Who's 'Flu-ing Who?
Mood: Pretty Hectic!
Listening to: A mate on the cellphone...
I think it is the worldwide hysteria about bird 'flu that got me thinking and
wondering whether this is a media beat up (for lack of news) or a
pharmaceutical grag (for share price) or simply the genuine thing. Difficult
to tell about a virus that mutates, or a news media that thrives on what
ifs, conjecture and conspiracy.
We have all had the conspiracy theories about the American flag waving on
the moon; or the idea that the plane that hit the Pentagon on September 11th
was really a hand held rocket, etc! We have had the Y2K bug that was supposed to bring the computerised world to a halt!
There is the internet e-bay and “trade me” mania in which goods and services
are auctioned – real sight unseen! Scam artists inviting personal bank
details are given freely by willing adults!
I think what we experience is a loss of universal innocence. A loss that was
traditionally filled by a loving God (or an objective science). Now that
even these (God and science) are mistrusted, we have a society belief crisis
in so much it is not what we believe, but who can we believe?
One of the main ingredients of a good education is to develop the art of
discernment – sorting out the difference between fact and fiction; discourse
and opinion, research and survey etc. We all have a part to play in this as
we bring up our families. The TV/newspaper slant is not necessarily the
reality of any situation.
We can’t help being bought by a secular Press. It is said that a secular
society can deliver many things – but it cannot deliver meaning!
Perhaps it is time to trust in the reassurance a young child can give, or
the matured wisdom of a dying person or the words of scripture “I am with
you at all times, even to the end of times”.
In the meantime, buy Roche Pharmaceutical shares! You can’t lose.
