For four years we only had Trump-news, then we only had Covid-news and now we only have news from the war in Ukraine. It’s understandable. It seems we can only keep one subject top of mind at the time. These subjects take all the light while important issues such as climate change and efforts to replace fossil fuels end up in the shadows.

Rightfully, we need monitoring and reporting on the issues mentioned. But our inability to keep more than one thing in mind is deeply troubling. What is it about our impatience, our lack of attention and comprehension. Our unwillingness to engage with complex issues, to do the work of thinking instead of just settle for headline entertainment.

Scrolling through the news this morning I saw an ad for a political party that read like this:

”Double the punishment to make a criminal career in ”Name of troubled area” half as appealing”.

I find it shameful as well as saddening. A simplified solution to a very complex question. Preaching to a mob with some fake logic, implying a causality that isn’t true. Lock them up! Will we ever get past these kind of messages?

What would it take for people, en masse,  to engage in a conversation about the society and world we want? – instead of the recent HBO series. Not that I’m any better, it seems I have my head in the clouds of art most of the times.