False face

March 18th

“Act well your part; there all the honour lies.”

― Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

What a load of bullshit.

Who decides which part? And who decides that is done well? And why act? Why not just do, but act? Or try a little and see? And what honor? What exactly is honor? Is honor a keeping a smiling face upfront while suffering torment or boredom or hate or inequality inside? Is honor simply pretending that all is well, while clearly it isn’t?

That is such a Protestant thing to say.

I might seem angry, and in actuality, I am a little. More than a little, in all honesty. I am angry and tired of well-to-do and well-developed countries and entities (Germany and the EU) lecturing and admonishing other countries (Eastern European) over what is the lawful and moral and right thing to do, all the while breaking all the legal and ethical rules themselves. Behind the back, of course. I mean, after having sold weaponry and having back-channel discussions about keeping business as usual with a Russian war criminal, they should at least keep quiet. But no, there is grandstanding now, and excuses galore are flying. And the war will continue and even after we achieve temporary peace, another one will come on again soon.

I know that in the face of a common enemy and genuine tragedy with people dying and suffering, the European community should keep a strong, collective resolve and wait with the keeping of airing of dirty laundry for later. But I cannot keep a straight face, seeing the astounding hypocrisy of those so-called political leaders. I will call them on that, no matter what the current situation is. I know my voice is only singular and weak. But I will not hold back now or in the future. Being powerful politically and dominant economically should not be an excuse for appeasement of evil tyrants just to keep markets and population happy (and ignorant). Is the insatiable lust and need for power and money so addictive and infectious that it spans generations upon generations?

That was a rhetorical question, and the obvious answer is now even more obvious than ever. But I will not keep a false face, even when there is a war and tragedy going on. I will not pretend that all is well, and we all are in this together. That is the least I can do.