I’m fired up and ready to fight like hell. You with me?
Like most people I know, I couldn’t see any silver lining in the US election
results, and was dropping f-bombs with the best of them. WTF indeed!!! I was
shocked, deeply disappointed, pissed off, but mostly, scared for the future of
our world.
I’ve been vocally anti-Trump from the beginning, not only because his
character offends me, but because whoever leads America, leads us all – one way
or another. However, personally, to see the worst type of person elected as leader of the free world was so shocking – as a woman, as a human - I could
hardly speak on election day. Just horrendous.
I definitely wanted to see Hillary win. Not because she is a woman, but
because I believe she has the experience and insight to make the significant
changes the American people are screaming for, which meant the country wouldn’t
blow up in complete division. She’s smart that one. She knew what was
necessary.
Unfortunately, the electorate decided on blowing up first, and sorting
it out later by voting in Trump. Alas we’ll never have the chance to see if she
could achieve what I, and many others, truly believed she was capable of.
Instead, the vote for change, which resulted is President-Elect Trump,
will be so dramatic, it’s effects will ricochet around the world for years to
come, and that is what I believe horrifies so many.
Let me be very clear. I know the majority of Trump voters are not stupid
or racists, misogynists or war-mongers. But a percentage are and that’s what scares me. Unleashing the worst of us and
giving them a platform to spew their hatred and fear, can only go one way -
down.
But those of us being called liberals are fearful, and we’re fearful of
the inevitable direction this world is now headed in, because we can’t escape
what happens next. We’re all in this together.
History playing out
So can I ask everyone to please read and share this article – please?
Whoever you support, just read it - History Tells Us What Will Happen
Next With Brexit And Trump.
I’ve been an historian all my life, and this is what I’ve been fearful
of for nearly two years. The signs are all pointing in this direction, and they
were long before Trump put his hat in the ring. This election just felt like the
tipping point.
I obviously can’t speak for my fellow liberals. That would be arrogant.
But I do believe this is the undercurrent we are all feeling.
This is not about Trump. It’s a global movement towards the
inevitability of World War Three, and if you read the article, it seems there
is no escaping it. When the world hits this point historically, this is the
only direction we go.
Millions dead. Nations turned upside down. War, hunger, destruction….
And in the end, we’ll draw up peace treaties, still be living next door to the
people we hate today, but we’ll move on and be better off as a species.
But I don’t buy the inevitability argument. We’re smarter and more
connected than we have ever been, so perhaps we can change the tide of history?
At least we can try or be called nutters for giving it a go. I certainly want
to try for my little guys. You?
So what we gunna
do?
I’m an optimist. I love life. I love people. I expect the best of
everyone I meet. I have a deep faith in our ability to rise up as a global
community to tackle the real challenges that lay ahead of us. I don’t buy into
hate. I don’t buy into fear. I don’t buy into the inevitability of the human
cycle that we always have to end up in war and despair before we can move
forward. Fuck it. I really believe we can evolve.
And then I
remembered this video, which I watched before the election...
Did you watch it? Oh please do. It’s awesome, regardless of your
political leanings.
I know I’d adore that woman. I love people like that. They make the
world a better place and energize the world around them just by being in the
room.
And so I’ve decided I want to be that person, because I am that person.
I want to walk into a physical or digital room and say: Are you fired up? Ready to go? Fired up? Ready to go?
And when I see women
objectified, looked past, marginalised, controlled, put down, ignored, told
what she can do with her body, raped, abused, etc, etc, etc… I’m going
to get fired up and take whatever action I can take to make a difference.
And when I see environmental
destruction and disasters that impact all of us and the future of our world
(no matter where it happens), I’m going to get fired up and speak to the
governments, the corporations, the people, and anyone else who will listen to
ensure we change. Because we don’t have time for this shit. If nothing changes
we’re all fucked. Every one of us.
And when I see the refugees, the
abandoned children, the poor and the destitute left to freeze
in European winters because we’re too scared (or politically immobilized) to do
our duty and take care of our fellow man, I’m going to get fired up and do what
I can to change it. Because refugees are going to increase (please believe
this), not just with war, but as a side effect of environmental catastrophes
too. This is not going to be a thing of the past! Refugees will become more numerous and the obligation to do more will
increase. We’ve got to get ready, get prepared, get human and we’ve got to
start solving this challenge. It’s not going away.
