Peter Kropotkin
It's come round again, the time some of us celebrate the Festival of Yuletide, others the Birth of the Sun and, for Christians, the birth of Jesus Christ. The last two years have been difficult and unsettling for most of us. and as the country falls apart, everything doubling in price, from electric to food to trains and Omicon infects last person and the worst government disintegates, while the prime minister still recklessly gambles with the lives of every man, woman and child in Britain, we certainly need some respite, if only for a short while
Christmas is a mixture of both ancient and modern traditions adapted through
the ages to meet the needs of the ruling class of the time, be it Roman
aristocrat, feudal lord or modern capitalist, ts roots go back into the dawn of the human experience of winter in the
Northern hemisphere. People gathering around the fire to keep warm, and
feasting to raise their spirits in the cold and dark; and looking
forward to the return of the sun and the spring. is also the time to be generous to those less
fortunate. This may be one reason why Dickens’ Christmas Carol is so
popular. Nasty mean Scrooge is transformed and bestows good things on
poor Bob Cratchett and his disabled son. Readers feel a warm glow. But that old chap Scrooge had a word which aptly describes Christmas as well as the delusions of capitalism, its cynicism and its hypocrisy. Humbug.
Personally I do find this time of year quite baffling, the usual suspects.,the misery that explodes, The fact is that Christmas is in some ways a time for people to show
their less attractive side—and for the massed forces of commercialism to
cash in on the situation, ruthlessly and to the full, with the only
justification they need—in the end they have more profit than if they
had not played up to peoples’ snobbery, their insecurity and their
distorted conception of the world in which they struggle to live.the annual artificial need to guzzle and consume vast
amounts, whilst people commodify and profiteer from our faked jollity.
Santa the manufactured symbol that resides right next to the sick heart
of capitalism and consumerism, christmas at the foodbank the new order
of the day. Tolerating neighbours stupid light displays and crappy
Christmas carols. Reflecting on life and loss in general. The list goes
on and bloody on.
We sing about peace and good will, while people caught up in war zones, and countries are fractured by division. Our natural impulse is to give, share and support others, feelings of solidarity and mutual aid, these qualities find their form in the midwinter festival that in this part of the world, is now known as Christmas.Today, as the tentacles of the capitalist market reach into every part of our lives, those feelings are commodified, as we are encouraged to pay for the convenience of expressing our feelings for our fellow beings through gift giving. We fret about our purchases, are they good enough? Will the person like them? Presents are purchased by people who are really stretched for money and have therefore wasted their limited funds on presents that are not wanted or not appreciated. Some presents simply find their way to the bin. Clothes may be worn once and then jettisoned. Rubbish bags overflow, the contents on the way to landfill. Huge quantities of plastic are involved.
But, as well as all this, people across the world think of those who have less and donate food, clothes, toys and money.It is worth remembering that these acts of solidarity are part of our nature, that the impulse towards mutual aid is not just a once in a year anomoly, that it was a deciding factor in our evolution and is something we need to nurture, that Peter Kropotkin wrote in Mutual Aid, is a factor of evolution. that we need in order to survive.
Blessed Saturnalia, roast chestnuts underneath the pagan tree, the children love it I suppose , this shindig of excess. Their sun will rise anyway, rudolph will leave eat all the carrots and someone will have bamdoozled the sherry.
I suppose it is is a time when many do genuinely take some time out to celebrate their faith, fair enough. but the original meaning seems to have got lost a long time ago now, and for many this time of the year is a time of immense difficulty, fear and uncertainty, people left in isolation, feeling alone, left cold, hungry and without support, in a downward spiral. People who feel they do not belong, who are discredited and denied their status as human beings.
We sing about peace and good will, while people caught up in war zones, and countries are fractured by division. Our natural impulse is to give, share and support others, feelings of solidarity and mutual aid, these qualities find their form in the midwinter festival that in this part of the world, is now known as Christmas.Today, as the tentacles of the capitalist market reach into every part of our lives, those feelings are commodified, as we are encouraged to pay for the convenience of expressing our feelings for our fellow beings through gift giving. We fret about our purchases, are they good enough? Will the person like them? Presents are purchased by people who are really stretched for money and have therefore wasted their limited funds on presents that are not wanted or not appreciated. Some presents simply find their way to the bin. Clothes may be worn once and then jettisoned. Rubbish bags overflow, the contents on the way to landfill. Huge quantities of plastic are involved.
But, as well as all this, people across the world think of those who have less and donate food, clothes, toys and money.It is worth remembering that these acts of solidarity are part of our nature, that the impulse towards mutual aid is not just a once in a year anomoly, that it was a deciding factor in our evolution and is something we need to nurture, that Peter Kropotkin wrote in Mutual Aid, is a factor of evolution. that we need in order to survive.
Blessed Saturnalia, roast chestnuts underneath the pagan tree, the children love it I suppose , this shindig of excess. Their sun will rise anyway, rudolph will leave eat all the carrots and someone will have bamdoozled the sherry.
I suppose it is is a time when many do genuinely take some time out to celebrate their faith, fair enough. but the original meaning seems to have got lost a long time ago now, and for many this time of the year is a time of immense difficulty, fear and uncertainty, people left in isolation, feeling alone, left cold, hungry and without support, in a downward spiral. People who feel they do not belong, who are discredited and denied their status as human beings.
We can use the time to reflect ,and offer the gift of solidarity to those that need it.Whatever you do, try take it easy out there, and hope you have a good
time, follow your dreams, your currents, each according to your need. We don't have to take what our leaders
want to deliver, we can still make a difference.May we continue to support those that seek to overcome the inequality and injustice they are facing,However and whatever you are celebrating, for now wishing love, light and hope this holiday season, may the new year bring peace, change and possibility ,listening, talking, keep rising like the birds without borders anywhere, take care, stay safe.
Santa Claus says Free Palestine
