No, you are not Entitled to your own opinion…..

To stubbornly assume that we should all be entitled to our own individual perception of a commonly shared reality has proved to be the single most detrimental trend standing in the way of human progress. A belief devoid of scientific truth, logical reasoning and a moral campus does not deserve respect nor acceptance.

It seems to me that maintaining political correctness in this area seems to surpass the desperate need for an honest conversation about the short comings of a world that we are all commonly subjected to. The often repeated saying “everyone is entitled to an opinion’ belong only in the field of the arts where what is aesthetically appealing to one person may not be to the next. Instead this phrase is often used to shut down perfectly valid arguments relating to life altering issues that require facts and consideration of the greater good for all.

A Killer Addiction

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The addiction I’m refering to is not an obvious one. In fact, on the contrary, it is one that is not only widely, accepted but extremely encouraged. It is one that has seeped so deeply into our consciousness that we barely recognise its there. But it is there, guiding our actions and choices every day and dictating our path in life. In fact it’s safe now to say that most spend their entire lives feeding it without ever recognising they need treatment. It is the silent killer whom, we, in the west have been arming for the last century.

The addiction I’m talking about is almost impossible to avoid in today’s world. It glares from every corner; the television screen when we get home; the smartphone we rarely let go of; even from the innocent by standers on the road. It is so powerful; it inevitably creeps into just about every conversation and interaction we have. It is an addiction that has seen us turn our backs to the values that are most natural to us such as; compassion; understanding; progression; the need to live a purposeful life but most of all to endure and protect each other as well as our precious environment. Instead, like every addiction it has brought out the worst in us; Greed; selfishness; disregard for one another; aggression; psychosis; exploitative tendencies; blind arrogance; ignorance and detachment from our surroundings. (Just to scratch the surface).

Like all addictions, this one is also driven primarily by our need to fill a void; to distract our senses from the life we live in that is an irrational circus at best and an empty deprived existence at worst. It is like any other addiction in that a hit provides temporary relief from a reality where freedom is just another myth among many others. Each time the addiction is fed; we experience the kind of superficial high that makes us feel that we have instantly bettered ourselves; and just as with every addiction, the satisfaction wares of quickly and we jump straight back into the hunt for some more gratifying moments; If you look at the world around us, you will quickly realise that this addiction is the root of all dysfunctions in us as individuals; the societies we a part of; and the world. Unfortunately having grown up in the 21^st century, we are all addicts to varying degrees. There is likely not a single one of us that has managed to dodge this addiction mostly due to our intrinsic need to belong and be a part of something bigger. This destructive addiction currently provides the basis for our sense of belonging and expression.

The addiction I am referring to is Consumerism. Never in all the history of human kind have we all been addicts of something so dangerous and destructive. This addiction is unique in that, unless treated will end in our collective demise as well as that of our precious planet. Looking at the world around us, it is hard to ignore that consumerism has indirectly or directly paralysed every single path to future betterment. It has polluted our consciousness and corrupted our values to such an extreme that we have become desensitised to our brothers and sisters in the third world who are dying as a direct result of it. Being a shopaholic is therefore more destructive than alcoholism; drug abuse; and any other addiction put together a thousand times over. It is in fact an addiction that has given birth to all other addictions and must be treated at its core.

So, my fellow human beings, It is now down to you.

PROGRESSING PAST THE LEFT AND RIGHT

Anyone who knows anything about politics in the 21st century is well aware that the left and right are two arms belonging to the same body and that neither should be used as a frame of reference for what is right and wrong; not only because in practice they both operate to serve the almighty dollar first and foremost but also because labels alone are stereotypes and can be viewed negatively in themselves without considering what they represent.

It fascinates me the way people are always using these in the box terms (lefty; right wing; tree hugger, hippy) to generalize points of view on themes of social justice as if it means something. Just because you are compassionate towards the world around you does not automatically make you someone that identifies with the left; maybe you are just a decent person? It is apparent however that people and the media have a need to categories individuals into a familiar term to simplify a standpoint and particularly so if a perspective or individual is not fully understood or identified with. Unfortunately labels such as hippy and tree huger are today often used as an argument to debunk often valid points of view which are in opposition with the current establishment.

In his latest stand-up show, Russell Brand warns his audience not to be terrified of the word communist as it simply means “sharing”. This is a great example of how powerful labels can be. People in the west have to actually be warned not to instantly reject such terms as communism, often without even realizing it comes from the word communal/community; something that is familiar to us all in both practice and theory.

This may be one of the reasons it is so refreshing to listen to one of Russell Brand’s rants which serve to promote what is humane first and foremost in a way that is completely devoid of paradigms and political labels. While Brands message strongly promotes social change, you will rarely hear him use political frameworks to support his arguments. I feel that this is one of the reasons he appeals to the general public so much more than the average politician. Let’s face it political frameworks of the past such as capitalism, communism, socialism; any type of “ism for that matter are outdated and limiting in their scope. Using them as frameworks and labels is crippling to progress not only because we have seen them, and continue to see them all fail but because categorizing people and views as either left right or in between leaves no room for progressing past these particular schools of thought.

In conclusion; labels such as lefty and right wing are outdated; over generalizing; over assuming and tainted with propaganda which has been attached to them over decades and decades. It is not whether you choose to be right wing or left wing but whether you have a moral duty towards your fellow human beings or not. It is high time we incorporate social justice, common decency and the general well being of everyone and everything as a point of reference for human progress, not outdated political paradigms in our quest to solve world problems. This, in my mind is where all political debate should begin and end.