The Emperor’s New Clothes is an old fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen about an Emperor who is deceived by two swindlers who pretend to dress him in the finest suit of clothes, while providing him with no clothing at all. They get away with this by saying the ‘fabric’ is invisible to anyone unfit for his position or ‘hopelessly stupid’. The Emperor falls for this, as do his advisers, and he parades naked down the street. The townsfolk, not wishing to appear stupid either, say nothing. Finally the nonsense is exposed by a child in the crowd who yells out “The Emperor has no clothes”.
I was reminded of this story when I read that 14 year old Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, had an essay she had been asked to write for US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s e-journal drastically edited before it was to be published.
Why the censorship? Well Bindi was asked to write 1000 words on why she had chosen to devote her life’s work to wildlife conservation. The article was to be part of Secretary Clinton’s Endangered Species Initiative. Bindi wrote her 1000 words mostly about global overpopulation. It came back with the parts about population edited out.
Pity. Because if we genuinely want to help the world’s endangered species, we need to tackle the rapid population growth which has seen the world’s population more than treble from 2 billion to 7 billion in the last hundred years. An Endangered Species Initiative which won’t talk about population is an Emperor wearing no clothes. And it took a 14 year old to point it out.
Bindi is wise beyond her years, and is fresh enough to say things how they are! Humans think the planet is solely theirs, and Nature is for them to destroy, take, plunder and manipulate for their own benefit, whereas wildlife have just as much right to survive as we do. The planet is in the grip of the Sixth Extinction, and while extinctions are a normal part of evolution, this one is due to human overpopulation and competition for resources. America can only end up a third-world country with lack of leadership, and the cornucopia thinking of world leaders who refuse to consider unsustainable human population growth.
ReplyDeleteSpot on Kelvin and good for you and Bindi. Keep fighting for your principles Kelvin as many of us appreciate your effort enormously. Never give up and I somehow don't think Bindi will either.
ReplyDeleteI agree with just about every point you make, always. Problem is you are part of a team that seems to think contrary to you. Your liberal policies are in line with my thinking, but you are labour? Wish I could vote for you, but as you said to me once, "You have a problem Bert, haven't you>"
ReplyDeleteThat's such a repressive response from a purportedly leading democracy. It's not surprising though. One does not get the impression that US elites hold any real interest in environmental integrity or kindness to other creatures. They are too busy increasing desertification in the Middle East and elsewhere with their endless warmongering. One wonders indeed what motivates them except personal power. We would publish Bindi on candobetter.net - any length and anything she wanted to say.
ReplyDeleteYes the story is a bit like "The Emperor's new clothes." but this time it is child who sees a tangible problem that the world of powerful adults pretends is not there. How disillusioning for Bindi.
ReplyDeleteThe world is experiencing the Sixth Extinction. While some extinctions are a normal part of evolution, this one is due to humanity's overpopulation. Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson estimates that 30,000 species per year (or three species per hour) are being driven to extinction. No population of a large vertebrate animal (us) in the history of the planet has grown that much, that fast, or with such devastating consequences to its fellow earthlings. Conservationists and those trying to save wildlife are totally aware of the pressures on habitats, and that many species are worth more dead than alive, because of the value of their body parts. Bindi has wisdom and clarity beyond her years. Her dad would be proud of her for saying things as they are. The Irwins would be very aware of the decline in wildlife in Australia, and human impacts due to developers, infrastructure, introduced animals, roads and livestock.
ReplyDelete"God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong..." 1 Corinthians 1:27
ReplyDeleteSeemingly wise economists and governments continue to be deluded by their addiction to BIG, and what they assume are better, economies, and their quest for perpetual economic growth. Sometimes truth, wisdom and clarity comes from the young! Bindi is like the child who said the obvious, that the Emperor has no clothes on! Perpetual growth in a finite world is impossible. Most of today's problems are due to, and exacerbated by, overpopulation. Human numbers have doubled since 1970, and conservationists are struggling to save the planet's threatened species. Humans tend to think they are above Nature, and think that they have the right to plunder the planet's resources, but wildlife have a right to exist too. We can avoid the mistakes of America, and their economic and social woes by stabilizing our numbers now. The age of growth is over! Bindi Irwin has been censored by a giant American leader, but her frankness and vision is not lost! She is refreshingly honest and correct!