HAKUNA MATATA

    No worries. For almost three magical hours a packed theater was transported into a magical world where animals talked, displayed emotions, solved problems that stump humans, and danced down the aisles of the theater to the great enjoyment of the audience. It was sheer magic. Would that we could transfer this magic into the world offstage, a world beset with so many problems that the phrase of hakuna matata and its meaning are almost impossible to imagine.
     In this world, there is much to worry about. Let's start in the smaller world of CV. The Village government is undergoing a crisis. People have become apathetic or perhaps the best term is resigned. They are waiting for nature to take its course whereupon they will be able to replace the leadership with a person(s) who actually care(s) about the people of the Village and doing the best job for them. But until that point, there is an increasingly less diverse administration as people do not show up to vote, the quorum is manipulated - mostly to no avail - and all attempts to widen and democratize thevote is stymied by allies of the current head leadership and administration.
     The best 'joke' is the blog allegedly providing outlet for questions and concerns, but just try to answer a posting or make a comment. If you are on the 'naughty' list, well, it is a waste of time. Just lately there has been a posting which sounds oh so scholarly and reasonable, but the truth of the matter is that it is just another ploy to push off the one resident one vote movement and thus keep the power and the strings of the purse in the same ever more incompetent hands. No hakuna matata here.
     Moving to the larger world of the country, well, I could say, 'nuff said' and leave it at that. But truthfully, that is not the way to go. It is outrageous that the President is undergoing such 'torments', right? It could all be finished in a NY minute if, if, the man would release the information necessary, obey supoenas, obey the laws of governemnt and the traditions of the country, and be honest for once in his miserable life! But that will never hapen. Hakuna matata is not present here, neither in his life nor in the life of the country. To have an alleged criminal, a cheater and a fully proven liar, a sexual pervert, and an incompetent and demented thinker as the head of the country is beond any attempt at hakuna matata.
    The contempt that this man displays towards the truth, towards honsty, fair play, moral behavior, well it is beyond any attempt to accurately describe it. He governs by tweets rather than in news conferences or TV addresses. Perhaps that is best for he cannot articulate a complete sentence unless he totally follows the script but even then he cannot help commenting out of line while reading it. His lack of ethics, his attempts to control the entire government and rule by his edicts is just about the most dangerous political situation this country has faced in one hellof a long time and seeing the way out is truly difficult under the present situations. The only way that I see is to beat him in 2020 and then prosecute the hell out of him! Hakuna matata at last!
     Finally, we have the world at large. Countries that are supposed to be stable are disintegrating in front of our eyes. The world has long become indifferent to the crises of Africa and Asia, almost neutrally reading reports of slaughters,kidnappings, child soldiers, rape as a weapon of war, of starvation and endless wars, brutal wars that leave behind damage for lifetimes.
     But now the world is seeing riots in the streets of French cities and the Revolution, or the barricades and riots of the past are reprised. The government seems almost helpless in the face of this national dissatisfaction. Hatred of the other grows apace, turning ever more violent and dangerous. Jews are once again being killed in the same cities where the French police so enthusiastically joinedthe Nazis in rounding up Jewish families for transport and death.
     And it does not stop there as we witness earthquakes in England in the political world. The parties are rivenwith disagreement. The members of government, Corbyn and others, are openly anti Semitic and supportive of those who are vicious in that path. The 'other' is demeaned and seen as a threat to the Europe that these people want. The members of Parliament cannot agree on important changes in policy and government direction and it appears to be stalled, deadlocked, only it cannot remain that way. No country can. No hakuna matata here at all.
     Would that we could place all this on a stage, put together amazing costumes and design brilliance and sing away the problems of the world. Would that we could actually see and understand the "circle of life" that is sung about. Would that we would understand that we are all human beings living on the same small orb spinning in space and there is no ark of the future that will take a brave remnant off to Earth II. No, there is no rescue other than our own blood, sweat, tears, and brains. There is no other way possible to insure survival for all of us.
     It is frighteneing when we see an increase of articles writingof survivalism, of homes built as fortresses, as the uber wealthy buy huge tracts of and for 'after', as they build and stock their post apocolypse homes. The rest of us - screwed again!
     I hate being a Cassandra, but I am not alone as even the hands of the clock are moved closer to midnight than before. Greater and smarter people than me have sent out warnings and pleas, but they fall on mostly deaf and/or powerless ears and people. And yet, there is a small glimmer of light as groups form to reject racism and prejudice, as groups form to fight for our physical world as well. And I certainly hope there is progress in the small world of CV and the larger world of the USA. My optimism here is quite muted and the echoes of hakuna matata are fading in the distance.
Would that it were different and that we all realized that the song Circle of Life is not just a song that remains in your mind, but also a statement of truth. We are all conected. The "Butterfly Effect". The evergrowing and widening ripples. Whatever term you wish, but it is all the same. Hakuna matata to you all in your private lives, but we are all tied together and the world needs some of it too.