It is important to emphasise that the inhabitants of this planet, Earth, are not part of a WhatsApp family group, nor are they content creators on TikTok or Instagram. They are real individuals who deserve to benefit from the natural wealth that the planet provides, and they should be treated with dignity.
Instead, we witness the destruction of forests, the pollution of rivers and oceans, the disappearance of flora and fauna, and the degradation of human beings. One doesn’t need to be smart to recognise that using explosive weapons has serious consequences for the environment. The destruction of nature and the degradation of humanity are interconnected.
Our existence is swinging on a pendulum controlled by rhetoric. By disagreeing with any of the prevailing narratives, one risks being ostracised within the dynamics of social media and the evolving tactics of political and diplomatic engagements.
The mental health of the inhabitants of this planet is exhausted. We are living in a constant state of anxiety. Bombardments, ‘tactical pauses’, blockades, famine and killings are not only acts of psychological terrorism; they are tactics designed to extinguish any hope that remains. Utter cruelty.
The indiscriminate bombings of civilians and medical, cultural and educational infrastructures point to a process of erasure of Gaza’s social fabric and its historical and cultural identity. Memories and collective remembrance are being erased – while the world observes the unfolding aggressions on FB, TikTok, X, or YouTube.
The international effort to airdrop food aid is an immoral act that humiliates and strips away any sense of dignity from those still alive in Gaza.
It is such a sadistic strategy to use hunger and starvation as weapons against women, children, adolescents and elderly people forced into besieged enclaves. It is a systematic approach that transcends physical violence.
Genocide and killings are being normalised in the 21st century, framed by puzzling narratives. At the same time, diplomacy appears ineffective — not because diplomacy can’t work, but rather because some prefer its failure. Additionally, the growing involvement of non-state actors as political players in the global sphere adds another layer of complexity.
There are so many absurdities happening at once that it is hard to tell right from wrong or fake from real. We live in collective madness and are forced to keep on with whatever pressures us. The inhabitants of this beautiful planet endure a form of ‘slow violence’ — a gradual, incremental, and often less obvious forms of harm.
In a time of noise, confusion, spin, global systems collapsing and natural catastrophes, we are witnessing an increase in armed conflicts, social unrest, instability and other types of crises. Violence is employed to assert dominance; control is used to humiliate. The world has been taken over by people full of hate.
In a broad sense, we can draw parallels with diplomacy, which has always been the art of persuasion. Communication is crucial in decision-making because negotiations aim to secure concessions and compensation. However, in the current context, these efforts are likely to fail, as conflicts of interest and power dynamics undermine diplomatic initiatives.
The shifts in the geopolitical landscape and the methods countries are employing in their diplomatic efforts point to worrying scenarios. Realpolitik is getting rough, often to the point of absurdity.
The severity of ongoing instances of genocide suggests that diplomatic engagement, whether through social media or other means, is unlikely to halt either occurrence. However, everybody is ‘seeing’ as if they are ‘doing something’.
Despite the myriad challenges and struggles, a profound sense of resilience and hope remains — something that no social media platform can truly capture.
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