I just posted this meme on Facebook. I've finally reached my cutoff point - my line in the sand. I have been operating under the misconception that I need to stay engaged with the doubters so they will eventually come around. I now realise this isn't going to happen. No matter how polite and reasonable I try to be I think they see this as a sign that I am coming around to their way of thinking. The dance stops here.
I was going to comment on one FB post whingeing about the percent for art that: 'great, now we can start piling onto artists instead of environmentalists'. I decided I didn't need the grief from dickhead responses. FFS people just need to grow up but it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon.
The latest wonderful news is that there is a worldwide social media campaign, run by the climate denialist right, that the fires in Australia were the fault of arsonists, not climate change. I hope these people remember their denial when they are burning or their house is falling into the ocean, which is happening now but not getting much coverage. Mostly the wealthy have those sorts of properties so it will be a good thing when they are directly affected (instead of: oh dear we'll have to cancel the cricket because of the smoke from burning animal flesh/peoples' homes). I mean, can you imagine living in western Sydney and trying to deal with the heat as a pensioner or someone on the dole? Only the rich can afford to run air conditioners. Why is it always the poor that suffer first, and most? I am exhausted with the inequity on this planet. The human species deserves to self destruct.
To add insult to injury, I had a phone call from my mum last night about which I am not feeling happy because I got really annoyed with her. She is incredibly shallow and not on my wavelength at all. Most of the time I just listen to her babble on about stuff I have absolutely no interest in, but when she started complaining about the Fremantle waterfront not being open for tourists on the weekend I reached my tipping point. She is one of that generation that has had a great life, created millions of tons of carbon flying all over the world and doesn't give a fuck about what she is leaving behind. I know we didn't know all this stuff when we were younger so nobody is blaming anyone for that, but really? Now? When it's all over the media.....Her comment that 'well none of the politicians are any good anyway' just riled me. I said - 'well of course they aren't but people need to engage and vote accordingly. I suppose you voted Liberal'. Answer: 'I'm a swinging voter' (but I'll bet she voted Liberal). This denial of responsibility on so many fronts is bloody frustrating. My partner said his mum, who really was lovely, used to frustrate the hell out of him too. I said: 'what do you do about it?' He said: 'nothing'. Not very helpful but probably correct. I shut my mother down a couple of times with comments like: 'well I don't actually care mum, tourism is fucking up the world', and 'I don't fucking care what my aunty is doing - I've turned off her FB notifications. She follows and shares posts from people like Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt and Craig Kelly, who is an idiot'. I don't suppose mum was very impressed with me but I'm over trying to fit into her warped version of reality.
The fire season in our little town hasn't really kicked in yet. I am always a bit on edge this time of year. I hate summer: fire season, fucking tourists and shit surf. It's a miserable time and I look forward to autumn and winter. This town and its surrounds has been ready to burn for decades. Luckily we haven't had the drought like the east has, though it is drier because our rainfall is decreasing. It will be a lottery as to who gets it and who doesn't.
I don't want anyone's house to burn down but I'm hoping the fires get uncomfortably close to the more posh Sydney suburbs and gives them a fright this weekend. Only when the cities burn will people really wake up to what is happening.
Image: Author, meme created in Illustrator.
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