One hundred years from now, people will look back and ask – what were they thinking?
The horrific murder of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists and others caught up in the attack in Paris last week should rightly be condemned. But seldom if ever has such a small militant act created do much fuss all around the world – unless one counts the 1914 assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria-Hungary which ignited the First World War.
Clearly, Paris has a security issue to deal with. But the event is being used by the French government and other governments as an opportunity to further tighten security, militarize, and clamp down on freedoms, including the introduction of 10,000 soldiers onto the streets.
Forget Charlie.
Those looking back one hundred years from now will ask why we did not focus on the biggest threat to the planet. It doesn’t come from disaffected men running around with AK 47 assault rifles. It comes from the rapacious thirst of capitalist and consumer societies and the companies that are after the raw materials to feed that appetite.
All the indicators are pointed to an increasing speed of destruction and the growing threat from CO2 emissions. Time is running out.
Luckily, there are people who are waking up, people like yourself who are showing interest and want to take action. The environmental movement is a growing movement. But it will take more than “greening” business and industry, or looking for ways to sustain our current standard of living. That will not be enough. A growing number of people claim this is not the right approach.
As Sharkwater environmental activist Rob Stewart put it – there is a need for a revolution, a radical change in how we interact with our planet. Nothing less will do.
Don’t be sidetracked. Don’t fall for the phony programs like the “War on Terror” and other government initiatives aimed at taking away your freedoms and plunging you into fear.
Forget Charlie. Focus on what matters – how we interact with our planet. On hundred years from now, that will stand out as the crucial issue that rises above all others.
