Decisive Moments

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    Decisive Moment - a deceptive, slippery phrase that despite its agreed meaning is hard to define. Routinely misused by politicians in showing apparent control over any situation taxing their political survival, it is usually accompanied by other vaguenesses such as 'tipping-point', 'game-changer', 'once-in-a-generation':  the clichés abound, proliferate and obfuscate; repeated & repeated & repeated - blind-prayer-flags snapping against the wind of overwhelming fact.
    Historicism in real-time: Twitter/Instagram/WhatEverPlatforms echo the shouts of thousands - millions - of avatars in a space where there is no comeback save ritual humiliation through - text! Anonymously. Thereby hangs the truth - and the lie - of it.
    A Decisive Moment by any definition, should decide something, probably irrevocably, changing forever someone or something - a Moment lost in time that cannot be changed or un-done. We are living through times when collective Decisive Moments critical to the survival of our species need to happen. But we seem to have allowed our authorities to redefine Decisive as its antonym. 'We are looking-into/hoping/foresee/planning/have-on-the-table: by-the-first-of-whatever-month-comes-next-in-the-calendar, we might - do something decisive...'
    I was going to write a piece about Henri Cartier-Bresson and The Decisive Moment in photography, but today's Prime Minister's Questions has rather coloured my view of things today. Selective reporting started immediately after the broadcast and has continued since. I suggest reading the online Hansard entry when it goes out, for the truth of the matter. Again, apologies for so much political content. Don't want it to be so. Can't help it when faced with such brazen liars and their apologists.

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