And when the war mongers
start screaming and rattling their drums, I’m going to scream back – NO!! We
can be diplomatic. We can talk. We can solve any challenge as long as people
are willing to speak to and hear each other. War is not inevitable. It makes
the fat cats fatter, well screw them. The world can move beyond war. We can do
it. Incidentally, the owners of the weapons industry saw its prices hit all-time highs on
the election news, while renewable shares dropped. Big sad face!
And when I hear racism or bigotry
towards people of faith, people of colour, people who live a different lifestyle,
have different ideas or values, I’m going to stand up too. I’m going to get
fired up, because the complexity of humankind is what makes this world
beautiful.
And I’m going to do all of this and much more, without being an asshole.
I’m not going to patronize anyone – because what right do I have to do
that? I have a view, they have a view, we just need to be open to hearing each
other. So I will try to do this with a gentle touch – although I can’t always
promise that as some things piss me off hugely. BUT we absolutely need to hear
each other and if the elections haven’t shown us that, we’re bloody stupid!
We need to fight. We need to protect. We need to demand better. And we
need to be kind. Many won’t hear us, but many will, and that is all we need to
create change, to get the energy needed to make it happen. A global human
kindness movement. A global movement that says no to the inevitability of the
direction we’re currently headed in. Because we are headed that way. All the
warning signs of history are flashing bright hot now.
And it’s possible. We can change the world, the problem is, we don’t
believe we can, and we absolutely must believe it.
We the people are
the power
Why do I believe it? I often reference the Cluetrain
Manifesto when speaking about content marketing and personal
branding in my work. It’s about the power of the people and our time to own
that power. Brexit and the US election showed us it is happening, and it’s
huge. But there are two sides of this voice – those who are hurting and those
who are embracing (and benefitting from) the change we are accelerating
through.
The Digital Revolution is as powerful and disruptive as the Industrial
Revolution. The difference? The Industrial Revolution took 80 years –
approximately three generations. The Digital Revolution will happen over 20
years, and we’re not paying attention to those who are getting displaced. They’re
hurting and they’re buying into the rhetoric of fear.
They HAVE to be the priority now. Let’s talk to them. Hear them. Help them.
Help us all.
But we have to believe that we the people have the power now. We’re not
on opposite sides of the fence. We’re all in this together. There’s only one
world yes? I wanted to get on a space ship on election day. I know I wasn’t
alone. But we’ve got nowhere else to go, so we have to stay and turn the
inevitable around.
We know the global elite are losing their grip. It’s playing out around
the world, but the one’s shouting loudest aren’t necessarily speaking for all
of us. And let’s not forget, if we follow this historical trajectory, the
global elite will be even more powerful and richer than they are today after the
fact, even if it is a fresh batch of elites. We’ll always have them right? History
stands by that fact too. We don’t win in the end anyway!
But we can’t be apathetic. We must claim the power that has been given
to us and absolutely believe in our ability to make change happen. We must hold
our governments and corporations accountable. We must hold each other and
ourselves accountable. We must use our voice and win this war before it starts.
It feels like Love didn’t Trump Hate this week, but let’s not get
distracted. It’s bigger than Trump. It’s bigger than Brexit. It’s bigger than
every nasty fucken thing that is happening in the world right now.
The forces of division are celebrating right now – whether that’s ISIS
(Daesh) or the Klu Klux Klan. Do we really want to let those mother fuckers
win? I certainly don’t.
And I ain’t talking fluffy shit here. I’m talking about fighting, in
whatever way makes sense, to steer the great ship of Mother Earth around, because we’ve got to get focussed on what
really fucking matters – cleaning up this planet before we’re all washed away.
We the people are in control. So are we going to let the fearmongers win
the day? Or are we going to get fired up, ready to go, and take it back? You
have a voice. I have a voice. Let’s use it and heal this fragile, beautiful
world. We can do it. We’ve just got to believe it.
What do you say? Are you in? I’m in, which is why I wrote this and I could
get pummelled in return. I don’t care. I’m fighting for my boys’ future. I’m fighting
for all kids’ future. Are you fired up? Ready to go?
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
Character
portrait of Donald Trump holding torch courtesy of Shutterstock
You have a voice courtesy of Shutterstock
Thanks for reading. I know this was a longy, but I’m pretty passionate
about our world. If you’re interested, I'm on Twitter here, Google+ here, Instagram here,
and Facebook too, if you're interested in the other stuff I share. Feel
free to share my blog if you think anyone you know will be interested or
entertained. I sure do appreciate it when you do xxxxx
Comments