Covid 19 - Anniversary

The 31st January is the 2nd anniversary of the Covid 19 virus appearing in the UK. I have to admit that I lost a year somewhere & didn't realise it was 2 years. In that time we have had several variants - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta & Omicron. The virus is playing cat & mouse with us & has morphed from a pandemic to a worldwide endemic disease.

Populations have gone from drastic Lockdown measures, particularly for more vulnerable people who had to shield because they are more prone to serious symptoms & outcomes, to attempts at a more normalised life. 173,248 people died in the UK  up to the 24th December 2021 with Covid on the death certificate. Total UK deaths in 2019 = 604,707. Total UK deaths in 2020 = 689,629.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths

Covid has affected every aspect of everyone's life, work, leisure, home, education, health...It has also impacted every aspect of the world economy, business, supply chains & availability of goods, transport & communication, financial structures, politics....None of us who had not experienced SARS which emerged in China in 2003 & spread to 29 countries were prepared. MERS jumped from animals to humans in the Middle East in 2012. Both are Corona viruses.

We do not know what 2022 will bring. There does seem to be agreement that this will not be the last pandemic. We need to be better prepared for the next than we were for this one. Governments & Politicians varied hugely in how well they dealt with the decision making & control of Covid. The Lowy Institute has an interesting performance index on their website. Europe & America did worst. The Middle East / Africa & Asia / Pacific did best. 

https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/covid-performance/

The scientific response to Covid 19 has been exceptional. I'm very grateful that I have been fully vaccinated & boosted in the UK. The response of the NHS, Carers, Teachers & many others has kept everyone going. The volunteer co-operatives who have supported thousands of people truly restore faith in human nature. The vast majority of people have complied with guidelines to keep others safe.

We have shown what we individually can do. It is a personal choice whether to behave well. We do all have rights. But alongside that there are responsibilities to others.

Personality tests

I've just done the Myers Briggs "16 Personalities" test. It's very comprehensive & interesting. Also, in my case, really accurate I think. 

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

I'm a "Protagonist". But interestingly I was an "Executive" when I last did it in 2018. I can't remember ever doing it before, but I am interested that my personality has changed.

I have always thought that people can change over time. This seems to prove it. If it weren't true then what would be the point of our life experience? If our brain changes physically over time then why shouldn't our personality modify & learn?

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319185#Normal-brain-aging

Human beings are amazing. We are the sum of inherited characteristics & learned experience. Although I don't believe in religion or a god. I do believe that there is a purpose to existance. I do also believe that there is far too much synchronicity in our world for it all to be due to random development & modification. 

Just as each human being is a complex, interconnected, system of mind & body. So too is our world a hugely complex, interconnected & interdependent system. Our purpose is to individually become the best that we can be.

We each have the capacity to do that. If we could only manage it, think what an amazing world we could create.

Diversity & Discrimination

There is an International day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples on the 9th August - Who knew?   

Indigenous peoples face high rates of poverty and acute socio-economic disadvantages. It is only recently that their importance to the whole climate change emergency has come to the forefront. Living in harmony with nature, indigenous peoples help safeguard 80% of the world's biodiversity and hold many of the solutions to the climate crisis, despite constituting less than 5% of the global population. They have the traditional knowledge of their ancestors. The important value of that knowledge simply cannot be overstated

https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples-2021.html

Yet all over the world indigenous people have been & are discriminated against. Historically you only have to think about the Native American Indians V white settlers, Mesoamerican Indians V Spanish colonists, Antipodean Maori & Aboriginals V Imperial settlers, Africa V European colonists.

Today nothing much has changed. Amnesty identifies "370 million Indigenous people around the world  spread across more than 90 countries. They belong to more than 5,000 different Indigenous peoples and speak more than 4,000 languages. The vast majority of them – 70% – live in Asia".

https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/indigenous-peoples/

Human Rights day is on the 10th December, commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/ListOfIssues.aspx

Yet we have numerous Human Rights issues in the world today. Two prime examples being the Uyghur discrimination in Xinjiang China & the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. But they are not alone - Syria, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan...We seem to be going through a battle between good & evil in human behaviour.

 

Human beings have the capacity for all the positive & negative traits of behaviour. There is a very fine  balance between the two. Approaching a new year & my 77th birthday I wonder which will win.

Democracy - Is the UK Democratic?

‘Democracy‘originated from two Greek words ‘Demos‘ and ‘Cratia‘. ‘Demos’ means people and ‘Cratia’ means power. Thus, democracy means a form of government in which the power is exercised by the people. Abraham Lincoln - “Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people”. Seeley - “Democracy is a government in which everyone has a share”.

The following conditions are necessary for Successful Democracy:-

• Belief in Democratic Principles - Citizens should have faith in democratic principles. They should have respect for other views and should perform their duties properly.
• Economic Equality - Democracy functions smoothly in countries without extremes of wealth and property. Countries which have large numbers of poor with a few who have plenty cannot  run successfully.
• Education - Only educated citizens can understand their rights and duties and can exercise them properly. Uneducated citizens cannot even vote effectively.
• Moral Standards - Citizens are honest, impartial and selfless. They should not be susceptible to undue electoral pressure
  
• Good Leaders - Democratic success depends greatly on the quality of leaders. People of sound judgement, balanced mind, honest and of unimpeachable character.
• Equal Rights - All citizens have equal social and political rights, equality before the law, the right to vote and to fight elections.
• Party System - Political parties are organized on definite economic, social and political principles, not on the basis of religion or caste.
• Free and Honest Press - People should have access to free and unbiased information regarding domestic and foreign affairs.
• Independent Judiciary - The rights and liberties of the citizens cannot be safeguarded if the Judiciary is not free.
• Local-Self Government - Local institutions should be established at all levels. Local institutions are a training ground for democracy.
• Strong Opposition - Organized opposition checks the government from becoming dictatorial.
• Peace and Security - Perpetual danger of war or revolt means democracy cannot work.

