The Yin and the Yang

The Yin and the Yang

Every idea has its opposite and like a walking figure silhouetted by the sun, there is a shadow.  This shadow is as attached to its figure as are the opposing poles of a magnet.  Nature has provided that there will always be opposites and that they will attract each other.

Society is no different, with the young showing the abandon and rebellion of a fast flowing mountain stream, while the old show the conservatism and lethargy of slow meandering lowland rivers.  In time of course, the one will become the other.  Life was given a finite span to ensure that each generation could make both its own mistakes and show its moments of brilliance without obligation to the past or the future

At present, it is as though our world has been dammed.  There is a dangerous difference between the old and the young.  The old have everything and the young have nothing.  The young see our politicians as irrelevant.  They have nothing to say and have failed to do the most important job that parents have:  to make the world a better place for their children. 

This is not sustainable in any terms, least of all wealth, home ownership, pensions, health or education.  It is another example of the vast inequalities that characterise the rich 1% and the rest of the world.  Everywhere, the young are questioning the world order, the twin horrors of greed and selfishness and are considering the contribution they can make.  They demand recognition in a peaceful manner, as has been shown in protests seen in the last six months from Tahrir square to the streets of Athens.

They need to be heard and not patronised and ignored.  They are our immediate future and should have a chance at this critical time to set the world on a different and sustainable path.