2026 - Fear?
As important as guitars and cooking are to me, all of that pales in comparison to what’s happening in the world. So I can’t help but vent about it every now and then on my “blog.”
So: Think back to the lockdown! We were only allowed to leave the house to go grocery shopping. Of course, only with a mask and gloves. On top of that, here in Andalusia, we weren’t allowed to cross the city limits of Cádiz, nor the provincial border of Cádiz, nor the border of Andalusia—all much like in other countries.
Looking back now, I have no choice but to draw the grim conclusion that it was precisely this COVID-19 pandemic that triggered the beginning of the decline of the Western way of life, culture, morals, and ethics. And the last illusion that we live in freedom in a free country has thus also been dispelled.
I got vaccinated three times myself and put up with all these restrictions. Good for me! But what ultimately resulted from this has been, to this day, a different, more negative outlook on life. Following instructions, being obedient, not doing things one would otherwise have done. And for a segment of the population, it seems to have triggered a belief in all-powerful, misguided leaders. Not only since Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, but especially since Trump, things have happened that are difficult to explain. And yet more than half of the population simply accepts all of this—or even celebrates it. After all, everything bad is so simple and so easy to explain! The flight of the intellectually challenged and those who blindly follow leadership into right-wing radicalism! And it would be interesting to know what the results would be if the largest possible number of Trump voters were tested for their IQs.
I’m sure people seemed happier on the streets before the pandemic. Smiles as they passed by. Everything was still more positive and, at least on the surface, less restrictive. Many of the cameras on the streets may have been there before. But today there are more of them, and we should be more aware of them. Our emails, WhatsApp messages, and our digital lives on social media are completely controllable. Every government today is not only capable of creating an exact profile of each of us, but also of tracking our location as soon as our cell phone is turned on. And woe betide any of us if we make statements that don’t conform to the system!
Of course, one could say that this is wonderful for monitoring and curbing conspiracy theorists, perverse subversives, and crime. “We all have the greatest possible protection and can feel ‘safe’ in our so-called democracy!”
But here are two examples:
Then there are these media reports about the seizure of tons of cocaine or hashish. But that doesn’t solve the supposed problem: People don’t just want to work—they also want to have fun and get high! And it’s been that way for millennia. It’s practically a primal human instinct! What vast quantities of alcohol, in every form, are consumed worldwide? How many herbs are smoked worldwide? And keeping all of that illegal has never solved the problem. And someone has always profited from it—thousands of crime TV series show us that the profiteers of the drug trade sit right at the top in the executive suites. What nice hints! But there are absolutely no consequences! And why? Because there’s a vast amount of money at stake—money that all these profiteers would never want to give up if “drugs” were legally available in pharmacies or specialty shops!
The same goes for the oil lobby! Trump has just repealed environmental regulations on CO2 emissions—meaning more oil, cheaper cars, and lower energy costs for production. That’s a lot of money that could be saved for the economy, but all at the expense of our planet’s future.
Everything is currently moving toward boycotting our still-cherished democracy, controlling us, and making us even more submissive to a super-rich establishment that will impose its interests to further enslave the majority of the population. Perhaps, cynically speaking, they aren’t even that wrong about it, because there is simply too much evil in the human spirit. And only “a firm, harsh hand” can rein it in and keep it under control! Our democracy—for better or worse—is in grave danger. Eventually, we’ll all end up being ruled by dictatorial authorities. And if that turns out well, it might even be good for everyone. But there are, after all, many countries with different governments. And things could turn out badly if, for example, one of these governments denies climate change and our planet continues to hurtle toward the abyss. And my beloved proverb—“Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you!”—has long since only applied sporadically.
In any case, I’m frustrated and stunned, and at 73 years old, all I can do is say with a touch of sarcasm that by the time it’s “my turn,” all of this will, at best, barely affect me anymore. But what lies ahead for our descendants? And hopefully, it won’t be too soon before we have to “fear”!