I figured Birmingham, like much of the UK, has had a pretty hard time in the last few days and is probably struggling to promote a good image to outsiders. Therefore I have quickly taken a photo of some of our finer vistas within the city centre along with a snail. This snail originated from Birmingham in much the same way that the rest of the industrialised world is supposed to have been born here. [citation needed].
I am befuddled to say the least. The radio and the television is full of people saying that these riots are about a breakdown in communication within our communities, yet simultaneously saying that Twitter/Facebook/BBM were platforms for these looters to co-ordinate themselves. Social media seemed to be working when there was a 42″ plasma to be had, but it is not so great when you want people to pay their council tax on time. We thought this was about kids looting, but then we found out that there was quite a large contingent of adults too. “Where are the parents?!” everyone was tweeting. It turns out they were in the car with the engine running.
We may be faced with the realisation that these were opportunistic escalations of violence with no purpose other than greed and gain. A journalist will question the moral compass of a looter but is quick to forget that we are bombarded with signs of moral disintegration everywhere in all levels of society. The political expenses scandal may not have been illegal in many cases, but much of it was immoral and unethical. The phone tapping in journalism, immoral and unethical. Selling weapons to both sides in Libya within the last ten years, immoral and unethical. Perhaps these are all examples of judgement clouded by opportunity over morality. And who are people to look to for moral guidance? The footballer? The politician? The priest? Why don’t we promote our heroes in society? We know the name of the Norway killer, the dead are nameless.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a cursing, egotistical opportunist myself. I am also white, middle class, English speaking and male… that’s a lot of opportunity in this world. (I am also ginger, so I am technically disadvantaged). Everything in this world, from education through to advertising, tells me that I can have it all if I work hard enough. It’s a meritocracy! Except it isn’t, and these “mindless” thugs are clever enough to have worked that out. Not so stupid after all. We have to acknowledge that social mobility in the Western world isn’t quite as awesome as we would believe it to be. In the same way that democracy isn’t necessarily as awesome as we would believe it to be. Or the financial security of our markets. In actual fact, quite a lot seems to be crazy right now.
I believe that it is part of a larger paradigm shift that is taking place, and any change in the way we think has periods of turmoil where it collides with the old mode of thinking. I think our society is changing rapidly and within it lies new opportunities, vested interests, difficult histories and emerging problems. I won’t pretend to have an answer for this, and I definitely don’t think that sending papier mache snails around the globe can be extrapolated to mean anything more than it actually is. It is ‘now’ and it isn’t hurting anyone. It doesn’t have to make sense any more than this crazy world makes sense. But my point is that the ways of the past aren’t necessarily working right now and therefore we need to exercise our creativity. The idealist in me wishes it would be driven by a common moral and ethical code that is universally accepted. I won’t tell you what the cynic thinks, because therein lies the problem. Cynicism is always fashionable. And a cynic will scoff at you when you take a photo with a paper snail – “Huh! What is the point?!”
There is no neat conclusion, and I hate to think I have made you read this and then sign off with a shrug of my shoulders and an admission that the world is a complex place. You knew that 700 words ago. Without sounding like my mother, I just want you to think for a few minutes of a time when you may have been hypocritical. I may take an hour or so to do this.
I do encourage you to visit Birmingham if you haven’t already done so. Even if it is a cyber visit – CLICK HERE!
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