Islands of Despair

While most of the country (and the world) is teetering on the edge of recession, a few parts of the world are already into depression and desperation because they see no way out, having long ago given up their capacity and control over their own fate and destiny by relying on the “kindness” of strangers to pull them out. Thus, the more feeble and pathetic their own efforts, the more they could evoke that sympathy in others to help them out -- until they made the fatal mistake of turning on their benefactors for more than they were willing to give, freely and willingly.

At that point, they destroyed whatever good will they could milk in good times, but when things turned bad, nothing but value can be traded for fair value -- and mere demands, entreaties and threats account for nothing. They have no other way of directly influencing the outcome of their own fate and fortune anymore.

Just moments before, they were manic with joy that they had conquered the world as far as they could see -- and there was no opposition to their ambitions for unlimited power and control -- when they realized that the reason for their easy victory, was that the game was being played somewhere else, and nobody informed them, thinking they did not matter, or even, could tell the difference anymore.

It used to be said that the eyes were the window to the soul -- but in this age of virtual (written) communications, it might better be said that the words are windows to the soul. Every community now has their forums of discussion revealing the thoughts and values of those who care to participate. That aspect of society formerly did not exist -- but has now become the soul of that society, revealing what it must.

It no longer is just the pronouncements of the Optimists and the Chamber of Commerce -- but invariably its most astute observers. Science futurist Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land) was among the first to describe such people and what they did in society. Their job was to officially “observe” what happened -- as the history being recorded as it happens -- but it also takes people who are aware of what is happening, to make it so.

Otherwise, most people cannot determine these things for themselves. That was the role formerly played by historians, and then journalists, and now by just the observant -- who can see what is happening, and not merely what he wishes to see, or public relations experts want them to believe.

The propagandists of the special interests, would like us to believe that everything is as they say, but in the letters to the editors of the newspapers, there is a looking for others to blame and abuse, rather than the sharing of information that truly empowers.

That has become the most influential forum of these times -- now that it is no longer edited and controlled by those who think they are the most politically correct to adjudge so.