The Real Danger from Swine Flu

Panic in the streets of everywhere as the lowly pig threatens to derail all of human society.

Usually, I try to stay away from the discussion of 'hot' media topics, especially when I believe that they do not warrant extensive coverage. That said, I can no longer ignore the mass hysteria that is building in relation to the Swine Flu virus. It is impossible to pick up a newspaper and avoid the constant announcements that this virus is increasing in prevalence and deadliness throughout the world. Of course, journalists should provide knowledge on the virus. They should not, however, try to terrify us with the same knowledge.

For a moment, let's just look at the empirical facts relating to 'Swine Flu'. This is a form of influenza that hit the world hard in the 1918 pandemic. Symptoms include coughing, headaches, upset stomachs and fever. In addition to this, the very young and elderly are most at risk, along with the young adult generation that has had very little exposure to influenza. So basically what we're dealing with is the flu. It can be deadly, it can kill and it can be treated. It affects those most likely to be affected by influenza and acts in a similar manner.

I am not trying to downplay a potentially deadly pandemic but I do believe that we are letting fear do more damage than the virus is physically capable of. We must do all that we can to prevent the spread of the virus and limit the consequences of it. At the same time we cannot allow ourselves to be paralysed from living our lives. If we can learn anything from these worldwide pandemics it's that our existence on this planet is precarious and cannot be spent submerged in terror.

We should live cautiously, but live nevertheless.

-The English Student

The Fluctuating Fortunes of the City

A simple walk through our capital city underlines the fragile nature of financial systems.

The sun shines and reflects through the river that gives life to the city. On bright and hopeful days the river glitters with light and creates a glorious path throughout the urban area. It is as if thousands of coins of gold and silver have floated up from the riverbed to bathe the citizens in wealth. But the clouds prevent this and at times the river subsides to little more than a trickle. While we may become mesmerised by the glowing sight of our wealth we must also recognise that it can dry up without warning.

The main bank of this city shows similar patterns. It is a dated building made of decrepit concrete and depressing steel. This place really belongs to a bygone time, an era when this style of architecture represented the future, not the past. We look to this place as a symbol for economic security and all we can see is the instability we faced years ago. More than this, the actual shape of the building underlines a disturbing economic reality. With it's thin base and very wide top, citizens can easily recognise the precarious foundations that our entire economy is based on.

Are these observations really tangible? Can economics really be connected to apparently frivolous details? Economic systems themselves are completely intangible and only gain worth when we choose to invest time and thought into them. I have invested time and thought into these observations and they therefore have just as much worth as the economic systems that they represent.

The fortunes of the city fluctuate and these fluctuations are written throughout the city for all the citizens to see.

-The English Student

Rising and Underlying Tension III

Different areas, similar patterns.

But this pattern of tension seems limited to humanity. Of course, the animal world experiences tension, but this is almost inevitably released through some form of instant aggression. There are no past grudges or future fears for these animals, their concern is the now and survival in the moment. So why is it that humanity must alone experience these forms of political and personal tension?

The answer to that question is intrinsically connected to the question "Why did society develop in the first place?". Both questions are just as complex and unclear. But we can be clear that this incessant living in the past and future is a social issue. From advertisements to the very language we use, we constantly regret past mistakes and 'look forward' to future strife. We cannot escape this any more than we can escape the fact that humans are social beings.

Like other animals, we are instinctively inclined to vent our aggression and tension when it arises. Social laws inhibit this and punish those that cannot control their tension. Instead, 'acceptable' methods of release like wars or passive aggression are allowed in the social system. Society may have developed naturally, but it fails to master the natural tendencies of humanity. In short, we are animal creatures that have adopted social patterns.

For this reason, explosions of tension in personal and political life are not likely, they are inevitable.

-The English Student

Rising and Underlying Tension II

Politics is the macro expression of a micro pattern.

Rising and underlying tension is just as prevalent within every human being. When we have an issue that has not been solved this problem does not just go away. We may feel like we are dealing with a problem and working through things when in actuality we are repressing the issue. This means that tension festers and multiplies on a subconscious level. It builds and builds until a person becomes more tense than human and fails to escape the cycle. We frequently live in the past and therefore frequently face apparently dormant tension.

Living in the future is equally problematic. When we look too far ahead it is easy to worry and anticipate issues. Often, an innocuous problem will be predicted very early and we increase its importance by dwelling on it. Fear and anticipation are a poignant mix that culminate in an increase of tension. We frequently live far into the future and therefore we frequently create unnecessary tension.

Both of these elements of personal tension leak into social relationships. If we cannot individually deal with the past in a healthy manner or resist the urge to look too far ahead then we are very likely to create similar issues with friends and family. A fight or misunderstanding occurs in the past and we fail to deal with it properly or a problem is foreseen and becomes more of an issue than it should be. This is all due to our personal inclinations and a failure to live in the moment individually or collectively. Rising and underlying tension builds until people and relationships explode.

So again I must wonder, is it better that we allow this 'explosion' to happen in the moment or risk building greater tension in the future? Must we wage personal wars to solve our problems?

-The English Student

Rising and Underlying Tension I

World politics is constantly driven by tension.

A quick look at any newspaper will give the most casual follower of world events an insight into the current tension gripping the international community. Riots in Iran continue and have widened the gap between the Iranian government and the UK and US. North Korea continues to defy United Nations sanctions. The Honduras crisis continues, the African Union has pulled out of the International Criminal Court and the Israeli and Palestinian conflict continues. In addition to this, tension and fighting remains a constant in Georgia, Iraq and Afghanistan. So the obvious question is, are we heading for another world war?

These types of patterns have occurred many times before. World wide tension came to a head in the early twentieth century with two world wars and countless smaller conflicts. What was the result of these wars? Utter destruction and desolation is an obvious answer but if we look at the modern state of these countries another result is apparent. There is no whisper of tension remaining between former world war enemies in Europe. France and Germany have become strong allies and the UK continues to engage with the mainland. These wars were awful, but they were cathartic.

Compare this situation to the Cold War of the late twentieth century. There was a huge level of tension between these countries with a constant threat of war hanging over the heads of every citizen across the world. However, war between Russia and America never broke out and tension between these countries has never been fully dissipated. The "cult of the leader" remains strong in both countries and this is often founded on governments defining themselves in contrast to the old enemy.

Make no mistake, I am a committed pacifist but it seems that rising and underlying tension very rarely is solved by anything except war.

-The English Student