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 Editorial:
Barbarians, inside our heads
 Following
the ongoing violence against innocent commuters in London, innocent tourists in
Cesme and Sharm al-Sheikh, and innocent civilians in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine - violence controversially
linked to the same Frankenstein by London's Mayor - should we now be confident that the
21st century will surpass the 20th in terms of barbarism?
The
barbarians, the
Lestrygonians & the Cyclops, may be actually inside our
heads. At educational and religious establishments worldwide, young minds are given daily doses of heroic
acts and reasons to die, of the divine that divides, of heavy
responsibilities to live up to, past heroic wars, enduring
threats, unique customs, the fatherland, the motherland, the holy this, the holy
that, how to be different, the best, more
cunning, to be the winners. So that they then choose the right team, the
right party, human herd, pyramid hierarchy, the good job, the good career
move, the quicker backstabbing. For every winner, many losers.
21st
century pessimistic scenario: Peddlers of the afterlife preach, glory mongers
command, neurotic workaholics manage, abusive substances are promoted,
pollution remains an externality, greed
is "good", drugs
that could save lives are unavailable, drugs that take
lives are available, billions are wasted through arms races, graft, incompetence and indifference.
While racism, social racism and all sorts of borders, boundaries and
controls are making a strong comeback. Liberté, Egalité,
Fraternité, are violated each and every hour, in each and
every corner of the planet, and basic human conventions like the
Geneva one, thrown in the dustbin.
And who
would be to blame? All of us. If we keep
on blaming "the others", the "infidels", the "enemy",
the "society", the "evil" something, following "new-born" leaders, trigger-happy
generals,
cheap sermons, gurus, prophets, martyrs, missionaries, dogmas,
experts, crusaders, orders, uniforms, discipline, and assorted
saviours,
to our mutual destruction. If we do not resist the temptation to limit
human rights in the name of "security".
And who can
change this? Again all of us. Through rational thinking, knowledge and
science, without excesses, without violence, by pursuing pleasure & happiness,
in line with the Epicurean
philosophy of Ecotourism, with
open, inclusive societies, with fewer borders. As Epicurus
said: "It is impossible to live pleasantly without living
wisely and honourably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely
and honourably and justly without living pleasantly." Let's
share, travel, communicate, enjoy
each other, try to find true meaning in life by assisting the
underprivileged - there is no greater satisfaction - in an intelligent, constructive,
and not-imposing manner. Let's replace "divide and rule"
with unite and pool. Sounds romantic & naive? Great! So did, just
a few decades ago, universal suffrage, free speech, education, social
security, pensions, the right to go on strike, paid holidays.
For related
inspiration and some much-needed optimism, download
Aristophanes
classic but still contemporary, pacifist comedy Lysistrata
Antonis
B. Petropoulos
ECOCLUB Editor
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