It got me thinking about big events, big stuff generally. A Facebook post today asked whether it is a festival worth going to, to which I replied "if you're invited to play on the Pyramid Stage then Yes". And yes I would too. But otherwise I definitely wouldn't be interested. Even if there was a free ticket (parking the whole debate about cost and worth). I remember being not that attracted to the idea of Glastonbury in the 70s (went to a few festivals then) and over the years as it's grown in size, becoming now a medium sized medieval town for the duration, increasingly less so. I've progressively favoured smaller and smaller music events where now often the most enjoyable is one at a small local venue. Bigger to me doesn't equate to better. In most things generally.
Talking about the 70s, I also remember having lots of discussions/arguments about politics, it being the era of Baader-Meinhof, The Red Brigade, PFLP etc (when I was in Israel around that time, a German girl looked at my passport photo and said "Ah, Baader-Meihof". I did have that look about me). It seemed to be everyone saying how bad the Right is/was (sort of an obvious position but still worth reiterating periodically) and which flavour of Left was best. It struck me after a time that, in my head, it wasn't so much about Left or Right but about Big or Small.
The good thing about 'big' is that you can get more things, and more complex things, done. Which may or may not be a good thing depending on what the thing is and the knock on effect. Big business can create lots of jobs and wealth/money of varying degrees depending where you are on the food chain. It also can have an effect of stifling the small/independent businesses and it seems lead almost inevitably to corruption of one sort of another.
When it comes to multi-nationals and governments then potentially even more so. Even with layers of government/consultation, the individual becomes buried within the huge mass. Yes I voted to stay in the EU, mainly because I didn't feel comfortable siding with the vocal Leave people who appeared xenophobic at best. I like the idea of being able to move freely, a very positive outcome of the united Europe but can see how it has come at a cost where power is wielded further and further away from the individual.
I like the idea of small. Small so you and others can identify with the thing. Small so you can have some influence over it and care about its future. Ultimately we are all individual people living in a small network of friends/family/colleagues etc. Caring about those around you must be the starting point of living a good and fulfilling life. Trying to change the bigger world by making things bigger and having more power to do bigger stuff? Seems like there's more examples of it leading to bad rather than good outcomes.
After saying that, I joined the Labour party earlier in the year because Jeremy Corbyn seemed like the first politician for many a year who I had any time for, and just maybe if he is elected to run this shambles he may be able to make things better. Worth a try anyway, before it all goes to hell in a handcart
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