The World According to Glissando

Blog

  • Hate

    Hate is a four letter word! Much worse than any other derogatory four letter word. I’m not talking about “I hate going to potluck dinners.” I’m talking about real, visceral hate. The question is, why do we hate? It accomplishes nothing positive. It doesn’t lead to peace in any context. It evokes wretched results and causes blind, often unreasonable, illogical bias.

    Like greed, war and jealousy, as a species, we just can’t let go of hate, even though we have the mental capacity to do so. Hate makes people on both sides of the fence unhappy. Why would we subject ourselves to this unhappiness? Wouldn’t working things out be a much better, safer solution?

    I think one of the reasons we hate is because it gives us a sense of being superior in some way. And, if it’s hate as part of a group, a sense of belonging and having even more power.

    Like so many things, will we ever overcome this aspect of human behaviour? We do have brains and compassion in our nature. One can only hope. Meanwhile, personally strive to learn not to hate.

  • Forgotten

    In the flurry of the DOGE cuts, there are people who are forgotten in this blitzkrieg of firings, layoffs, furloughs and unpredictability. They are the actual people affected, whose lives have been thoughtlessly, catastrophically and, in some cases, gleefully ruptured. These are real people: young men and women, family members with children, older adults, trained experts…it cuts across the full swath. There are mortgages to pay, young people in the midst of education, babies that need food, elderly parents who need care. Put yourself in their shoes.  Where would your life be? How would you feel?

    These people deserve our empathy, mere pawns in a much, much bigger game. To the powerbrokers playing the game, real people mean nothing. No one…and that includes you. They may say they do as part of the game, but, it’s a lie. They only care about money, power, dominance and winning. If you’ve been cheering these reckless, unknowledgeable firings, show some empathy for the terminated people. In this game, no matter where you work or who you are, your life is becoming a lot more unpredictable whether you realize it or not.   

  • ClimateX

    Climate change. It was a big issue for a long time. A media darling, too. Then, just like that, it was a nothing burger. Yes, I know it is real. I agree with the objectives of the message. At the end of the day though, it was just not important enough in the world of reality. The reality? Money, power and jobs is what matters the most to people in the developed world (the rest of the world, too, but, that’s for another time).

    It was a moment of considerable inconvenience that threatened profits for wealthy owners, big companies and shareholders. As for the jobs part, that’s you and me. Since money is, unfortunately, the top tier of our want lists, we will take the jobs and money over whatever the speculative problems might be for the future generations to come. No need to be embarrassed. This is reality.

    We’re beyond the expiry date for stabilizing the planet’s climate now. Yes, we should still continue to work to try and make the major changes needed in powering our industrial platform. Truth is, it’s going to take a long time. Not even government is enlightened enough because they too, need the cash.  

    So don’t give up. Keep trying. In the meantime, there are other factors that could mitigate the current conundrum. We might make a breakthrough technological discovery that could rescue us. Or, since the world and universe is much greater than anything humans could ever contrive (personally, I would put God at the top of this list), maybe it will bring back an ice age sooner than expected, in which case, we may want that global heating back. On this matter I grade us “A” for effort and “F” for effectiveness.      

  • Alliances

    Do you want your country to be “friends” with the United States? America is quickly and surely “unfriending” (thank you Facebook for the term) everyone with its abusive behaviour and arrogance. If you’re Canada or Mexico, it would be worthwhile, now, to consider better friendships with each other, with Europe, and beyond. Europe should consider a divorce from America. The world can no longer trust America, this is clear. There’s no time like the present to take action.

    America may still have the big stick now, but, in the long run, this behaviour hastens the loss of that big stick. A person or country that gets too self-consumed, self-important and excessively egotistical falls from their lofty perch at an accelerated rate. History demonstrates this repeatedly.

    If you’re a regular American are you prepared to give up your personal freedom over the next four years? America is on that tangent right now. You don’t have to believe this. It’s your choice, but, this new reality is already coming. Do you think the people responsible for alienating America from the rest of the world without any regard for real people, really care about you? The proverbial clock is ticking on the America you, your children and your children’s children grew up with or are growing up with right now. These are serious times requiring serious thought, and there is no cavalry.      

  • America?

    Is America still the land of the free, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still kind, caring and compassionate, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still the bastion of democracy and freedom, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still the beacon of truth and knowledge, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still the brother of supportive nations, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still a melting pot where everyone is equal, or is this no longer true?

    Is America still the land of opportunity for all, or is this no longer true?

    Is hate the new beacon of America?

  • DOGE2

    As the firing of federal employees continues in the US, an additional strategy is now being employed to cut the workforce. The strategy is an old, but, effective means: make life so miserable for workers, they reach a point where they are no longer able to withstand the toxicity and quit. In cases like this, the bonus for the employer is that they don’t have to offer any severance package, ergo spend no money to reduce the number of employees.

    This insidious strategy emerged on Saturday (yes, Saturday) when an email was sent to employees demanding they explain via email reply what work they did the past week and what they accomplished. Failure to do so would be considered a resignation. I told you, America, before the last election, vote wisely, because you will end up with what you deserve. This is just the very tip of a humongous iceberg that looms, in the end, for MOST Americans.

  • White

    White is might. White is right. In this case, the far right in predominantly white countries. This is a growing movement in these countries. To them, if you are anything other than straight white; plus, whites who do not agree with the far right extremism agenda, you had best take note. They’ve got their sights on you, figuratively and literally.

    This led me to another, bigger observation. I realized that white people have been responsible for more death, wounded and destruction from war than any other peoples on the planet. Us whites definitely have a propensity to fight, everyone, including each other, unfortunately. Of course, not all whites want to fight (remember the hippies? Peace, baby.) I dare say that the vast majority do not want to fight. Who wants to experience death, destruction and heartbreak? Why do we hate? How long are we going to keep this up? Why will we not change? We have the brains to stop it. Think about it.

  • Scary

    America is getting scarier, at least for some. Change is definitely in the wind. Where that wind will ultimately blow, well you know, time will tell. As I process what is happening in the United States, I had a scary thought. Whether actively participating, or just letting it happen (remember, 37% of potential voters did not vote in the last Presidential election), the majority of Americans may actually want to become a Nazi Republic in spite of all the toxicity that comes with it.

    There is no doubt that the US is moving in this direction. All the precursors are present and accelerating. The only people who can stop it are Americans, but, everyone is so distracted by cell phones, entertainment, celebrity and technology in general, there is widespread apathy about the world whirling around them, including their own country. And, younger people may not even really know about Nazi Germany, the destruction they wreaked and their atrocities, not just against the Jews, but, against all of humanity.   The future is, of course, unpredictable. For those thinking America will be a better place for them under a Nazi regime, it’s an illusion. The slightest dissent is simply not allowed, even for strong supporters of the regime. If you say the sky is blue, but, the regime says it’s purple, you will suffer severe consequences. In an authoritarian Nazi country, power is openly wielded by a small cabal. It’s their way or the highway, or worse. Hate powers Nazism.