Barbarians

(Source)

For millennia they have stood on the fringe. Looking in at civilization, not part of it, but mindful of it. Not contributing to it, but living off of it, parasites. They do not build, they do not sow, they tear down, they take.

The world has always been this way.

Now it's just that we hear about it on the news, 24/7, it fills the airwaves, it streams over the Internet, it is seemingly inescapable.

For much of my time in the military, we were encouraged, even required, to stay abreast of current events. I often wondered what did I care if there was trouble in some far off land, how could that possibly impact the way I performed my duties?

While staying at Big Time's and The WSO's house over the past week, the television in the main living area always seemed to be on. When I'd get up in the morning, it would be silent, but as soon as my son-in-law got up (he was on the late flying schedule last week) the television would come on, normally tuned to Fox News.

So I was a bit more cognizant of national and world affairs while I was out there. Local commercials were often odd, extolling the virtues of electronic vehicles (as if the energy to power them was somehow magically produced and wasn't derived from fossil fuels) and other environmental concerns. Most of them of somewhat spurious provenance.

Yes, in California one has to occasionally ask for a straw, if a straw was provided, it was usually paper. One had to drink quickly as those things tend to fall apart rather rapidly. It's a good thing we let some nine year old kid with a hazy grasp of scientific principles dictate our behavior, isn't it?

At least he can claim ignorance due to his young age, unlike some of his "adult" counterparts whose science is meant to push a social agenda. It's a new religion of sorts, it's about control, nothing more, nothing less.

Politicians have ideas, ideas based on wishful thinking and playing to the fears and hopes of a poorly educated populace. They need your money, my money, in fact our money to make these poorly conceived ideas happen. We all know they never will.

Yesterday I had an epiphany of why during my time on active duty the higher ups wanted us cognizant of current affairs. If you don't understand the context of the times you live in, how can you possibly prepare for a threat? Dimly perceived at first, the threats always seem to be a surprise when they arise. Not for those who were paying attention, but for those of us content to just roll along, living our lives with no regard for outside events.

In past ages, the protectors of civilization stood on the ramparts and watched. Watched for the dust clouds on the horizon which signaled something was out there, something moving, something perhaps coming their way.

The barbarians are out there, they are looking for weakness, they will strike when they find it. It may not be possible to always drive them back. There are those among us who will assist those barbarians for their own selfish and short-sighted reasons. We have to keep an eye on them.

But we need to stand on those ramparts and pay attention, always.

For there is rising dust on the horizon, something is coming.

These are troubled times.