The Jones Files
David Jones dispenses his 2p worth of thought
The system is overheated. While you swim in your technology, others are full of rage. Mental illness is rising. Serial killers, shattered souls, senseless violence — it’s all on the rise. You can’t sedate us with game shows and shopping anymore, and the anti-depressants won’t last forever.
Quote from the film The Edukators
A lovely lady recently asked me “What is the world coming to?” — She meant it rhetorically but it is a pretty important question. Leaving aside environmental and wildlife issues, what is the logical conclusion of the structures and stances of society today? The rich have power over the poor, the educated over those without such a luxury, there are many who believe we are superior for having had the good fortune to be born within the borders of the British Isles. In order to legitimize this system of power distribution we need fantasies such as capitalism, breeding, democracy and patriotism; all ideas with many virtues, but ideas that come at a terrible cost if the victims of them are ignored. Ignore the refuse of these fantasies, of the society we have created at your peril. Terrorism is the last resort of a people with a grievance who aren’t being listened to, but under some such circumstances perhaps it’s a necessary and understandable evil.
To give an example of those that the system fails, let’s look to our criminal populace. The current system of justice requires that we lock up those who contravene the dictates of society, and then ignore them. For some reason we believe the solution to crime is to group together those who will break the law into what can perhaps be described as the greatest criminal think-tank on the planet, then deny them basic human rights in the hopes that they will see the error of their ways. Perhaps it’s no surprise that 3 of 5 prisoners of the British justice system re-offend within 2 years; and note, this statistic gives no reflection to those who are simply better at crime now and haven’t been caught, nor does it discriminate against the original crimes that were a result of unrepeatable circumstances.
“Love your neighbour as yourself”, the second commandment Jesus gave to the church. Matthew 5:44 says, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”. Put these together and you describe a system of communities where everyone is embraced, loved as a sister or brother, irrespective of faith, and you describe the perfect power structure without fantasies. You also describe a ‘cure’ for the ‘illness’ that is criminal behaviour. I had my fourth bike vandalised beyond repair last week and I asked myself, what if I hadn’t been blessed with a loving upbringing, financial security and a respectable genetic code from my parents? Would I want to create havoc amongst my oppressors, or take revenge for the misfortune they have perpetuated upon me? Why is it we are so quick to blame it on an xfactor, some unknown that makes a person a criminal, why are we so quick to create yet another fantasy? How dare we look down from our ‘superior’ pedestal of breeding and money to condemn a people that are simply less fortunate than ourselves, and that has responded to this injustice in a predictable manner?
Imagine now a society where you know who your neighbours are, and love them as equals no matter what their lifestyle, beliefs, breeding or actions. In such a community it is in nobody’s interest to cause disruption or terrorise, in such a community everyone is respected and embraced and welcome, and, as with every fairy tale, everybody lives happily ever after.