Good riddance 2016 God help us 2017

If like me 2016 has left you shredded like myself you may be still shell shocked from the last few days. It's not just the endless deluge of iconic figures exiting stage right, but it also seems to be happening on an infinitely more personal level. I personally started and finished the year bring a family member.

Sure there have been rough years in the past 1993 sticks out in my mind, but none with so many of such variable ages. Sure post 75 is acceptable, abet still painful, and 90+ is a good innings. The ones that kill are the 20 -65s when people are still in their prime. The likes of Alan Rickman, George Michael and Carrie Fisher were as said in buffer, still cookie dough, not fully baked yet. They had so much more to give.

Over the years I have had to bury those my age and younger and it never gets easy, in fact the older you get the harder it hits. It's also a case of the older you get the more you become aware of history and it's patterns returning. Needless to say 2017 isn't the great light at the end of a tunnel of doom and gloom, instead it's developing into a murky foggy reminiscentof the smog of the 50s. A bit brighter but you can't see more than three inches in front of your nose.

This isn't my rant of Trump being the antichrist, although I have a strong dislike of the man, it's a case of him becoming leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world being the final straw on social stability for all, world wide. We already have North Korea with a brat in charge, Lord above knows what is going on in the àrab nations, as I doubt even they know, unrest in some parts of Africa, Europe well let me know when that mess is sorted because I can't see it happening soon and now America.

People have taken to streets worldwide over women's rights, and had I not been still knee high in plaster I would have been right their with them. But the problem is even more extensive than women. Sure the deprivationof health funding to certain charities if they advertise abortion is beyond belief, but even that has a ripple effect, meaning the spread of HIV, and STDS could increase to epidemic numbers in other minority groups as their sexual health care is also removed. Scary fact when you think ripple effect.

But it's also situations world wide, nuclear weapons are back on the political a gender, educational restrictions by excessive charges, thus making it a case of the wealthy club only, state funded medical care near broken, transport systems unable to functions thus costing people their jobs. This isn't just America or even England, this is worldwide. Spain, Italy and Greece all practically bankrupt, Turkey in civil unrest, Syria, or rather what's left of Syria in total disarray, and I could go on.

The world as I know it is in a worst state than after two world wars. People turning on each other to defend one or other political party, when in reality they are all failing us. You can't run a united country when both sides are so divided on the options, there needs to be a 3rd choice for these situations, a none of the above option. Only then will those in the positions of power start to listen.

What is even more scary in my eyes, is  through out history, when there are highly emotional political situations, the arts usually pick up the slack to maintain some morale. However there seems to have been a very obvious move to limit the liberal arts for all, theaters over priced, films constricted by studio demànds of blockbuster returns etc.  So there is little release for society to relax. Sure we have TV, Netflix etc, but that keeps us contained in our houses. Just think about it for a moment. Local theaters underfunded thanks to government cut backs, yet they can afford to bomb a country hundreds of miles away? Why?

I know what I think, but I believe it's a conclusion every one  needs to work out for themselves. So while I get grief from some anonymous idiot on twitter for a post about equality for all, ask yourself why are government is so fearful of an educated, healthy happy society, and prefers to keep us living in torment and fear. Why so many are really struggling and a few could bail out the health care budget with their yearly returns.

No it isn't just one man causing the trouble, but a collective handful we supposedly voted for and all their little friends . Yet we are still left mourning some of the most vocal talent of a generation (or two) who were taken when  their voices of reason are needed the most.

So while you ponder what is really in store for us all I'll leave you with a quote from the late Carrie Fisher, who about sums it up.

"Sometimes to get to heaven, you have to walk slowly backwards from hell"