« On Thursday, before noon, shall blow the greatest wind that ever was heard, to the great calamity and trouble of all Scotland. » Thomas the Rhymer made this prophetic announcement to the Earl of March a few days before the events. Thomas was the most famous poet and prophet in the history of Scotland….
What is true in a striking fashion for the West is the triumph of Materialism, and an accompanying fatigue that is much less evident in the developing world. There, the world is more dynamic, energetic, and overflowing with near limitless resources and advantageous work. They are young, the West is old. In face of the…
With the introduction of the Internet in the lives of citizens, there are near infinite new possibilities, a proliferation of new perspectives. Yet there is also solitude. Systems of communication, such as social networks like Facebook and Instagram, and blogs, are manifestations of exacerbated narcissism. In the same way money is no longer real, humans too are…
It is clear that with materialism prevailing and ruling, religions are collapsing, in a tailspin, particularly Christianity. The churches that I once saw full are now empty, and priest are becoming rare. At first I was inspired. I recalled the absurdities of my education, the obligatory confessions, the Sunday morning masses, and the hypocrisy of…
The absolute reign of Big Money leads naturally to a triumphal materialism, which in turn becomes a sort of religion. Materialism is expressed by our overconsumption, which today, is almost deified. I turn on the television and see that Christmas, today, is about foie gras. A few months later I see Easter reduced to chocolates….
Naturally, the lack of roots leads to a disdain for the earth; no roots, no earth. Farmers are the base of our society, and yet they are ignored and debased, treated as if they are nothing. Agriculture has undergone harmful changes that have resulted in the production of foods that are poisonous, and which spoil…
The omnipotence of Big Money and the consequences of its rule have led to a noticeable decline in democracy. Of course we still have elections. Of course presidents and parliaments are still freely elected. But these governments, despite their weakness, or perhaps because of it, govern more and more by decrees and edicts that affect entire…
Big Money, the weakness of politicians, and the failure of education has led to a decline in the general quality of the media, both in the culture it promotes and most significantly in its coverage. Big Money either owns the media directly, or influences it indirectly, bending the media to its will, through advertising. Today,…
Demonstrations and strikes used to be announced, controlled, and organized. Nowadays, these protests are of such importance they can disrupt an entire city. Strikes can paralyze an entire country. Now, we must all schedule our lives around a calendar of strikes. The degeneration of the power and quality of politicians, and the rise of their…
Corruption has always existed; it is a human quality. However, there used to be rules to corruption. There are regions where corruption is more apparent, such as in the East where traditions of bribery existed, and its practice was quite open. We knew who to give to, and how much to give. We could almost…