Christmas in the Global Village

As a non-Christian, even I am appalled at the rampant consumerism that rules the Season that is meant as a celebration of Peace and Love. Images of shopping till you drop, and of blatant gluttony during the holiday food-fest speak poorly of the type of society that we are in our global village. What sort of neighbours are we who permit such suffering and privation among others in our village?

I know that some of you feel that my rantings and poetry against social injustice and inequality tend to over simplify the problem, and I recognise that may well be true, but what if military budgets could be put towards feeding the hungry, training the untrained, educating the children, providing safe water for all? What if a small tithe of corporate profits went towards ameliorating the tragedy of global suffering? What if the appalled electorate of democratic countries around the world insisted that our politicians stop being so short-sighted and self-serving, and voted for altruism, and the beginning of a global plan to accomplish a utopia that is actually within reach?

Many of us tend to feel guilty that we are not doing enough individually to help others. Perhaps, but I feel we should all feel guilty about collectively not causing our politicians to do the right thing, and take the first steps towards what we all feel in our hearts to be the obvious and human thing to do.

In a season that, for some, celebrates the birth of a Saviour, and for others, celebrates the concept and the ideal of Peace on earth: in this season in which car bombs, rocket attacks, retaliation, hatred, poisoning, shooting, anger, and greed grab the headlines of ravenous media pandering to a voyeuristic audience: in this season when death and destruction have become a global reality show, I am reminded of the words of a song by a man whom I did not admire personally, but whose music I have much enjoyed...

Imagine --- John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the peopleSharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one


Peace.