Dispatches From the Precipice

By: Erik Rittenberry

“Deep down, below the surface of the average man’s conscience, he hears a voice whispering, ‘There is something not right,’ no matter how much his rightness is supported by public opinion or by the moral code. Our heart glows, and secret unrest gnaws at the root of our being.” — Carl Jung

I’m writing to you today from a small room somewhere in Florida. It’s early morning, still dark, the coffee is strong and I’m reading the poetry of Jack Gilbert. In one of his more poignant poems, he begins with these lines: Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere.

It’s always the poets who tell us the uncomfortable truths.

Alone, I sit here in the dark feeling awful and disconcerted by what my eyes have seen the last few days and I can’t help but think that we are all sitting disillusioned on a precipice.

On a precipice of what? That is yet to be determined. A nuclear wasteland, perhaps? Another world war? A status quo of senseless violence and wide-ranging mayhem coalesced with dwindling resources and a disintegrating ecosystem? An incurable riff between us that is breeding a dysfunctional civilization? The unknown unknowns?

I’m not too sure but the problems in the world seem to be growing exponentially despite our attempts to stifle them. Or, perhaps because of these attempts. It was Rousseau who once said: “Civilization is a hopeless race to discover remedies for the evils it produces.”

I think all sensible people, regardless of our politics and beliefs, are furious and disgusted by the gruesome bloodshed in the Middle East this past week. The tragedy of the human race is on display for us all to see. And it is sickening.

I do understand that the world has always been in conflict. Sadly, it’s rooted in our human nature. But unlike in the past, it’s in our face daily. And thanks to the explosion of science and technology, we are now capable of vast destruction on a global level. And the maniacal “leaders” of the world seem to be bent on this catastrophic path.

I don’t want to sound like a doomsayer or for you to take these words as hyperbole, but the turmoil we’re all witnessing on various fronts is leading us to a place far more sinister. The trajectory of the last few decades is setting us up for an insufferable world — a wasteland of hunger, disease, exile, and endless bloodshed.

There’s no doubt that the utter horrors we’re seeing in the Middle East right now are unspeakable. The harrowing images that flash across our screens are gut-wrenching. The bitter divide that is entrenched in the modern world just became wider. And unfortunately, things will continue to escalate with no sign of any possible peaceful solution.

This highly charged conflict will reverberate not only through the region but across the globe.

There will likely be more nations that get involved in this Middle East collision. The war hawks in my own country are already thirsting for blood. Bombing Iran is now on the table. The “nuclear option” is being tossed around. The superpowers of the world will become ever more belligerent in the sphere of geopolitics. The proxy wars that have been continuous since WW2 will evolve into something even more barbaric.

I don’t pretend to know all there is to know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The few books and articles I’ve read on the situation have left me with more questions. It’s a highly volatile and greatly complex situation that very few are willing to admit. I know there are many social media voices out there who’ve taken a hard stance on this situation but I’m not one.

However, if you maim and kill innocent people regardless of your cause, I’m against you. If you bomb entire cities without due regard for civilians, I’m against it. If you’re a Western politician stoking the flames of war from a safe office six thousand miles away from the killing fields, I’m against everything you stand for.

In the words of Albert Camus: “It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.”

I’m against the elites, war criminals, bankers, and the profiteers of the military-industrial complex who are all salivating at the chance for another war. I’m for ALL innocent life and it’s a pathetic tragedy that this is deemed “controversial” to some.

With the exception of a few ideologic strapped agitators, I think anyone with a beating heart is completely devastated over the number of innocent lives snuffed out this past week. It’s a horrific scene and it’s hard to fathom the utter depravity humans are capable of inflicting.

Furthermore, historically speaking, the first casualty of war is always the truth. We must be astute and discerning with our minds whenever the media tries to paint a narrative. We must be willing to look a little deeper beyond the obvious and try to take a bird's eye view of the situation.

The major problems go far beyond that small region in the Middle East.

So yes, as a result of escalating wars, diminishing resources, and sociopathic rulers at arm's length of nuclear annihilation, I think we’re at the precipice of a global meltdown. And I think anyone who’s been living with their heads not completely buried in the sand feels the same way.

I must admit there have been times this week when my sadness turned to rage. Especially with the vast indifference and ignorance I see all around me during this bloody massacre. In these inebriated moments, I felt like grabbing a goddamn megaphone that could be heard by all my compatriots in the West and shouting:

“Pay attention, you fools.

If you’re not learning about the dying world you’re living in right now; if you’re not concerned about the undeniable bloody future on the horizon; if you’re not using your free time to intellectually prepare for the inevitable, you’re a lost cause. A lost cause to the future of your children.

Step away from the humdrum of your “look-at-me-life” and start becoming a human being again. Our only hope for any kind of livable future will come from a radical transformation and elevation of consciousness. Wake up!

What’s left of civilization depends on it.”

But in my sober moments, I calm down realizing that some things are completely out of our hands.

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care and show a little sympathy for the vast carnage and death that’s currently underway. It doesn’t mean we should sink deeper into apathy and refuse to equip ourselves, mentally, physically, and emotionally, for trying times ahead.

Try not to involve yourself in the widespread vitriol that litters the airwaves. Don’t let the media and politicians turn your mind into mush. Stay vigilant. Pay attention. Get healthy. Get out of debt. Prepare for hard times ahead. And if you feel the need to take action, do it locally by trying to make a slight difference in the world around you.

In the life-affirming words of Thomas Merton: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.”

Stay safe, my friends.

Thank you so much for reading. You can find me around the internet at the following:

Medium: https://medium.com/@erikrittenberry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erik.rittenberry
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erik_rittenberry/