Thursday 11 August 2011

Dirty Old Town

So I suppose we can't go on ignoring the riots that have appeared across Britain. I must admit I've spent the last couple of days feeling a bit depressed about the whole thing and have thought long and hard about the issues involved.

In fact, in a strange juxtaposition, today I have finished a book chapter on Manchester-Salford and a fictional riot in response to the lack of decent post-War housing. The similarities are striking: inequalities, ghettoisation of communities etc etc. There are also differences of course. In the 1950s they appeared to be rioting for a house rather than a telly.

Over the past few days three things have occurred to me:
 1) how easy it is to simplify complicated issues and just create 'baddies'. It is the 'Hitler was an evil maniac' logic. In saying such things we vilify an individual/individuals thereby making ourselves feel better (e.g. I am not an 'evil maniac') and allows us to ignore bigger issues by categorising people. Such simplification is a bit of a relief and a natural reaction to panic, but isn't tremendously helpful in the long term. It goes no way to really addressing the underlying issues which are multitudinous and complex.
2) there is nothing new under the sun. Many people feel that the the world is getting worse. Actually irritating 24 hour news has compelled us to believe this lie. Go and read a couple of paragraphs about Medieval torture or about Roman occupation or the horrific deaths of millions in the pointless First World War and then tell me that society is worse. Society is the same and, more importantly, humanity is the same. We might not like humanity but it hasn't really changed. It's just found new outlets. I always turn to the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible when I feel despair coming on. Ever has it been thus, my friends - there is 'nothing new under the sun'.
 3) this is what happens when we base our identity on stuff. Now, I don't want to bash on about the perils of capitalism. Again, it is a complex issue and I have no wish to oversimplify. But when life becomes entirely about the latest phone/computer/pair of trainers then something is far wrong. This is as true for the rich guy with his tenth posh car as for the looter stealing (apparently based on tonight's news) a couple of t-shirts or some nail varnish. In today's market-driven, advertising-mad, materialistic world, it is entirely unsurprising that everyone wants the latest stuff by whatever means. It is also inevitable that some people will have more (in some cases much more) and some will have less. The question of how we can address this I will leave for other blog posts by other far more intelligent people.

During the course of the past few days I've moved beyond the panic phase, largely thanks to long conversations with my ever-patient husband. In fact I have been thinking more broadly about our world. While Britain reels from the shock of some smashed shops, Syria has sent in the troops, East Africa suffers from one of the worst droughts in many years, the poor families in Norway still mourn the loss of their young people, Mexican drug gangs are committing unthinkable atrocities and Japan is still coming to terms with the unbelievable tsunami. I feel extremely sorry for the small shop owners and residents who have lost so much; I feel particularly sorry for the dignified father of one of the young men killed in Birmingham. His testimony is an inspiration. But, as D has helped me to see, we are citizens of the world with all its joys and troubles. From the BBC's 24hour panic coverage over the past few days you wouldn't know that the rest of the world existed at all.

Good on the communities who have cleaned up their cities (particularly in my home city Manchester- Mancs are never defeated!) and hooray for the weather which has dampened spirits a little. Respect for all those who are just trying to help others at this time, not jumping on bandwagons, making arrogant assumptions or forming vigilante mobs but just showing love and care to their neighbours. Hoping and praying for peace and good folks who can take on the challenge of addressing society's problems.

CSW

No comments:

Post a Comment

Want to say hello?