level of distrust among the citizenry simply won’t let that happen.

Societal institutions that we used to implicitly trust simply can’t be trusted any longer. Governments have lied to us for so long and so consistently that it’s hard not to feel this way. When it is cliched to talk about how government and politicians never keep their word – never keep their promises – there is a really big problem. When agencies like our police don’t seem trustworthy or entirely honest in the way they conduct business, there’s a really big problem. When it seems our food companies are out to poison us, most manufacturers want your money but don’t give a shit about quality or customer service, there are more problems. When folks like our food scientists can’t agree from year to year whether butter’s okay to eat or not, it’s hard to blame ordinary people for not knowing what to believe.

And, of course, in the media, you’ve got to be pretty well versed in stuff to fully understand what’s actual news and what’s mostly speculation and analysis because it’s all sort of blurred together. And this is happening at the same time as critical thinking skills are crashing because people’s brains are atrophying because they don’t have to use them any more – they just “google” everything and have lost the ability to actually think for themselves. 

Anyway, don’t mean to always be a doomsday guy, but it’s tough not to be. At a time when we should be pulling together and hard choices need to be made, we’ve sort of lost faith in everything and we are deeply divided and polarized – not a great recipe for success considering the problems we’re facing. I really have no idea how to sort this out at this point – it seems beyond sorting out. There is just so much skepticism and cynicism in our world that the situation may be hopeless. If the recent climate change conference offers any indication, it pretty much looks like we’re doomed.