A SHORT NOTE ABOUT MALAISE

Malaise.  A word for our time. A vague feeling of bodily discomfort. A feeling of unease or sickness not symptomatic of any particular ailment. Something undefinable and not necessarily associated with depression. There is an element of the expectation  of something which makes one wary or cautious. Although that ‘something’ is not necessarily to be overly worried about, as it could be something hopeful and positive, yet one is nonetheless chary. 

I suppose this is a feeling that has been present in our lives since the beginning of time. It has been explored in countless ways, most notably but Samuel Beckett. His Waiting for Godot is a prime essay on the subject, as is Molloy: “When a man in a forest thinks he is going forward in a straight line, in reality he is going in a circle. I did my best to go in a circle, hoping to go in a straight line”.

I have a notion that my blog is much the same. I had hoped to no longer dwell on the calamity the the American State Department has brought upon the world. The number of horrendous choices they have made over the years makes one cringe. In most cases it revolves around the simple choice of choosing sides. Invariably they have chosen what they considered to be that faction which purports to uphold free enterprise and the capitalist economic agenda ready to do business with American enterprise. They see it as a win win situation, even though the factions may prove to be repressive and corrupt. There are a number of instances where a simple change of course might have changed the entire nature of global affairs. 

The decision to back and support Chiang Kai-shek, a corrupt nationalist would be dictator, rather than come to an early arrangement with Mao Zedong, who as early as 1944 might have been amenable to compromise and accept the assistance of the then United States had it held out a supporting hand.  Similarly had Ho Chi Min been approached and assisted as he should have been over Ngô Đình Diệm and which was clearly on the cards at the time in 1955, the Vietnam war might never have happened. The Cuban crisis could have been avoided if, as in the beginning of Castro’s regime a simple accommodation would have been possible but for the stupid obstinacy over the word Communism, or the idea of socialism. The horrors of Chile, had Allende’s democratic election been left in place, would never had occurred. 

You may think the suggestions far fetched, but there were, if not direct negotiations with the parties concerned, there was certainly indirect contact. Indeed, as regard Vietnam in 1954,  had the US given more thought, they might have brought the French onside, despite the debacle of Dien Bien Phu. It was certainly a possibility at the time to exercise rational foresight. As to Cuba, Mr Castro was feted in New York in 1959, at which time real deals could have been made. Chile, of course, we know was direct CIA interference to satisfy the various US oil and commercial interests, not in keeping with a social democratic government that might nationalise certain enterprises.  In the end, in order to propagate authoritarian regimes that were assumed to be completely acquiescent to US commercial interests and eminently corruptible, the State Departments went with the ‘strong man”. In my view, the wrong man. You can check the history for yourselves. I don’t think I am too far off the mark.

It is something that keeps happening and the American public keep voting for representatives who go along with  very poor international decisions to keep the ‘communists’ from taking power. It is still the dirty word. Anything that smacks  of a socialist agenda is vilified, as are the democrats now. The party is seen as a party of demons and monsters from which America must be saved. How is that at all rational? The current Mayor of New York claims to be a Democratic Socialist and the city is still standing.  The colossal hypocrisy and stupidity is without doubt the failure of the American dream. How is it possible, given the current state of the United States, that there should be any question about who should be voted out of office across the country. It is as plain as the nose on anyone’s face, yet the midterm elections are in flux. What is wrong with the American voter. How can they not have had enough? You would think the polls showing the dissatisfaction with the Trump regime would be clear; yet, it is not. 

I have seen and heard pundits who urge people to get out and vote. The voters should need no encouragement. They should be chomping at the bit  and already standing in line to get to a polling booth. No encouragement should be required. 

In any event I sit and wait, waiting to shed my malaise, pondering what that 'something' I am waiting for could be. Will it be specific positive effect in the UK from our new Prime Minster in the coming month, or a landslide democratic vote from the coming November elections in the United States. I hold out no hope that the conflicts in Middle Europe and the Middle East will be resolved by then,. though that would not be so bad. Like the refugees in Casablanca, we wait and wait and wait.