Arrogance or ignorance?

Are we born ignorant? Or with innate traits, knowledge and ideas?
Ancient peoples (the original stewards of our planet) believe our souls carry infinitely more wisdom than our conscious minds.
So how has it come to pass that we have morphed into an ignorant and self absorbed species the planet has ever witnessed or likely to ever encounter?

How have we become such directionless beings as to participate and watch our mental and physical destruction in a state of complete inertia?

Ignorance today is not merely a lack of information it is the intentional avoidance of facts. It parades as feigned ignorance. Here is where nature and nurture blur the lines of knowledge and instinct. Intuition and intellect, intuition is your instinct, gut, sixth sense… an intangible. But intellect is tangible with an element of measurability.

Our world is changing as we become entrenched in beliefs of “take overs” from other cultures and populations. We are a species in denial of our own role in creating an atmosphere of fear and loathing – not just amongst ourselves, but across nations, borders and continents.

A species at war with itself and the natural world, perhaps no life form so single-mindedly pursues its own extinction. We’ve turned against our own “progress” by narrowing our minds and vision as we gain ever increasing access to information and the truth.

In perhaps no other peoples is this more accurately personified in the immigrants who enjoy unrestricted travel across the world to move, relocate and re relocate at will.

To set down temporary roots and pick up and leave at will because your document of identity from your country of birth entitles you to free movement.

A majority of the world struggle to comprehend and accept this behaviour – because the same people rail against immigrant culture on their shores. All the while being immigrants in an affordably priced country because the cost of living at ‘home’ is unattainable for them.

So our “adult immigrant toddlers ” set down roots in any corner of the globe they fancy, only to bring with them the new tools of cultural imperialism.

Conglomerates that are larger than small countries such as Walmart, Mc Donalds, Costco and Amazon are no longer stores selling food or products. They are disruptors to entire populations cultures and small countries. Bringing with them consumerism and products against the natural order of the planet. They are in every shape and respect inimical to the natural world and human systems.

Post the US election results of 2024 an increased express interest to move simply because they believe they are no longer ‘welcome’ or ‘comfortable’ in their place of birth. It is utterly astounding that they feel the freedom to move to another country/ continent on the turn of a government. The citizens of a country which shall we say regularly foreign “brings democracy” to corners off the world rich in natural resources.

The ignorance is staggering but not surprising. It is by design of their educational systems and conditioning which serve to create a bubble of their own self serving reality.

The ‘global south’ or ‘third world’ (one wonders who are these second world inhabitants?) for all their imposed restrictions and failings remain a beacon for our “adult immigrant toddlers” because living and child care is cheap, help is abundant and once the purpose is served, onto new pastures. Mind you never to return to the home country whose privileges they continue to avail of.

In a world of chaos and destruction amid insidious corporate assault on every aspect of our lives no matter who we are or where we live, introspection is perhaps our only saviour. If we hope to leave the next generation more than a tangled broken mess of a planet- all of us, of all walks of life need urgently to introspect.

Life versus Quality of Life

Life is for the living. Quality of life is for those who love living.

If you grew up in and around the 80’s sitcoms you probably remember 3’s Company- slap stick, funny, superb cast and characters which achieved cult status. Now love or hate the TV serial there were mini threads of wisdom if you listened closely to dialogue.

In a particularly funny scene between the central character Jack Tripper (he tripped A LOT) meets his uncle who visits after a long time. In the course of conversation Uncle —- tells Jack ” Don’t confuse your terms dear boy, you can either live or settle down- you can’t do both”

Laughter from the audience at home and on set. The statement is amusing in the context of its delivery and serious as a life observation.

Comedy delivers wisdom, insight and truth. Fun philosophy- when you learn, internalise and think- without being aware of it. Laughing out loud at a joke you hear in the comedy club, and thinking it over later, narrating it to friends and family are all part of a learning process.

We remember the context, content and come to realise whether agree or disagree with the deliverer is irrelevant, because it ignites a flame for thought and lays the foundation for discussion.

We live in such confusing times that fact and fiction blur, kindness and cruelty often present as two sides of the same coin. But quality of life, humour, food, literature, people, perceptions… the list is endless is timeless.

