The Living Room

I am making a strange observation.In the midst of all the catastrophic, cataclysmic, chaotic and cathartic events, the world seems to go all but quiet.

At first I noticed the frequency of the news updates getting less, then even the updates on the websites of the BBC, Al Jazeera or the New York Times seemed to come to a mere trickle. It is like the world is holding its breath.

Only the social media are buzzing.

In particular with Japan I found it interesting, how slow the media  came round to report that we are actually facing a disaster of such enormous magnitude and scope, like we have never seen before. And I am not only talking about the humanitarian toll of tens of thousands people dead, injured, displaced or having lost loved ones, I am talking about the global impact of a worst case scenario actually happening.

Maybe it is because nobody thought a nuclear meltdown in the wake of a twin disaster of an earthquake cum tsunami was too far out to actually happen – and yet, it is unfolding.

In the wake of the events in Japan, as the world is watching in disbelief  the workers at the nuclear reactors to retake control after blast and fire, the battle for Lybia rages on, Bahrain called a state of emergency and Saudi troops are rushing in, Palestinian hold “unity” rallies and Israel intercepts an arms laden ship.

Just a normal day in 2011. Cataclysmic events are beating down like a hailstorm. Maybe it is more than the human mind can take ? An isolated event, like a flood, an environmental disaster or a even a coup d’état, take much time to digest, analyse and categorise. How much was written and talked about the BP oil spill and response, how closely did we witness the flood in Queensland , how much did we participate in the Tunisian and Egyptian protests, but now ? We see news tickers and live updates, but I am missing the voice of the budding conscious journalism, to strike up a tune of solidarity, solace and sanity in a world that is turning faster and faster. It seems like the human mind is crying out – enough. I cant take any more.

Well, if only.

The title has been chosen to allude to the illusion of the human mind being in control over the forces of nature.

The operating reactors at Fukushima Daiichi power station automatically shut down during the earthquake.
But after subsequent cooling failures, two of them went into partial meltdown.

Website of the International Atomic Energy Association

Tracking Japan’s Disaster