The joy of pessimism in a post Brexit post Trump world!

OK OK I know you can't be joyful if you are a pessimist.....for a man that has always been a glass three quarters full bordering on delusional even I am having to rethink my relationship my perspective my understanding of this world.

So whats going on? Well I'll tell you whats going on. My standard perspective on the world was good versus bad where good always prevails. Bad is always short term then we all wonder what it was we were ever worried about, then all is good and great again.

In simple terms we in the West with all the advantages that gave us, wealth, productivity, growth and never ending development seems in doubt, not now quite going too plan. A place in the UK, that has seen me go from a snotty nosed 20 year old from a council estate of migrant parents to a chap that works with some of the best companies in the world, that has been to a Buckingham Palace tea party, who is able to make choices when and who he works with and i've got to 60 in what seems like 6.5 seconds. But I am not that turbo charged I just sort of navigated my way there, i didn't have to rob anyone or swear at anyone, or take advantage of those weaker than myself. It was all going to plan, as we developed and grew we would bring the world with us, nurture and grow and because we were always ahead of the game it would all work out. Of course there were choppy waters, the 3 day week in the 70's, no problem, skinheads? they mostly grew up, the 80's manufacturing recession the ousting of the unions just a re-balancing, even the pain of the 90's recession and real structural long term unemployment all part of a property owning democracy. Then again the end of boom and bust the new deal of all new deals, where bankers and socialists became odd bedfellows and it became one long never ending party. We borrowed and partied we globalised, serviced more, created more, collaborated more and still it wasn't enough for some. The bankers who judged us but not themselves who doubted your credit ratings but not their own, who knew they were too big to fail with full immunity and so the bubble burst in 2008.

I always feared for our tolerance of others if the winds changed and change they have. Yet, we are still the 5th biggest economy in the world, the Americans are still the biggest economy in the world and "we" are saying its the fault of migrants, even when we are near full employment we are saying its the fault of governments who are politically correct. They say we are living in a post truth world where you can say what you like and that's bad enough and that's without the fake news because you can't trust the "truth" of the mainstream media or the politicians or the business leaders.

The lunatics have taken over the asylum, theirs fear, division and hatred over hope, love and unity. The belief in all that was good and the grand plan that was has been blown off course. I am not aggressive yet I feel I must be against those who frighten me, who say and do things that intimidate me and threaten me and mine. I must tell the story as it is as they claim they do. Their right is my right too, we must fight for a better world and we must step up to restate our values whilst understanding more and challenging more. It is the new normal not one I am used to but I am not about to give up on valuing diversity, on respecting difference, on delivering equality, on challenging hatred and showing the world that its worth it.

So if like me you are joyously pessimistic but at heart the optimist. then say it as it is with all its negativity so that the reality of our situation can be faced and dealt with so we can return to those calmer sunnier waters just like it was in the good old days!!