A Deficit of Comprehension

Some things are always going to baffle us as human beings.

Invariably, it is our level of natural tolerances which will most likely dictate how puzzled we become when faced with things we consider conundrums. In other words, one person's befuddlement, is another person's incident of clarity.

For instance, I will always be baffled that the US strikes potential terrorist threats with drones, yet, HSBC which has been found to have laundered money for terrorist networks gets a $1 billion hand-slap (you can only guess how much the bank laundered in total). I am even more baffled when you find out that Nima Ali Yusuf, a Somali woman living in the US, who was found guilty of sending $1,450 to members of the terrorist group, Al-Shabaab, was sentenced to 8 years in prison. 

And yet we wonder (another thing that baffles me) why most people out there believe in the existence of  The Illuminati and a 'them' and 'us' world order.

The disparity in the two aforementioned terrorist financing cases is clear and needs no amplification, but for those of you who might not be aware of the scale and depth of HSBC's complicity, I add the Senate Report for your consumption. That should suffice, in case you had any doubts. Oh, just to further clarify, no one went to jail for HSBC's crimes.

Readers of this blog will know I will forever be flabbergasted by Oscar Pistorius' contention that he heard noises in his bathroom, but somehow did not check on his beloved girlfriend before going to confront the intruder.

But then, maybe I have a personality flaw....maybe I find it hard to trust people.

So I reached out to my environment and wondered what baffled others around me. I ventured out with a leading question: what is going on in the world today that absolutely baffles you?

A stranger whom I met at a flea market, wondered why pedophilia crimes do not attract the death penalty. Why should these people be imprisoned and allowed to live off the state, when they had defiled the most vulnerable in society, he asked. He went on to posit a day will come, when pedophiles will be able to go to court to successfully argue for their rights to be sexually attracted to children. He was puzzled as to why the rest of us couldn't see these things. He was positively baffled.

But then, maybe he had a personality flaw....maybe he is too emotional.

A friend with a history of radicalism, wondered why Israel was not considered an Apartheid state in the light of its treatment of Palestinians. She admitted to being baffled that whilst the world community is comfortable with the Jewish State's nuclear capabilities, it remains resolute that the likes of Iran and North Korea do not ascend to such heights. She swore to be being permanently perplexed with the world's inaction when Israel almost single-handedly propped up the Apartheid government in South Africa, in contravention of the common global direction.
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But then maybe she has a personality flaw....maybe she is overly sensitive.

A lone street protester, defying the ambient freeze and screaming at the top of his voice. He seemed baffled as to how big companies get away with tax evasion and yet we send untold amount of individuals to jail, for the same thing. His placard had a few comparisons, but I guess naming names is no longer necessary....they can all smell the coffee and hear the phones ringing now. As he ranted (positively) on and laid out the essence of his case, it became clear this was a very baffled man, who was clearly gaining equally baffled conscripts from those passing by.

But then maybe he had a personality flaw....maybe he hates big business.

An embittered young man with a yearning to return to his African country. His intermittent shaking of the head, drew me to him. Why so sad my dear brother, I asked. His tale was populated with pain, laced with sorrow and stewed in vitriol and regret. He was suffering from the special brand of bafflement which afflicted people who longed for change, but couldn't see a way through. You know the type....who spend copious hours digesting information on how their home country is being literally sucked bone-dry, with no hope in sight. He asked me with teary eyes whether I understood his revulsion and bewilderment. How can they say things are getting better, he asked.

But then maybe he had also had a personality flaw....maybe he is an armchair revolutionary, who expects change without getting involved.

I could go on forever, as I ended up speaking and interacting with quite a few baffled people, but space and time betray my willingness to share in totality.

What I can completely share though, is the pervading cloud of befuddled people wondering around the world. They watch unfolding events, putting their special spins on it and wonder how certain things continue to happen unchecked. Theirs is a twisting existence with many unwinding turns. They remain burdened with a revolving door with no exit....

And just as I keep repeating all through this piece, maybe we all have personality flaws and are somehow misguided. Maybe it's the curse of over-thinking. In any event, a lack of comprehension of daily events subsists. Our account in the Bank Of Understanding is in the red. A deficit is emerging and is here to stay....a deficit of comprehension.

We need a resolution.