Category: The World We Live In

The World today through these core principles

1949 Nice Airport | Neither the destination nor the journey

Neither the Destination, nor the Journey

I was born Here. That’s what I was repeatedly being told. Also, I lived Here because Here was best for everything. Primarily because the schools were really good. Of course, Elsewhere, it was warmer, nicer, cheaper, more colourful, and definitely more exciting, more interesting. Elsewhere was, in one word, better. That is...

are you ready to die for your country

Ready to Die for Your Country? Not yet?

War is coming. Every commander-in-chief, active or retired, from every country, even China, has confirmed it was their current scenario. The invasion of Ukraine tipped over 10 years of wobbly international relations. It made the impossible possible again. Mutually Assured Destruction is an actual potential scenario, as demonstrated since 2 years. ...

political scandals

Who? Me?

This post took me a surprisingly long time to write. It was not the difficulty of the subject or the lack of inspiration. Not even existential boredom. On the contrary. The reason was that raw material never stopped flowing. A flood of information. Political scandals come slushing down the hill...

I Have… No Dream

Many Universal Threats, But Where Is the Universal Vision? We stopped voting. We actively avoid news. We don’t read. Don’t we care anymore? Maybe. Unlikely though. It could possibly be just a matter of era. A generational mood. Despondent, blasé times. When we don’t blame the leadership, we blame the tools. The...

the world before AVV-VVK museum aan de ijzer

The World before The World Before

March 2020. A weather so balmy, yet most of us locked up. It did not take long before many came up with grand plans for the future. All would be well in the “world after”. Certainly, a sound intellectual exercise during an enforced pause in our life plans. At least,...

this is not a pipe

This Is Not a Cat

I never really got Magritte’s most famous painting. That is, until a few weeks ago. Sure, what it means is written on it: “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”, which means “This is not a pipe”. Yes, I can read the subtitles. It always sounded to me like one of these...

war reporting

Running After the Facts

31 years ago, I was glued to my TV screen watching the first bombs falling on Baghdad. It was on CNN. And it gave a new meaning to “live reporting”. Today, concerned by the war in Ukraine, I watch live streaming from Kiev and frontline combat videos uploaded a few...

fight or flight

Fight or Flight? Are We Still Willing to Die for Danzig?

First we had Disease. Now we have War screaming out from our screens. Some already predicted Famine is around the corner. The disruption of the world’s granary made it even nearer. Death has stalked our private lives for the past 2 years. It is now unleashed in Ukraine. Technically, the...

ice skating child

Is This Child Labour?

Or, what price are we ready to accept for entertainment. Our societies, our self-styled spokespeople, ourselves claim to care more and more about individual mental welfare. We are ready to unfurl the flags and go up the trench against physical exploitation. And then every 2 years, we watch the global...

What is real

Non-Exclusive Reality.. what do you mean?

What is real? What is unreal? Knowing the difference makes you sane and sound – or not. Yet, today it is largely an irrelevant skill. We are better off knowing which of the realities we are currently in. They are however not mutually exclusive. The most memorable moment in the...