ADDICTION FUELS THE PANDEMIC

FOR YOUR CONTEMPLATION

This article presents a quote from British author George Monbiot concerning a dangerous characterisitc of Covid which extends beyond the dis-ease itself. Preceding it I write from a similar experience, plus provide an antidote.

It seems this sad, destructive dis-ease in the political class, afflicting many but not all, is another global pandemic that lasts generations.

Its deadly toxins are a crippling mix of greed, power, influence.

Like the addict, one, more and many are never enough; they're just a start.

Mr. Monbiot's quote struck me as I too have been in many long line ups at food banks, with their lines growing exponentially since the outbreak of Covid.

One I frequent often is the Yonge Street Mission. It's in a slowly gentrifying part of downtown Toronto. I swear Angels work there, catering to the homeless and housed, the unstable and infirm in the most caring, compassionate way possible.

A 10-minute walk north and you're greeted by the lush, leafy embrace of Rosedale, another world away as Mr. Monbiot describes below in a similar example.

We elect people who look, sound and feel good on the surface. Too often that is good for them; not so much for us: all of us.

They'll offer up cloying fears and desires that appeal to our own unconscious patterns. They'll say and do anything in this tribal dance to curry favor. Because they know if they do it successfully their drug source will remain, unimpeded.

We may wish to inquire more diligently to ensure we elect people who embody certain, universal values. Like "do no harm," and "do unto others as you would have others do unto you," a value that tethers all the world's faiths.

But to detect these qualities we must know them ourselves. And much more: such as being dispassionate when people tug at unconscious strings. Then choose from our non-negotiable, embodied values.

Peter Bromley

Applied wisdom: to flourish in life

Clearlight Evolution

(The following is George Monbiot's quote)

"I've just spent a couple of hours at the local foodbank, meeting people who, in some cases, would literally starve without it. On the other side of the recreation ground, 200 metres and an entire world away, is a row of ￡3m homes. England in microcosm.

Once again I'm reminded of who holds society together. It's the workers putting in unpaid overtime every week, and the team of volunteers, working their arses off to meet people's desperate needs, while the government rips up public services and hands our money to its chums.

For Johnson and his cabinet, government is just a big game. They can play King of the World for a while, dispense public largesse to their mates and make grand generalisations about the poor. But for the people at the bottom, and those working with them, it's deadly serious."

George Monbiot

British author