The iconic turn-of-the-century movie trilogy
The Matrix has a central motif. Humanity is devastated – either by its own
stupidity, its own self-destruct mechanism or by rogue AI on a mass scale. Humans
are enslaved to the point of being a mere energy source for The System (the
horrific and logical conclusion of Consumerism?) Those who choose can be
released into real reality and have the opportunity to fight to save what is
left of the human race. They make the choice by opting for a blue (stay hooked
up to the matrix) or a red (uncomfortable freedom, self-determination and
rescuing the human race) pill. Neo chooses the red. I am increasingly convinced
that, when it comes to extinction, the vast majority of people here and in the US are regularly opting for
blue oblivion.
We now seem to be offered the red pill on a regular
basis for our blue planet and equally regularly reject it. This week another
report claiming to be the one to stop us in our tracks came out and this time
there is no shortage of papers making it headline news e.g. The New York Times
The mind-bending that goes on to try to ignore
realities has become dizzying. Last week there were headlines about the £7m it
apparently cost to police the Extinction Rebellion protests. No one paralleled
that with the £1bn Theresa May paid to the DUP to remain in power after her
disastrous snap general election. No one pointed out that Brexit is being
maintained by 10 political throwbacks whose own country voted to Remain in the EU and where
increasing, retrogressive destabilisation has led to violence and the death of
a renowned young female reporter.
Meanwhile our children are literally dying from the
air they breathe and here in the civilised UK over 40,000 premature deaths each
year are linked to poor air quality. But, if the numbers are too big and the
time frame too distant we have other more immediate and captivating examples. Ella
Kissi-Debrah’s cute smiling face beamed from the pages of many newspapers last
week after her mother was granted an inquest into her possible death from air
pollution in London see The Guardian And if that isn’t the kissyest face you ever saw
I’ll be surprised. After more than half a decade of battling, her brave mother
was granted the chance to formally question the possible effect of air pollution
as a contributor to 9 year-old Ella’s death. I suggest that beautiful little
Ella, described as she has been as another canary
in the coalmine is in fact another opportunity for us to choose the red
pill. To wake up.
How many opportunities will there be to choose the truth
before it really is too late? How many opportunities will there be to stop
fighting and wasting time and resources over self-made non-problems and
concentrate on the things that matter right here and right now?
The public is fickle and Ella’s story will ebb and
flow in the public’s imagination despite it being, in my view, one of the most
important stories of our time. Let us hope that – suckers as the public are for
a pretty face – the still image of her adorable face and obvious vivacity will
help keep this terrible story in the headlines so that, before it’s too late,
we choose our blue planet by opting for the red pill.
*
If you find apocalypse more palatable in fiction form - do check out my novella