Attitudes have undergone a complete revolution since the
early 1980s. One area in particular is in the realm of the nuclear threat. This
has not of course completely gone away, but I remember growing up feeling like
it could happen at any time. Russia, which was then much larger and known as
the U.S.S.R., was seen as the great enemy of the West. And they, of course, saw
us as the great enemy! For a period of over 50 years, from 1947 to 1989, the
tension between these two great power blocs was at a dangerously heightened
level. Students in American schools in the 50s and 60s were actually
trained what to do in the event of a nuclear strike – basically to crouch under their
desks and brace for impact (and a fat lot of good that would have done).
Hence the 1985 song “Russians”, by Sting, in which he directly confronts the
issue, questioning the insanity of the powers, with their fingers poised over
their respective buttons, and asking – don’t the Russians love their children
too?
Strange as it may seem to today’s Gen Y, this truly was the
situation in the early 80s. I can remember asking myself the same question – if
the Russians are people like us (and the media strove to convince us that
indeed they were not!), wouldn’t they want a peaceful solution for the sake of
their children?
This all culminated in the “false-alarm”
incident of 1983, which was itself part of a larger pattern of events
that convinced Russia that America was preparing for an actual strike. If it
were not for one man working within the Russian nuclear installation who
correctly surmised that their missile detection instruments were
malfunctioning, the unthinkable may have actually occurred at that time. Of
course now, we are much closer to Russia, with tourism a growing industry
whereas once it would have been unthinkable to travel to the Soviet bloc
country. Certain tensions, unfortunately, still exist, especially over the
Middle East.
This is one example of how things have changed over the
years. Another example, in Australia at least, is so-called multiculturalism.
The divisions between Anglo-Australian culture and the various other immigrant
cultures are much less evident these days, particularly in metropolitan areas.
It used to be that the main sources of non-Anglo immigration to Australia were
from Greece and Italy. Despite the historical kinship that exists between those
nations, most “Aussies” were pretty hard on these immigrants. This despite the
fact that most of the people were beautiful, peaceful and law-abiding citizens!
But Aussies had come up doing the hard yards of establishing a nation out of
the raw rock and desert soil of this nation, and as a result of this experience they had perhaps become hardened. Also, as a new nation forging a new path away from
the mother continent of Europe, most “Aussies” were probably sceptical of
anything European. Still, the treatment of those waves of immigrants was
thoroughly undeserved. Today, we see immigrants from all over the world – from
places as far afield as Croatia, the Sudan, Lebanon, Iran, etc. This has become
normal. And miraculously, all these cultures are somehow (for the most part)
living side by side in relative peace (knock on wood!).
Naturally there is of course a regrettable element of
conservative, intolerant “Aussies” – but I for one never really hear much about
them, and they certainly don’t get much (if any) press.
Yet another area of change is in the status of women. Now
this is a curious area of social study – after the feminist wave of the 70s and
80s, many women would say things have not improved but in fact have perhaps
backslid. (Is that a word?) Certainly there are a much higher proportion of
women in positions of management, especially in the public service where I
work. Women no longer have to prove they belong in the workforce as they once
did. Yet there are still men who feel the need to over-control their women –
and regrettably, I have discovered that this tendency still obtains within me.
This has been a rather rambling blog so I hope you will bear
with me, but lately I have heard stories of women who have left their partners
because they insist on trying to control. I myself had a meltdown recently when
I felt my partner was becoming too independent (gasp!) and some inner, wounded
part of me – inaccessible to my powers of reason! – was convinced I was being
left. It wasn’t as if she was even doing anything that threatening – it was
more that I could just sense a pattern emerging and this was reinforced by
things she had been saying lately.
Now in my right mind this would not have been a problem. But
I had let myself and my self-care slide in recent times, and as a result the
inner wounded-self was festering. The abandonment complex I had carried since
before conscious memory was really acting up – and acting out. Fortunately we
have been able to smooth things over together but I am still disturbed by what
happened.
Without trying to sound too righteous about it, I really feel that the whole world’s problems stem from men
trying to control. I am sure many women reading this would agree. All the
things I have mentioned – the nuclear threat, intolerance of other peoples –
are not perpetrated by women, but by angry men. As the Goddess returns, balance
is restored among the sexes and women rise to new levels of empowerment and
independence, men are possibly feeling a little hurt and confused. We aren’t
sure what our place is anymore – having been in control for so long, having
been the ruling paradigm for several thousand years, and having soothed our
savage beasts by keeping women at our beck and call, we are possibly entering
this new age feeling a little shaken and shaky.
For myself, the answer is to take time out for me. Many men have
possibly already cottoned on to this solution! But for me certainly, taking
time out for myself at the end of each day, to pause, to reflect, and just to let
my inner voice be heard, is one small step to allowing myself to self-nurture.
Burning out my brain with distraction after distraction is not the way to go.
And after all, I do have a contemplative and spiritual side, I am interested in
positive change for the world. I guess it’s a matter of acting in accord with
what I want to see in the world!
Or as the Mahatma once said, Be the change you want to see
in the world. But to the blokes out there – take heart, gentlemen. We all want
a safer, more peaceful world to live in, and that is what is trying to come to
birth. The old ways are no longer working for us, guys. Time to relax and let the
changes in!
Be well
Anthony