An abundance of food does not translate to nutrition or health. The plethora of information does not guarantee an informed public. Over priced schools do not deliver well informed citizens. Degrees do not ensure an educated mind, they merely attest to the fact that a person “attended and graduated.”

How long you live will never determine how well you lived.
The length of a marriage has no bearing on the quality of a marriage.
An abundance of food does not mean an appreciation of food or that any quality of nutrition is derived from it.
Reading many books, does not mean appreciating or internalising literature or its messages.

Let’s equip the next generation to recognise quality of life, relationships, marriages, food, literature… life.

The Real Fear of Fake Meat

The fear is real and palpable. They cringe, raise hands in protest and heads shake violently! Are they protecting themselves from an almost certain fatal assault?

It is the mere mention, not consumption of meatless meat or ‘fake meat.’ Could it be the angst of learning a kinder alternative to animal flesh is easily accessible sends otherwise sensible minds into a tail spin?

Yet these Confirmed Carnivores* cringe at the mention of a slaughter house. Evading the truth with what can best be described as Olympic level mental gymnastics.

The eternal Confirmed Carnivore scoff at salads, written off as rabbit food. Surely it is no more than a garnish. Their commentary and ridicule may previously have been a source of amusement. However, we live in a world where encyclopaedias are available at our finger tips. So the only excuse for ‘not knowing’ must be “I do not wish to know.”

The Confirmed Carnivore shifts uncomfortably in their seat, hold up their hands in protest in a physical attempt to save themselves from this menace of mock meat. Or worse a salad attack a withering look comes your way if you humorously say, “lettuce can’t bite.”

To the vegan or non meat eater at a table it is all at once amusing and fascinating that otherwise intelligent rational individuals can fall apart at the mere suggestion of tasting a new food. These are the same people who will indulge in extreme sport with out a second thought, tear open packaged food and devour it without ever questioning its contents. These are affirmed adventure seekers, world travellers and hunger for knowledge, but fear a piece of tofu.

It sends them in fight mode, because flight would be impolite at a dinner table. Be prepared to hear a tirade of ‘ancestral diets’ ‘lions eat meat’ and ‘God wants us to eat meat’

Except that when you counter these arguments with “we no longer live in caves’ ‘we’re not lions’ and ‘God gave you reasoning powers.’ The final defence of meat eating is pulling out the ‘meat substitutes are processed’ argument. It dies a silent death when delivers whilst sipping on Coke, eating cheese and sausages.

The vegan approach to food and for that matter life is deeply personal. But it does irk fellow diners and often family members. No one is perfect or ever will be, the attempt is not at perfection and it may well be argued that vegans believe themselves to be morally superior. If there are vegans that do believe themselves to be so they are no different to the confirmed carnivore- militant in their belief.

Militancy never unites opposing ideologies or people. Dialogue does. It is imperative to remember while so many of us have the luxury of debating these issues, those employed in animal agriculture often do not have the means or education to escape. They are just as much victims of an exploitive system as the animals. Consumers as well may be vulnerable to restrictions and conditions.

It is a rare person who enjoys the suffering of another being human or non human, but it is common for us to be slaves to generational prejudices and beliefs. Changing your mind, learning and educating your mind beyond your taste buds is a courageous step and if you listen to the little voice in your head it is encouraging you to take the leap of taste.

The real fear is not of fake meat, or dairy free cheese. It is the fear of being labelled a non conformist. Are the Carninsts of today, the Heretics of the 1600s which saw Gallelio and Copernicus warned and ridiculed for their assertions that the earth was not the centre of our universe. What do the rotational realities of the sun and earth have to do with consuming meat? No much, it’s the mindset not the action.

Without going into the intricacies of the hearings and inquisitions against them, the core beliefs of ‘going against the establishment’ immediately brands individuals as rebellious. Perhaps the worst label one can inherit is that of activist. Designed to create imagery of banner waving extremists intent on destroying the status quo.

If the substitution of soy for sausage has such a visceral effect on people let’s investigate the root cause. And we most often turn away from the cause because it can only be described as indoctrination. Your indoctrination and allegiance to the system of eating and industry which cares little or not at all about you, the animals, the planet or its workers.

