What in the "Bleep" is wrong with the world?

Can we try to give a “Bleep” sometimes?

Photo by João Cabral on https://www.pexels.com/@joao-cabral-1723948/

OUR MACROCOSM is a cornucopia of vicissitudes and widespread turbulent issues, disregarded in lieu of monetary and hedonistic pursuits, especially as some fortunate few have the privilege to reside in parts of the world where societal ills are circumvented by progressive governments, while others are indifferent about societal maladies because the darkness that shrouds some corners of the world has never graced their shores.

Hence, it is easy to fold our hands, prevaricate the problems of the world, mumble about love, money, and torrid adventures, deliberately ignoring the stench of societal malfeasance instead of using the tools within our arsenal to denounce sordid acts before they become a pandemic.

Imagine how, in 2024, we still live with the following societal issues, which include but are not limited to—

1. Racism. At its base level exists tribalism and ethnocentrism, where persons believe their clans or tribes are superior to others. Racism occupies the echelon, where colour determines the scope of opportunities a person accrues in their lifetime. With the recent viral “Black Lives Matter” movement which broke into other factions like “Trans Lives Matter” and football players “taking the knee” to kick against discrimination, the fact remains that racism continues to destabilize peaceful coexistence in our society.
2. War. Despite several international organizations pursuing communal belonging and consolidating unity such as the UN, the Commonwealth, and several peacekeeping organisations, the world continues to witness warring nations or divisive factions within countries. The 2017 Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, and 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine are archetypes of such conflicts. These events are sieved by government propaganda and media warfare. The red herring is designed to conceal the truth and upstage the fact that most of the nascent conflicts are politically motivated.
3. Stale Leadership. Most economies are beginning to crumble, currencies have depreciated, and governmental efforts to resolve these issues are ludicrous, which evinces a lack of progressive leadership. For instance, a student loan law in an unstable economy where the citizens are impoverished or a policy to reduce corporate taxes in a country depending on foreign investment to thrive. In addendum, aged and weary leaders are elected to oversee large economies like the US and Nigeria. Now that’s an intransigent recipe for disaster.
4. Divorce. At this point, it is almost a rite of passage for one to marry, have kids, and get divorced. But marriage is beyond two individuals as it involves their families and kids who become mentally distraught when their parents spilt. As people continue to cohabit for wrongful reasons, divorce is nigh inevitable. In countries with no-fault laws (where the cause of the divorce is impertinent), divorce can easily be procured. One forecast predicts that soon, the spate of divorce will reduce because a lot of persons would prefer to remain unmarried.
5. Climate Change. You could Google an entire library about the consequences of climate change, but obviously, nothing is being done to mitigate the situation. Gases are being flared, landscapes are dying from oil spills, and a plethora of aquatic life is gradually going extinct. Whilst awareness of its disastrous outcomes is proverbial, climate change worsens without stringent policies and reprobation by relevant authorities against the excesses of those who cause harm to the environment.

What is going on with the world?

There seems to be a shortage of notable solutions to forge peace, end racism, and rejuvenate decrepit economies. We prefer to deal with our individualistic qualms rather than provide solutions for the world’s conundrum, forgetting that when the bough breaks, we become victims of our indifference.

So, when things are awry, it is incumbent on us to fix them anyway we can. Donating to charities that cater to causes beyond our reach, writing articles concerning unscrupulous activities, or lobbying for favourable and better policies are some ways to clamour for social change. Also, when people protest against a social vice, a counter protest without understanding their grievances is dastardly antagonistic.

Let’s take some time to ponder our role in society. Beyond wealth creation and child-raring, what else are we doing to cater to our social milieu? With indigent kids unable to gain access to quality education, and countless lives lost in unfathomable wars or gun violence and racism aiming to divide the world, tell me how can we sleep comfortably without contemplating what we can do to ameliorate the situation?