Wedges

What's keeping us apart?

We’re at an epic moment; some say it’s as big as the crumbling of the Roman Empire.

Wars, an ongoing genocide, environmental tipping points, the cost of living and housing crises, societal breakdown. What does the future hold? It’s a window in time where we need to pull together for positive change.

But here in the western world, at a time when we need solidarity more than ever, our culture is atomized.

We forget that we’re all human beings with the need for connection, food, a roof over our head and a social safety net for when we’re sick or down on our luck. We need a sense of optimism, and to feel that things are getting better.

Culturally we’re being sliced and diced every which way, and pitted against each other. Instead of our multi-faceted and unique identities being appreciated, we’re deemed superior or inferior. We often ignore those human eyes peering out of those we other.

Have you ever been on the wrong side of this? Someone sees you as not part of their group, and views you with suspicion, ignoring your humanity? Being objectified is such a degrading and dehumanizing experience.

The vibrancy of diversity is something we don’t always appreciate. Trying to understand the many perspectives people bring to a situation gives us a much more robust outlook. Having worked in a diverse environment, I can tell you how much more dynamic and interesting it is than environments that are less diverse.

When we’re surrounded only by people who are very similar to us, we’re missing out. Echo chambers are like a monoculture of society.

Wedges are often structural. There are whole neighbourhoods where only the very wealthy live, and there are neighbourhoods that are very middle class. Thankfully, there are still neighbourhoods where a good variety of people, classes and income levels reside harmoniously. They’re my preference.

Even the news we consume can be a monoculture, and there are many different varieties, each pitting themselves against each other, each claiming that they deliver the truth.

There’s so much news that it can be challenging to find what’s accurate, but doing so is essential. If we’re not getting the correct information, we can’t make informed decisions. Have your sources proved trustworthy over the years? Do they reflect the experience of people of different interests and cultures?

It’s especially challenging right now when mainstream and even some alternative media is heavily censored. Finding good news sources takes some serious digging.

Our news sources shouldn’t be like a novel where you can choose your own ending. We have to get a grip on what’s actually going on in the world in order to figure out the best way to respond.

Sometimes lack of nuance can be problematic. I’ve seen people reject the aggressive calling out of so-called ‘woke’ culture, and then reject some of their important social justice and environmental issues, and turn to the hard right.

Fascism is the last thing we need. It’s a tool of the forces that are exploiting us, and directs our rage at people who have it worse off than we do. Please don’t fall for it.

We’re pitting generations against each other, claiming that some are one way and blaming whole groups of people for certain behaviours. It doesn’t make sense really, but some people are buying into this.

And then, of course, there’s race, class and gender. And various cultures sometimes clash. And gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability…the list goes on. While these things are often very meaningful to each person, as long as they are kind, honest and helpful, societally these other details should just be packaging.

We need solidarity in this moment. This doesn’t mean we have to like everyone, but can’t we be civil? And we’re going to have people we’re closer to. That’s just life. We get along better with some than others.

I hope we can get past the foolishness of allowing ourselves to be divided. We have work to do, and it needs to be done together, by all of us.

We’re humans, before we’re any of the categories we’re slotted into. What will it take for us to see each other’s humanity, and to do what’s in all of our best interests?

With our combined efforts, we can get this ball rolling in the right direction.

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I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1

Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en

And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/