If you’ve been following the news at all, you might have noticed Boris Johnson’s latest scandal. Here’s the UK Prime Minister, telling everyone to stay in lockdown during the pandemic, while he organises a party for himself, booze and all. So, what do you call a scandal involving parties? You’ve guessed it: ‘partygate’. It’s one scandal too many for Boris, as nobody wants to be near him anymore, which is why he finally stepped down.
You might go, “Who cares.” And I might agree with you on that. Let him have his party in the middle of a pandemic. If the virus is dangerous at all, the problem will solve itself. We should cheer him on, right?
The thing is, I remember his speeches, when he waxed poetically about the heroes in healthcare. But despite the kind words, when it came down to it, he showed by his actions how much he truly didn’t care. He said one thing, while doing the opposite. This is just what politicians do, they deliberately attempt to deceive their audience.
And it’s not just politicians.
Recently I read an article about the Catholic Church. They’re ringing the bells about a priest shortage. Obviously, there’s more than one reason for all of this (no, I’m not going there), and I don’t claim to be an expert. But I do know this: if you’re short on staff, it makes no sense to exclude over half of the world’s population. Remember, you can’t join the priesthood if you’re married or female – and sure as hell not if you’re both.
And while the Pope might consider married men becoming priests in the future, as the article explained, women are still a no-go. Why? Well, apparently in the Middle Ages celibacy wasn’t a big deal, so they might choose to scratch that, but somehow there’s this grand theology about why a priest has got to be male.
If you’re scratching your head thinking, “Why?” – well, join the club, ’cause I’m just relaying what I’ve read. They’re flexible when it comes to celibacy, but they’re obstinate when it comes to women joining the priesthood. Everyone who looks at this, sees a tangled web of priorities and a hidden agenda. So while they might choose to hide behind theology to defend their choice, it’s pretty obvious to everyone else what’s going on: they just want to keep things the same as they’ve always been, and they don’t like women that much. There, you don’t need an advanced degree in theology to figure that one out, do you?
Which brings me to a recent news snippet, about some job nobody’s lining up for. They show managers scratching their heads, genuinely bewildered, declaring no one wants the job. So it begins: fresh websites, glossy brochures, a swanky event with hors d’oeuvres to charm the crowd. They’re doing everything but the obvious: maybe, just maybe, you should pay folks more than the bare minimum.
The journalist went on to interview one of these managers, painting a rosy picture, and tossing out a few plattitudes. Zero follow up questions. Why not dig any deeper? Hey, why not talk to a former employee? There’s a reason why the hard questions never get asked. It’s because both managers, politicians, and their ilk, prefer to use the news as their soapbox, their ticket to some free and easy publicity.
Asking critical questions would be akin to opening Pandora’s box, revealing what’s most likely going on: low pay and bad working conditions. That would be bad for business, wouldn’t it? So, the unspoken agreement amongs interview and interviewee remains, “Ask me too many tough questions, and I won’t be on here anymore.” So while sometimes you do find some good journalism out there, it’s pretty rare. Most of it is up to you. Sharpen your critical thinking, because it’s all you’ve got in this world, filled with magicians using smoke and mirrors.
This discussion reminds me of the following quote from The Silence Of The Lambs:
“Everything you need to find him is there in those pages.”
“Then tell me how.”
“First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing, ask what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?”
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet