E Y E W E A R, THE BLOG - FREEDOM MEANS BEING UNAFRAID TO WRITE WHAT YOU THINK

Take a look at the news today: bomb in Omagh; murderous riots in Afghanistan triggered by insane preacher in America; civil war in Libya; in Cote Ivoire; unrest in Yemen; Syria; radiation leaks in Japan, etc - does it not seem particularly dire?  Well, yes and no.  1,601 years ago, the sack of Rome was pretty bad.  Still - I cannot help feeling things unravelling a bit these days.  We must have faith.  Steady as she goes.  Courage.  But human nature is not impressive, altogether.  We should be doing more to hold things together, surely?  Still, 1.2 billion people in India have common cause to cheer their peaceful victory in the great game of Cricket.  So - maybe, in the artifice of play, we can locate a still point of joy after all.

Rarely has a day been so fraught with peril and possibility as St. Patrick's Day, 2011.  On the one hand, we have the potential for three or four nuclear meltdowns, that might wreak great havoc on Japan, and on the other, we have the danger that rebel-held Libya might fall to the brutal government forces.  In both ongoing dramas, each of the highest possible orders of importance, brave people are facing mortal danger to try and save the day.  In each case, the outcome is fully uncertain - will the rods be cooled in time, will the West intervene and stop the Colonel?  By the weekend, we may be looking at two compounded tragedies, or two upward trajectories to sunny uplands of hope and repair, or a mix.  Fingers crossed.