The world today feels like a pressure cooker that is about to boil over. Threats everywhere, uncertainty everywhere. Where a few years ago we thought that things would slowly get better, it now seems as if we are only going further downhill. Costs are skyrocketing, while wages are lagging. People have to work harder and harder for less and less, and you wonder: what are we doing it all for? How long can this go on before something breaks?
Uncertain Times
And then there is the threat of war. We are bombarded daily with the idea that Russia is the big bad guy, that Putin is a ruthless aggressor, and that Ukraine must be supported at all costs. But is that the case? Isn't it terribly wrong how the media and politicians frame this conflict? Why do we keep throwing billions at it while Europe itself is on fire? Energy is more expensive than ever, inflation is eating away at our purchasing power and social unrest is growing. People can hardly afford their groceries, let alone build a future. And if you can still pay for your groceries, then because of the housing shortage there is no house to start your future in. The houses that are there are now unaffordable for many people. And yet the EU continues to send billions to Ukraine, without any realistic plan for how this will end. Is this strategically smart, or terribly stupid? I have not calculated what it has cost every EU citizen so far, but for the Dutch, it has cost more than 1144 euros per person so far. As a result, the Russian war economy is running like never before and Europe only seems to be going backwards.
History
And if we take a bit of history into account, could this entire war not have been prevented? There are various points in recent history where tensions have built up due to the actions of the West and Ukraine itself, starting with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. At that time, Russia already felt ignored by the West. This feeling has only become stronger and more deeply rooted over the years. Add to that the threat that Russia felt because of the expansion of NATO, ever further towards their borders, and the Western interference in Ukraine. Add to that a large amount of raw materials in Ukrainian soil, and all these points together have led us to where we are now. Another turning point in history.
Doubts
I am not a politician. I certainly do not have all the answers. But what I do know is that I – like so many others – have serious doubts about the course we are currently taking. All of this now seems much more like a game that is being played at a much higher level, where we are merely being pushed around the board as pawns.
War Is Business
And if that is the case, what does that mean for our future? Are we not working ourselves to death towards a third world war? The rhetoric is becoming increasingly aggressive, the positions are hardening, and it seems as if no one is prepared to de-escalate anymore. War is a business, we know that. But at whose expense? It is always the ordinary people who pay, with their money and with their lives. How long before the consequences are truly irreversible?
How Will The Future Look?
The uncertainty I feel is not unique. I hear people everywhere with the same concerns. How will this continue? What are we still working for, if everything we earn immediately disappears again in costs that only increase? What kind of future is there for the next generations? Is there even a future as we knew it, or have we slowly but surely ended up in a downward spiral from which we can no longer escape?
Take A Breath
Amid all these questions and concerns, of all the negative news reports and political games, today was a day to take a breath. Bright sunshine, a pleasant 18 degrees, and not having to do anything for a while. Just sitting in the garden, enjoying nature, the silence, the simple fact that some things can still be beautiful. It is so easy to get carried away by fear and uncertainty, but sometimes you just have to stand still for a moment and not think about anything anymore.
Appreciate What Is Here Now
Perhaps that is the only wisdom left: to appreciate what is here now before it disappears. Because if we continue like this, who knows what the world will look like in a year? Maybe we should trust less in the people who are in control and trust more in ourselves and each other. Maybe that is where the real solution lies: searching together for ways to be stronger, to become more independent, and to determine our course. Because if we continue to let everything depend on politics and power games, then I have a hard time believing how this will end.
Moment to moment experience is all we have ever. We can easily become anxious and stressed by what's going on but a refocus on breath and nature helps. And then I see how we are fucking nature and my blood boils again.
Oh, I get it. Seeing how nature is being ruined, how everyone wants to cast everything in stone and concrete, and doesn't even care that there is less and less space left for nature. The fact that everyone's health is being treated indiscriminately because agriculture still uses poison, poison, and even more poison. There are fewer and fewer insects that can pollinate food so if we continue like this, there could be a food shortage. And there are so many more things to mention. Unfortunately, things are looking bad on all fronts. Yes, it makes me furious too.
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