dancingthroughchaos

‘Thinking constantly about world domination can give you a little vertigo.’ – Glenn Kelman (CEO Redfin real estate, USA)

There’s nothing like a bit of post-Christmas Covid to kick off the new year. Or so I reluctantly discovered.

Actually, apart from feeling not dissimilar to road kill, it wasn’t too bad.  One thing I’ll say for being ill is that it gives you chunks of time to think.  Not think in the usual, processing-your-day, kind of thinking.  No, the fuzzy head syndrome which came with our particular dose allowed for thoughts to meander their way around my head without any clear order or logic, and to explore avenues down which I wouldn’t normally venture.

Thus, I found myself wondering why we oven bake so many things at 180º, why we’re so fascinated with pseudo celebrities, who invented socks and whether Bill Gates is really interested in world domination.  

The latter is one of the wilder accusations that’s been thrown around by the conspiracy theorists during this rather surreal global pandemic shenanigans.  But really, is world domination still something people want?  Sane people, I mean, not the North Koreans, the we’ve-got-something-to-prove Putin-types or the mad despots who crop up in central Africa like deranged villains from a Bond movie.  

I can’t see the attraction myself.  Not only does it seem like a lot of hard work but the crushing responsibility really doesn’t appeal.  The thought of ensuring that everyone is fed, has proper health care available, employment and infrastructure sounds like a permanent headache. 

Or maybe that’s the problem and wannabe dictators are so drunk with the idea of power over their fellow human beings that such niceties are jettisoned in favour of personal comfort and amassing as much wealth as possible, preferably in a Swiss bank account, before the next revolution.  That seems much more likely and has solid historical credibility.

Food security is a big deal.  Larger and wealthier countries bossily buy up places further afield in order to grow food for their own population, not to emancipate the locals.  [ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/mar/07/food-water-africa-land-grab]

China are recreating the colonial era throughout Africa but not always bringing jobs to the people there.  No, they tend to bring their own work force, win cheap tenders for roads which last about 5 meagre minutes (trust me I’ve travelled on these, such as they are –  sad, thin ribbons of tarmac; all that remains of  some brand, spanking new roads in Zambia).  [ https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2019/10/03/what-china-is-really-up-to-in-africa/ ]

The world has shrunk as our reach has widened.  Gone are the days when it took six months on a boat to get to the far reaches of Australia, East Africa and the Orient.  Yet our ability to live together in peace and harmony, despite the wishful longings of beauty queens and idealists, is as far away as ever.

What an upside-down, crazy way of living with an almost total disregard for everybody else.  When did we get to be so selfish?  (That might be a trick question.)

I imagine Bill Gates has far more interesting things to do with both his time and his money than pursue the world domination idea.  Mr Tesla wants to blast off into space, and good luck to him.  I won’t be standing in that particular queue either.

Right now, I’m grateful for those who have developed the vaccines to fight the virus.  I’m thankful that our scientists were able to build on the work they’d been doing anyway, to develop something effective in such a relatively short space of time and which has been rolled out with such passion by our wonderful NHS.  In spite of all the bumps and stumbles (and, let’s be fair, none of us has had to navigate a pandemic before); in spite of the blatant ‘one-rule-for-you-another-for-me’ behaviour of some of our myopic (and in some cases downright hypocritical) leaders, we appear to be moving into a new season.  At last.

Most of us are valuing life a bit more, cherishing the opportunities to enjoy fresh air and green spaces, nurturing our mental, spiritual and physical health, taking time with our less-than-perfect but oh-so-precious families, reflecting on our values and priorities and appreciating the prospect of a fresh start each day.

I don’t know what Bill Gates is doing with his time or his money, but I’m fairly sure that, like me, world domination is on the back burner.  For now.