humanity, my apologies, my generation accidentally set democracy on fire

They broke the unions a long time ago, or the unions broke themselves. Courts are for the rich now, and police are militarized against free speech. Sixty five million of us are homeless, made so by wars and oppression. Bombing is endless. The sky needs to be cleaned and we put money in bombs. Humans are hungry and cold and overworked and bewitched by screens into a deliriously fast-paced consumerism, where we make ourselves consumer products with makeup. We make our homes consumer products. We feel we are nearly powerless against these forces.

We have done it.

We have killed democracy.

We deserve Trump. Because what did the educated and wealthy, the intellectuals of my generation? What have we done? Served our own wealth and no higher ideal than that. Served our own families. We have perfect lives inside our secure homes.

And if you don't feel guilty, great, I don't think guilt really accomplishes anything, I am not looking for remorse, we must be relentlessly forward looking now.  But you have to admit I am completely right about some things. 

Our children must leave our homes and go out into the world. We have been horribly neglectful of democracy, of the integrity of our own souls, the needs of the world. We ignored our freedoms and let capitalism erode the time we had to think about these things. We let corporations steal way too much of our humanity. Our dignity. And we worship money. We let Trump happen. We let May happen. We let Brexit happen. We let that damned Trident vote today happen.

Wake up. The camps in Calais and Dunkirk are camps that will shame us as bystanders  - across the globe - for the length of history. No one knows because the press aren’t interested (shame on the BBC) but the volunteers return from the camps with horrible stories of people going missing, of children missing, of deliberately set fires. We have no idea what is really going on. I can’t shut up about the camps. They are everything.

Borders and militarized police and immigration quotas and walls and bans – these are coming and we all lose power and freedom. I am at the Thomas Paine level. I think we all need to be. “When my country was set on fire about my ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir”

Two years ago I was writing the playwright notes for Bill Clinton Hercules.

Look to the world stage. A storm is coming. Governments collapse. Cities fall into desolation. Facism looms in Europe. A Taliban rises in America, armed with corporate religious beliefs out of the reach of the rule of law.

First point, I have seen this coming for a while you dorks. It’s worse than you are letting yourselves believe.

Second, I painted Bill as the guy who could pull us out of this tailspin. But it’s you. I made Clinton his best self but you can see me too, Rachel weeping for her children, and I am just like you. The play is a sort of duet about peace and freedom between the playwright and the character. What is your best self? Let me give you a hint: the heroism of Hercules is your heroism. You are like Bill Clinton who is like Hercules started: a human with a mother.  You reading this right now.

Why don’t you and I put something in place as Trump finishes off the rickety dysfunctional system?  

Let’s make a plan.

And if these great revolutionary figures of the past could do it, we have to be able to do it.  In the end they are people who rise to greatness. We need people to rise to greatness who are filled with virtue, willing to execute a new plan. Trump is our tax on tea, isn’t he?

I see a shadow – I see darkness spread and perhaps darker days are coming before we get out of this mess – but I am already looking ahead to the light that comes after this darkness. I am looking ahead to ways to push the light forward. The absence of wars. The cleaning of the sky. Hillary will get my vote- but when she loses? What happens to us then?

It’s time for this generation to vindicate ourselves.

I think we should be like Hercules and go to the Oracle to get some answers. We are in a plague of violence worse than frogs. There is blood in the streets. So close your eyes like Justice is blindfolded and try to get some clarity on the big picture with some prayer and meditiation. It’s hard with all the on-screen interruptions but more than ever we need quiet contemplation. We need to pray. Let’s ask all our allies to help: natural or supernatural, fictional or real. Pray to your God for a miracle. Or ask an angel if you know any. Implore them, beseech them, bring the whole world to God in prayer, confess your sins, find the revolution inside yourself.  Believe ee cummings when he says that miracles are to come. TO COME.

Ask God for peace and justice in the world. And then forsake war and money.

Don’t sign a petition. Don’t write your MP/Congressman. Believe me they don’t know what to do. This Trident vote continues the inarguable and overwhelming evidence that the entire government in the UK is simply not fit for purpose.

And every rich government that refuses the refugees it has created is not fit for purpose.

And every government that does not put the health of the earth for future generations first is not fit for purpose.

The problems of the Earth are all of our problems. And what allegiance do you even feel to the hollow shells of Congress and Whitehall?

Time for a new plan. Let’s start by asking for more light. Ask the world for some healing. Ask the world for more light. Ask your Goddess, your Earth, your Nirvana, Jesus, Prince, yourself, the higher power in AA, a Steak & Honour burger, whatever you believe in, look for great things. Ask for great things. Ask for peace. Ask God to bring peace.  Want it. Start by visualizing the kind of world you want. Imagine.