Most Europeans thought that feudal encounters in Europe were a thing of the past. We would never again be subjected to war because we had learnt from the past. We were educated, we communicated with each other, we listened to one another.
After World War 2 great efforts were made to encourage a fair and considerate co-existence. Organisations were created, rules put in place, remembrance plaques were erected. The horrors of war were taught in schools, lest we forget what it is like not to live in peace. From primary school age onwards we were taught to help each other, to be kind and considerate, to lead by example, be strong, measured and to stand up to bullies.
So how did we get to where we are now? At what point did all that appear to stop mattering?
Human nature gives us the ability to be good or bad and our exposure and environment play the biggest parts in polarising us in one direction or another. There has never been a time when our environment has been so open to influence as it has since the advent of the internet. Sponsored malicious social media content distributed by self-interested people of influence, infiltrate and polarise our environment at an astonishing rate and leave us open to wholesale manipulation. The ulterior motives of tech giants, media moguls, social media manipulators and political agents that have access to our data and our environment can deliberately, surreptitiously and insidiously change the way we think and act.
Consciously or not we all started thinking unwittingly that the things we own and use are more important than our societal standards, our compassion, our security and our collective mental health. We turn a blind eye to the appalling actions of large corporations as long as we can still use our phones, the internet, stream our entertainment and buy our gasoline.
We have this week witnessed events in America’s Oval office; the most shameful attempted belittling of a state representative that one could imagine by two bullies (most probably to impress Russia’s Putin). Mr Trump, assisted by Mr Vance has embarrassed himself and the Office on a grand scale with the way he spoke over and down to president Zelenskyy of Ukraine and in doing so showed the world his ineptitude for leading a country.
With Trump there is no hint of diplomacy, no respect for democracy, no attempt to promote good will between states and no recognition of a rules based society. This, America, is the person you voted in. Not once, but twice. This was your choice? Is this how you want the world to see you? This behaviour will be watched by millions, and the impressionable young people of the world, some of whom will grow up to be bosses, leaders or people of influence will take this behaviour to be the way to get ahead in the world.
Donald Trump is ousting anyone who does not agree with him. He is pardoning convicted criminals — just because they were on his side. He is making a mockery of the American political and judicial systems. He accused the fairly elected president of Ukraine of potentially starting World War Three and cosied up to Putin who quite possibly will be responsible for starting World War Three. Trump’s actions exemplify dictatorship on every level and should be setting off alarm bells across the world, not just at home.
The reason the likes of Trump succeed is that the agreeable people of the world, the kind ones, the measured ones, don’t like to make a fuss. They don’t think their opinions matter. They think there is nothing they can do, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THEY CAN DO!
This is not a time to be doing nothing. We all have one voice — the same number as people like Trump. We must amplify our voices. We must speak out, attend protests, organise protests, get animated. Write to you local elected representatives and state your concerns. Encourage others to do the same. We must stand up to bullying and misinformation whenever and wherever we encounter it.
Social media can be a force for good or for bad, be vigilant and use it wisely. Don’t believe everything you read. Fact check before reacting to or forwarding content — especially vindictive or polarising content. Don’t give in to hateful speech. Consider that much of what is posted is politically biased and possibly AI generated.
Some world players want us to throw mud at each other, they want us to hate each other and ultimately they want us to fight each other because along with oil, minerals, and your data, the big players of the world also profit from war. They are manipulating the news, social media and public opinion by any means to stay in power to make more money and they don’t care who gets hurt along the way. The current malignant trend in lies, greed, tyranny and social discourse exhibited by some pretty rotten people in power will drag us all down with it. We must speak out against injustice.
Right now Europe needs to be strong. Europe needs to stand behind Ukraine.