sometimes i feel completely overwhelmed by it all

I was talking with my friend James recently about the state of the world.

While I'm on an island in the arctic in Northwestern Canada, he lives in the United States, a country that too often makes too much noise. We've been writing buddies for probably two years now, and I consider him a dear friend.

I asked him,

Do you think we're headed towards a world war?

You see, even though I live in the middle of nowhere, I still keep tabs on current events (especially as a middle school teacher). And what I'm seeing and hearing, quite frankly scares me. So many revolutions are in play, so many governments trying to tame, and so many innocent people who eat the blame.

Sometimes I feel like the world is one big dumpster fire.

Other times, the simplest of beauties and kindness rebirth my faith in it all.

It's a delicate balance between avoiding ignorance and complete paranoia.

Everything is constantly changing so quickly. All the time. We are consistently bombarded with information, and often times distractions. But everything keeps on going, without pause, simultaneously. Too many people are still treated as disposable waste. Wildlife, the land, the water, the sky - treated as unlimited resources that can be abused and misused. War. Profit. Power.

It's impossible to keep up. I bet there's a word for this, this information fatigue. The overload.

And isn't that such a privileged thing?

Power Shifts and Theories/Worries

So here's what is stressing me out. Keep in mind these are not necessarily objective facts, just my opinions and information I have come across and compiled from social media and news articles that I've read.

1. #StopWillow is going viral in response to Biden approving the Willow Oil Drilling Project in Alaska. This project will have detrimental effects on wildlife and will release insane amounts of greenhouse gases that will cause irreversible damage while we're already in a climate crisis. Cut. It. Out.

2. Iran is going through a revolution. The regime is trying to crackdown on social media and on protesters who have been demonstrating against the murder of #MahsaAmini which occurred in September. Since then, tens of thousands have been arrested, and many have gone missing.

Women. Life. Freedom.

3. What's with all the damn mass shootings in the U.S.? What's wrong with y'all? Get some damn gun control laws already. Australia enacted the National Firearms Agreement in '96 and they haven't had another mass shooting since. Gun control saves lives.

4. There is a big push towards a power (and currency) shift in the world right now. Some countries are starting to ditch the U.S. dollar. Russia, China, and Brazil are already teaming up, as well as China mediating diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. If this continues, and more countries settle trade in alternatives to the U.S. dollar, this might lead to the end of America's global influence. And let's be real, the U.S. isn't going to take this lightly (as they are known for tantrums).

5. Speaking of tantrums, the shit that I hear about what's going on south of the Canadian border, especially as a genderfluid gay person, is horrifying. The amount of anti-trans bills being presented (and set into legislation), as well as the anti-gay and anti-critical race theory sentiment is devastating. It's like some states are going back to the pre-cold war era (ain't that interesting). So why not regulate and create fear in society? Aren't anti-lgbtq+ and anti-abortion laws all about creating better soldiers anyway?

6. Paris is a dumpster fire. And reeks like one too.

7. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the shitter as always. And the Israeli government's move towards overhauling the judicial system has led to hundreds of thousands of people protesting daily all across the country. The fight for democracy, basic human rights, and human decency continues.

8. The Carbon Tax and Alcohol Tax, as well as the natural gas prices for homes, has officially gone up today in Canada. Along with a 5-10k pay raise right into the pockets of MPs. What bullshit.

9. War in Yemen? Continues. War in Ukraine? Continues. War in Myanmar? Continues. China getting too handsy with Taiwan? Continues. Civil wars in Syria, Somalia, Ethiopia, Mali, Colombia, and more - continue. Don't worry, there'll be more.

All of this is a great way to distract us from the ongoing climate crisis and genocide of the Indigenous warriors who protect our earth. Because really, who cares about the planet when we're all just going to try to blow each other up anyways?

It's just overwhelming. Even writing this was exhausting. But it's important.

And by no means, should we ever stop fighting for the right to exist in peace and harmony - for everyone.

Because there is no Planet B.

~

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on the state of our world. This article was originally posted on my Medium.com profile under my pseudonym Poet in the Arctic.