…is a wolf
Yesterday was “World Humanitarian Day” (WHD) and, ironically, the theme was “The Human Race”!! The UN explains: “Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.” Well, that might very well be so, but do they realise that the “Human Race” makes that “humanitarian” goal impossible to make progress in, much less “solve”??
Now, we know that “humanitarian” is supposed to be derived from the term “human”, but let’s be honest, dear reader: how many humans do you know fit the meaning of “humanitarian” in their everyday lives? In case you forgot, the dictionary says “humanitarian” means: compassionate, humane; unselfish, altruistic, generous, magnanimous, benevolent, civilized, merciful, kind, good, sympathetic. To your Eyewitness, the opposite of “humanitarian” seems to be much more apt to describe the human condition: selfish, egocentric, narcissistic, megalomanic, beastial, boorish, cad, churlish, creep, cretin, cur, heel, jerk, louse, lout, skunk, snake!! And that’s why your Eyewitness dubbed the theme – “the Human Race” – “ironic”.
Now, way back in the day, it was the Roman Emperor Paulus who concluded bitterly, “Homo, homini lupus” – man to man is a wolf! And if there is one thing the Romans knew, it was the nature of man – having tried to civilize the rest of Europe, only to be rewarded by being defeated by the savage Germans. Almost two millennia later, those same Germans plunged Europe into two World Wars, taking 90 million lives, and gassing 6 million Jews to death for good measure! And they were supposed to be the most “civilised” nation in Europe, with great music and science to boot!
Now, this shouldn’t stop folks from trying to help and prevent all these horrors of man against man…but why call it “humanitarian”? That’s what sticks in your Eyewitness’s craw! In fact, he thinks that to try to stop the carnage is actually going AGAINST the grain of what humans are. So maybe the efforts should be more accurately dubbed “anti-humanitarian”!
Now, your Eyewitness isn’t being a churlish misanthrope just for getting a rise out of you, dear reader. He just believes that if we call things for what they are, we’re better placed to deal with them. We won’t be shadow boxing, wasting most of our energy and then returning right where we started out in the first place. Fact of the matter is that, at the very best, our efforts to “keep the peace” are always temporary holding operations.
Sooner or later, we’ll return to our default fractious position! Here’s to “Anti-Humanitarian Day”!
…and Haiti
Now, tell me what you think of “humanitarian” when you recall the history of Haiti. By 1789, the island was the pride of France, and helped to make it the richest country in Europe. But that was because they’d dragged millions of Africans across the Atlantic to labour on their sugar plantations for free under the most unimaginably horrific conditions. By the time they successfully rebelled in 1791-1804, there were 500,000 of them.
Now, if you compare the status of the US, which had rebelled just two decades before them, and Haiti today, you’ll see the true nature of man. The US and France refused to recognise Haiti’s freedom, and conspired to saddle them with REPARATIONS TO FRANCE that were only paid off in 1947!! It’s like walking through history with a ball and chain!! Then when they couldn’t pay, they had to take American loans…and when they couldn’t service those, the Americans invaded and foisted a succession of tyrants on them!!
And now controls them with “humanitarian” aid!!
…and COVID-19 vaccines
For centuries, the colonialists – who’re (coincidentally?) the richest countries today – insisted they were “tutoring” us to be “civilised”. So what happens when we’re hit by the deadliest pandemic in a century?
They hoard their vaccines for themselves!!
