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Such fears do not have any proof of having any  tangible   reality  to them; except the  reality  created by the fears themselves.  So a person might believe in 'God' and live in fear of what 'God' will do to him/her, if they do not live their lives in the prescribed way.  In the manner indicated by the religious practices developed around that 'God.'  This fear will exert great power and/or abiding power over such a person.  In that, or because of their tendency to use 'God' and/or 'the word of 'God' as the prism or lens through which they see and comprehend their interactions with the world and humans, and live their lives. Irrespective of the fact that there is no irrefutable proof, evidence, of 'God' having done anything  bad  or  good  to anybody. And then, there are the more every day fears, both 'rational' and 'irrational' ones, which impact our daily lives. The more serious ones being

But which has clearly startled, frightened and tormented her. Depriving her of the peace of mind which she needs to indulge in an already elusive and difficult to achieve sleep.  The time when she might be expected to have a break from her divided mind or soul being tormented by conscious thoughts. which have for too often and for too long become too much of her daily routine.  And, even as I conjure up and examine their words, these thoughts, do I become mindful of the fact that, with my dear mother  relentlessly  moving towards the thin line.   Which separates, for those of us who are beset with frail bodies and minds, the world of 'dream state' and 'the state of the others' in which the majority of us inhabits.  That, trying to sleep during the night, even when she is able to achieve it, is probably just as tormenting and anxiety provoking, if not more so, than her having to confront and live with her 'demons' during the day.  This

'China will doubtlessly argue that what it wants for its people, and, indeed, the people of world, is for them to have a better life. The real challenge, however, is how China measures this better life and help to provide it at which would not be so costly as to nullifies it....' But much bigger, with more casualties, and more social dislocation. It is probably a fact that economic revolution is the quickest way of bringing a people out of the negative restraints of traditionalism and conservatism.  The problem, however, for countries such as China, is that of how to avoid destroying the positive aspects of this same conservatism and traditionalism, which has proved themselves as effective tools in helping to control and mobilise the people? These bonds, then, are not to be weakened without presenting the risk of losing some control over the hearts and minds of the people.  This presents the government, the ruling elite, with the challenge of finding o

'What we recall of our experiences of the past, tends to be a factor of how they impacted on our senses at the time, the strength of our continuing attachment to those experiences.   And the extent to which we have succeeded in assimilating them into our subsequent experiences and move on with our lives.' Periods of contained anger, broken by periods of resignation to their individual and familial fate.  When they had left home in the morning to attend the Court and see what fate had in store for them and Kazaliwa, they had hope that it would not be a cruel fate that awaited them.  Now judgement has been delivered, and any hope which they had could not influence the sentence which has been, in the first place, meted out to Kazaliwa, and, secondly, to them.  In their quietude, they repeatedly calculated and recalculated how much time Kaziliwa would have spend being cages, and how much he would have to spend under licence after he was released.  All in

'Growth and advancement requires change; positive changes guided by a people and environmentally centred vision.  China is making many positive changes, but some of its changes are as and even more destructive than than the worse excesses of rampant Western capitalism.'  This suggests that her vision and processes need to be reappraised.'  It is quite another matter when the State limits itself to only taking from and making demands of the people.   But not giving them anything of equal value in return. In other words, in a truly free nation, the people's identification with and loyalty to the state.   Will be more of a reflection of the extent of the investment the State has made in them.  In enabling them to acquire essentials resources they need to achieve and maintain a health and enjoyable standard of life.   Plus, and not just of how effectively the propaganda about 'national pride and patriotism' have been assimilated into thei

Upon returning her call, I was pleased surprised, if also a bit puzzled, when she informed me that she had not thanked me for her shopping.  What? Yes, it was indeed a pleasant surprise, as more often than not, what I get from my dear mother is complaints.  Or, more kindly put, representations about how I buy too many things.  With, of course, the unstated but inferred corollary being that I am wasting her money. Nevertheless, how easy it can be to see all the motes in the eyes of my dear mother. To see all her failings as she so often declares them.  Not once, not twice, not often, but seemingly all the times. As she, again, discloses another apparition, another apparently supernatural event occurring late into the night.   One which, as usual, has made her an unwilling participant of something she knows not what it is.  To be continued!

Or, looking at the current panic over the COVID-19 pandemic, that probably much of humanity is at risk of being destroyed, if nations do not take extreme actions to fight it.  I imagine that we could categorise some fears, such as that surrounding the Coronavirus as both 'rational and irrational'.  In that, whereas the fear of the virus is rational, it also gives rise to an excessive, probably disproportionate amount of fear bordering the hysterical.  This in turn leads to a probably disproportionate reaction to dealing with both the virus and the fear it has generated. And then there are fears which I define as 'irrational fears', because the thing which evokes that fear is without any substance.  It might have some substance, but that substance is not tangible. We cannot see it, hold, examine and analyse it. Even though it might be deeply held and believed. To be continued!

'National leaders do not aspire to lead for good of the collective good, but to dominate other nations and their wealth, unless their actions demonstrate this not to be the case.'  This has to be as much the presumption regarding China's pending ascension towards world domination, as it has proven to be for that of the West in the past.' Probably the only hurry President Xi is in, is to ensure that China becomes the world's leading economic and political power during his watch.  That means that, although China is focusing on the long-term, President Xi will want to put into place all or most of the building blocks for achieving China's dominance, by the end of his second term in office. It would seem that, throughout China's history, her people have always had to make major sacrifices for the benefit of realising the objectives of the Chinese government and state.  Now, this is not something which is unique to China. All countries f