W

hen asked if the '€œgood old days'€ have any relevance I am more than tempted to say yes, as today we live in constant fear of terrorism, which affects almost everything we do and where we go.

In the past I would never have thought when boarding a plane that there might be a bomb or a bomber on board, but today I take a long hard look at each and every passenger. Ever since 9/11 and the Bali bombings I know that these religious fanatics are capable of doing anything, as they have twisted minds infested with evil.

But that is not the only scourge that screws up this life, as we also have to contend with living with each other and that is proving to be virtually impossible. Multiculturalism is close to being a nightmare, as clearly there are numerous examples that we not only dislike each other, we actually detest each other.

Was it always like that, or is it the fact that people are more mobile today, which has caused these clashes of civilizations? Certainly the conflicts and wars of today are scattering people in all directions: tens of thousands of refugees that nobody wants, immigrants that infest our shores and challenge our heritage and customs.

Let us not kid ourselves: multiculturalism does not work. It is easy to see from our history how all this has happened and as we can'€™t turn the clock back we are unfortunately straddled with the various outcomes. This is not a racist statement as I believe most people carry that label to a degree, but more a reality assessment of what is happening right around the world as we all look hard at a closed-door policy to keep immigrants out.

There is nothing at all wrong in wanting to preserve a national heritage and its customs and way of life and if that means rejecting outsiders from entry, then so be it. Is it selfish to say we have enough problems of our own and therefore do not want to add to them, so why don'€™t these troubled countries sort out their own problems and offer their own people decent lives?

It is surely reaching a stage where many people are saying '€œenough is enough'€ and that is more than understandable. Yes, the good old days had very little of what we see today, which is a world that has no trust and only makes friends with others if there is benefit. Its jealousies and ideological beliefs are so entrenched that compromise and cooperation have become impossible, but then maybe we have always been at each other'€™s throats.   

There was a time I would cycle the country lanes, wave to the people en route, take in the nature around me and not even think about my safety and that of my family. There was none of the dangers we face today and although people lived a more simple life it was a hundred times better than it is now. We are losing our humanity to capitalism, greed, religious fanatics and consumerism, as well as to environmental degradation and inequality.

Our performance as a species on this planet is bordering on pathetic, but in saying that, the pavlova and prawns still feed the G20 mob, so there is hope as long as the whipped cream does not curdle, which no doubt it will.

David Wallis
Medan