*Confirmed Carnivore – An individual who steadfastly clings to opinions of convenience rather than verifiable facts. It is a generational indoctrination which begins at an impressionable age. It is characterised by the intentional blurring of fact, fiction and fantasy. The theory is almost exclusively applied to food, conflating food, nutrition and flavour to be similar.
The Confirmed Carnivore has an impressive lexicon of phrases they wield as sabres of truth – the champion of which is ‘humane slaughter’ The Confirmed Carnivore is often ensconced in an atmosphere fearful of change and enjoys the status quo.

Why we “Pardon” a Turkey…

Why do we pardon a turkey in act of magnanimity and promptly proceed to cook another in the oven? We carve and consume the bird without a second thought ! Are we heartless? No, we’re conditioned.

The pardoning of the turkey is a classic moral dilemma for us to learn the layers and ability of the human mind to block out the truth. Instead of pardoning a turkey, we should be thanking and revering the animal being slaughtered to provide our meal.

On Thanksgiving, it may seem like all the focus is on getting a good meal. But that’s not the only reason why we celebrate this holiday: We also know about loved ones and what it means to be thankful for God’s gifts. This holiday has been around for many years, but it wasn’t always so commercialized. In fact, there are some parts of it that have become controversial as time passes by.

Pardoning the turkey is the ultimate case of human hypocrisy. We steal their lives and they die for our own consumption!

The turkey pardoning is a classic moral dilemma. The turkey has no choice, but the festival and the pardon are symbols of assuaging our guilt at eating it. This is another symbolic gesture that commodified an animal in the worst way possible. It involves not only carrying out the actual pardon, but also carrying out a mass slaughter of the same thing. This disconnect encourages systemic violence against animals.

Regardless of the crime you steal from nature, the pardoning of a turkey forces us to remember how we’ve been treating our animals. This tradition reminds us that when we put down an animal, it’s not like we’re just killing an innocent chicken or a cute lamb or whatever – it’s actually taking away life from something else! And as we all know, taking away life is taking away the one thing that would make this world better if everyone collectively were responsible for saving every living creature out there.

This is not an argument about traditional hunter gatherers or hunting communities. There was and still is not the ability to mass produce and kill animals. The hunt is fair and both prey and hunter are equally at risk.

In our industrialised food system, the animals and workers in these fast paced institutes are at risk. There is little respect or connection to the process and so it should make us think- what are we thankful for on Thanksgiving Day?

Every Thanksgiving, it’s a mad dash to the oven. But before you stuff the bird, stop and consider some common myths about turkey farming.

It’s an inefficient procedure that causes unnecessary suffering and death. However, the pardon is a way to pretend that you are doing something good for the animal in order not to make yourself feel guilt. It was also a popular method used by people to “hide the fact” that they were eating meat or other products that were considered as cruelty when compared with mammal-free alternatives.

As we are increasingly controlled by ‘influencers and marketing experts’ we’re loosing sight of what is real and what is contrived reality. Days like these are becoming harder to accept for so many thinking minds.

We’re thankful for the small things and big, but are we ever going to be thankful to know the truth? So we can change for the better?

Where is the Joy?

Joy eludes us. It eludes our hearts and to distract ourselves we seek it in things and actions. So we travel, read, marry, study, move all in the pursuit of joy.

Are we addicted to a public spectacle of the pursuit of joy? Or have we been seduced as a society to believe it is our life’s goal? What if, just what if, this elusive joy is a myth? And no one is really happy for the sake of being happy?

There is overwhelming attention to mindfulness and finding your place in the world. How can we achieve that with any sincerity if we’re busy chasing joy on our plates, in our jobs, for our families and communities, for our extended family and forget about it our hearts and actions.

Living your moments, capture moments of joy and consign them to memory. It may just become your eternal joyful place!

The world tells us to be joyful and mindful, that our life mantra’s should be to shine, be kind, and succeed. But at what? There is no path, no map and we seem to be meandering along paths leading to more uncertainty.

We’ve learned to put on a good theatre and stay on the move… but the curtains come down.

And what will do when they fall?