Wasa Wasa...

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Wasa Wasa - Edgar Broughton Band


Fifty years ago in our youth,  we voiced our worries that the world was being despoiled by capitalists and our ecosystem destroyed in pursuit of profit. Greed. Short-termism. Self-interest. We were concerned then and made it plain but not many people believed there was even a problem and fewer listened. Money, oil, transporting goods across vast distances to suit the 'needs' of the developed world's populations; cheaper and cheaper food and commodities: simply moving the problems of the first world across into the developing world or to the ex-colonies, former empires and already ruined countries and environments. Think about the asbestos mountains dumped in India. The contaminated hulks of decommissioned ships towed out there to be hacked apart almost by hand in dry docks. The oil spillages from broken-backed supertankers. And so on.

Half a century on, the world's population is generally now far more aware of the problems we face environmentally and most right thinking people are cognisent of the need to do something about it now. Before it's too damned late. True, there is a large part of the world's populous that will just continue to consume, soma-like, while the planet slowly shuts up shop until we are extinct; but to be perfectly honest, without the will on the part of governments and politicians to get it sorted and very, very soon we're staring down the barrel of an ecological cannon at a disaster coming at us at very high speed.

I was just going to post a nice picture tonight with some commentary on how pleasant the weather has been post-Atlantic-storms today. Unfortunately, today's New York Times piece about the US oil industry planning to flood African countries with plastics to bolster up their failing business in cahoots with governments desperate to do deals with Trump's America has put the mockers on it. These people are so far beyond anything that could rationally be called 'thinking' it truly beggars belief - I'm rendered speechless and inconsolate in the wake of such monumental, crass stupidity - faith in humankind is severely being stretched graphene-thin. How many more reasoned arguments and scientific facts can these idiots be fed before they actually wake up and smell the proverbial?

Fifty years - most of my life - and we're still stuck in the same self-destructive idiot-capitalist rut that we ever were. Unreal.

'Mama, mama; what's that red ball in the sky...?'

Comments

  1. Phil.31 August 2020 at 21:12

    Very interesting post Kel, which as is usual, I find myself agreeing with.

    It goes without saying that the accompanying photo takes me back over 50 years - to Jeff's front room at Chiswell Road. I must admit that I don't remember the lyric, and I don't remember the track. I do however remember clearly the track Apache Dropout; which after Googling, I see came from their second Album - Sing Brother Sing.

    50 years then - what was that all about?

    Trust AOK and all well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sideways31 August 2020 at 21:36

      I first heard the album at Kyte's house in Northfield: it was his brother's record. I saw the band at Hyde Park in 1970 with Pink Floyd: Kytey, Spencer and I think Jones were there, but I don't remember who else - did you go? I also saw EBB at the Arts Centre, Cannon Hill in the amphitheatre - can't remember the year, though...I think I've got Out Demons Out! on single somewhere!

      Delete

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