Sadly, I do not believe that the United Kingdom, under the present Government & the present Prime Minister, meets all of these criteria. 

 

Patterns of Behaviour

We humans have 4 major behaviour patterns - Optimistic, Pessimistic, Trusting & Envious. The latter is the most common, with 30%, compared to 20% for each of the other groups. Maybe that explains our consumerism & need for more "stuff". I am truly horrified watching TV programmes showing people who have so much "stuff" that they can barely use the rooms in their houses. The "stuff" literally weighs them down. No surface is uncluttered.

I have cleared houses for family & friends when people have died. The most shocking things were piles of useless rubbish like bills & receipts which were years old. Or huge numbers of single items like shoes, underwear or make up. Sometimes brand new & unused. I wonder what drives hoarding. Do we think that we must have what everyone else has? We must be part of the crowd? Or is it a basic insecurity?

I have known people at both ends of the positivity spectrum. I have found Pessimistic people very draining. Nothing can change their world view. Optimistic people tend to be much easier to get along with unless they take it to extremes as Bi Polar people often do. A Bi Polar man I knew was really exciting to be with - life was fun, but it was exhausting & sometimes dangerous & uncontrollable. I am definitely a "glass half full" person. I always try to find the positive in a situation.

I think, generally speaking, I am trusting. When travelling abroad this has often led to really worthwhile insights into different cultures, but occasionally into quite dangerous situations. On the whole I think trusting is a positive trait. My internal monitor, or gut reaction, has usually been correct in summing people up.

Type A Behavioural Pattern

Type B's are relaxed, Patient & Easy Going

I am Type A - I am climbing the mountain. Currently I am out on a limb because I am completely trusting a lot of people who are contributing to the renovation of my house. I don't have the necessary skills, knowledge or experience. I have to trust that they do & do the job well. I also have to trust that suppliers are competent in navigating the currently broken supply chain. 

Everything is fluid & changes day by day. We are all having to adjust to changing circumstances. It is a huge gamble & could go "pear shaped" very easily. It's certainly taking far more time & probably far more money than I thought it would.

I do believe the outcome will be worth it. I will reach the top of the mountain.

Oligarchy or Democracy - Which do you Want?

Oligarchy - A form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics - nobility, fame, wealth, education OR corporate, religious, political or military control.Throughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist.

Sounds familiar?

Double Down News just posted a piece on Facebook by Peter Jukes:- https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2021/november/16/theres-a-sickness-at-the-heart-of-british-democracy-its-called-oligarchy?fbclid=IwAR22utlghFhMwRzmfafNiRVhdnO8vDFW5RiyaHdVJeJtIV0E76I9K51tJcg

It seems to me that in the UK today we are well on the way to being an Oligarchy. The State is corrupted by an admittedly small group of wealthy, largely privately educated, entitled men. 41% of Conservative MPs elected at the 2019 General Election attended a fee-paying school. (Only 7% of the general population go to fee paying schools).

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jul/25/two-thirds-of-boris-johnsons-cabinet-went-to-private-schools.

 

We need intelligent & educated politicians, who come from diverse backgrounds, with a wide range of experience & qualifications. We need representation from all adult age groups. We don't need a cabal from any group. We certainly don't need people whose only experience of life in the adult world is the incestuous political world. Going from being gophers, to researchers to advisors. Or from local politics into the House of Commons.

Afghanistan, Yemen & Syria - Man made Human Catastrophes

I want to cancel Christmas! How on earth can we celebrate, giving gifts, many of which will be unwanted. Eating & drinking too much & wasting even more food than usual. Being hedonistic while the world literally burns around us. 

I really don't want to be a part of it. "Putting ones head in the sand" really doesn't cover it. 

Current Emergencies

• Afghanistan emergency
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Democratic Republic of the Congo emergency
• Haiti emergency
• North Eastern Nigeria emergency
• Sahel emergency
• Southern Madagascar emergency
• South Sudan emergency
• Syria emergency
• Yemen emergency

https://www.wfp.org/support-us/stories/families-afghanistan-need-help?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=14487154511&utm_content=127541781598&gclid=CjwKCAiA1aiMBhAUEiwACw25MXxcs5BuyJ26Fo62HbNOYLESHLoOpQuPiY3gW0czAytxXmGU6lixBxoCpf0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Afghanistan - Around 10 million children across Afghanistan urgently need humanitarian assistance to survive. Without urgent action, almost one million children could be severely malnourished by the end of the year. 1 in 3 people are hungry and 2 million children are malnourished. With drought, pandemic, and conflict, the food security situation will continue to worsen; and hunger will rise. 

Yemen - 16.2 million people are food insecure. 1.1 million women and children under 5 receive World Food Programme nutrition support every month. 20.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2021

Syria - 12.4 million people are food insecure. 4.8 million people receive lifesaving food from WFP each month. WFP’s funding requirement until February 2022 is US$ 479.7 million.

These situations are directly brought about by Western Government policies. By our actions or lack of action. We voted for our governments who seem to treat these people as "collateral damage". Then the NGO's have to go in & try to pick up the pieces.

We should all be angry about this. An accident of birth means that we are relatively safe & secure. We have spare money to spend on Christmas & New Year. We are going to celebrate. 

What the hell is there to celebrate at the moment? 😪