A double whammy of the uncontrollable forces of nature.
Not in some remote area of the world.
Not in some impoverished country or province.
Not in the usual victim places…
Not this time…
No – this time was different.
The Eastern United States.
New York amongst others.
Inconceivable and yet there it was – one after another.
So what does it mean?
If you listen to the religious fringe – our “sins” have instigated the wrath of God.
Guess which ones?
Seems to me – on a close reading of the various scriptures and stories from our pagan pasts – the catalyst for most wrath comes from Human hubris – the belief that we are bigger than the powers that are; that we have the temerity to actually believe we can control our own environment.
Second… seems to me – is that is the message – Hubris – I wrote about this before when Japan was hit. We really believe that our sea walls and technology and sheer pride and ambition can halt the forces of the world at work…
Sadly – what we don’t stop, what we don’t seem to be able to affect, are the forces of man at work in sowing hatred and death…all around the world…in the name of whatever higher authority is invoked… be it religious, temporal or just sheer greed.
One we can’t really stop… the other is 100 percent purely and totally in our control.
One we pretend to own and spend billions on affecting.
The other is of our making and we allow it to roll on unchecked.
Crazy – no?
So message to self on my birthday…listen:
“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.” William Hazlitt
So maybe we don’t laugh or weep enough anymore…listen:
“The only factor becoming scarce in a world of abundance is human attention.” Kevin Kelly
My wish – more human attention…
What’s your view?
PS – So what comes to New York (and environs) next…after earthquakes and hurricanes? Godzilla, of course!!!…You saw the movie, no?
PPS – Continued thinking from last week: what effect does constant connectivity have on our response during unsettling times? Take a look at last week’s Ramble, comment #20.
