The tortoise pulls his head in as the Global Village teeters on his back

Globilisation ... is that how you spell it? A new word that I don't think is in my dictionary, but I will have a look anyway. I wonder if you can actually put a proper definition of the word in a book. I am sure from an economic stand point and from a political point of view it has very specific connotations. To me it basically means that things are becoming more accessible as the borders of countries become less imposing. Communication opportunities and the fact that technology is able to show case so many places on the planet that we are incredibly presented to us in our own living rooms or where ever else we choose to sit down and watch a screen.
Not even 50 years ago a documentary about a far off land would be something unique, now we are privileged to be able to see much of how and where others live; and then, if we are very fortunate even get to travel there and experience in a more tactile manner.

Well that is the simple and positive side of how I see the whole thing. Now, looking at the Concise Oxford English Dictionary I notice my spelling challenges have come to the fore as the word is actually spelled - Globalisation with an 'a'. Okay fair enough ...and the meaning? Well they tell me it represents: the process by which business or other organizations start operating on a global scale. I suppose that is what I expected them to say. What I wrote about above, seems to be closer to what the Oxfordians call the so called Global Village - a world considered as a single community linked by telecommunications. Okay I've got it ... I am likely to hash it up again, but for now, I've got it.
What I want to actually make a point about, is the dangers that seem to be rising up to squash, what I think, is a totally worthwhile move towards this Global Village vibe. Just a few weeks ago we were told as South Africans we are no longer welcome to pull into the UK. Apparently South Africa is a huge conduit for bad elements of the world gaining access to that country. And now the trend in the UK and the USA is turning a full 180 degrees on Globalisation and making sure those that the people that hold a piece of paper saying they are members of that piece of the planet are the one's to be favoured for work. Those without the papers are to be treated differently, making life a lot more challenging for the latter of course. Obviously this pulling back of the tortoise head into the shell is a reaction to the collapse of the systems that they govern and live by in the first place. So instead of recognising the failure of their core or engines and instead of attempting to work things out for a long term solution, they have decided to go for the short term (supposed) solution (perhaps option is a better word).
A good buddy of mine was in the tourism industry creating great opportunities in the USA for others to work and travel there. Now the allocation of the jobs for those people are no longer on the table as the Obamanation also putts its blinkers on and turns its back to Nationalism as they are once more taught to think that anyone un-American does not deserve to be there.

Such good work (global village vibe), which is clearly so necessary for this planet to survive, is being undone by the reaction to the 'clues' that we are being given as a world population that things need to be different. The clues are painful and incredibly difficult to bare as they affect our bank balances, financial planning and conjured dreams of a comfortable future (trappings and futile efforts that are actually bottomless pits of wasteful energy consumption), but they are not meant to be dealt with like a hurdle for the athlete or a speed bump on the way down to Llandudno beach. They are not there to slow us down while we think of a way to get back onto the road that we were following. They are there to help us. To help us connect with what is worthwhile on this planet (earth not Pi) and to nurture that with all the energy we have.


Fortunately we are humans and we don't need to be susceptible to parameters that others put on us. Unfortunately many of us do not recognise what humans are, so we act as a much poorer and weaker version of our species. The answers are all inside us and the signs to take note of what is worthwhile and what is not are everywhere.