Make a wish...

We have ten seconds to save the world! Nah, only kidding. It’s probably already too late, but given the increasingly high pitch of all the outraged screaming going about lately nothing less dramatic would have been likely to convince you to read on. The western world has been obsessed with identifying evil of late. Meanwhile the medieval world has been content to merely practise it. But is it actually 'evil' or just plain and simple caveman barbarism? Given that the concept of evil is a religious superstition, maybe it is exactly the right word after all.

One thing is for certain, the particular primitive, twisted form of islam which is sweeping across the Middle East has no place in it for discussion or normal, sane reason. If I can see this and you can see this, how come our house-trained, domesticated, lap-dog western governments refuse to see it? But – phew – just in time, along comes another thing to divert attention away from any effective response to an out-of-control aberration which threatens to engulf the whole civilised wold unless it is militarily stopped in its tracks.

Robin Williams’ suicide could have been an occasion for a moment’s dignified contemplative silence followed by a celebration of a towering and complex talent. But no, that just wouldn’t do, would it? Alan Brazil decided it was diabolical – there’s that evil devil thing again – while Laurie Penny saw (and seized with gusto) yet another excuse to make it all about her… and then to go on Twitter and whip up a spate of self-trolling of such narcissistic proportions that even Russell Brand would shrink from its crass, infantile and oh-so-transparent plea for attention...

So, everybody gets aboard the fruit-and-nut charabanc and embarks on a poor-me tour of identifying with every other flaw in the funny man’s fragile façade. ‘Twas ever thus, though; very clever, very public, very erratic people are practically under contract to check out in ignoble circumstances. Why would you want to identify with that? Why, in order to avoid confronting the truth, of course. And the truth is that Williams’ death, sad though it is, has no real lessons for any of us, no profound revelations, no enlightenment. Light a candle, take a moment and then get a grip.

Face to the east; not in prayer but in opposition. Either muslims must change the nature of islam or the savage actions of those who speak in its name will forever condemn the followers of mohammed to be branded as savages, unfit to share the modern world. Anti-Israeli sentiment because of Gaza is also no reason to go easy on islam; I see no concerted, invasive outbreeding of indigenous populations by Jews, nor by any other racial or religious groups. I see no other ideology which openly declares such thirst for blood and dominance.

Three wishes, did I say? I lied...

So, mourn for Robin, if you wish. But don’t use it as an excuse to turn inward; it’s not about you. Instead, wake up and look around you. Look at the way your country has changed for the worse before your very eyes and how you have been progressively denied an opinion about it. Look upon the ugliness of islam and its appeasement and be ashamed we let it happen. It is not evil, but it is a hideous human travesty. We may not have only ten seconds to save THE world, but it’s quite possible we have under ten years to save OUR world.