Responsibility

Who’s responsible for what happens to the world? When nature acts on its own, no one can be blamed, but most of time the human world is run by humans. Who runs it? Presidents and ministers make decisions that affect us all, but is it really their decisions or do they mostly react to inevitable circumstances outside of anyone’s control?

The virus spreads and people react to it, and that again alters the spread and provokes further reactions.  No one can control it, and the leaders can wash their hands as innocent vehicles for what must come. No one is really responsible.

Why is it that all countries have reacted differently to the virus? More or less rational officials sit down and deliberate in their capital cities, and reach a more or less rational conclusion about their plan of action, is that so? Somehow one view will come to dominate, and the debate will be drawn in a certain direction, and when a decision is made it seems to follow naturally from what was said. But who said it? Who did it? No one in particular. No one is responsible.

Politics is the art of the possible, and what is possible depends on what is given. No one, not even the mightiest king, makes a decree out of a context and it’s always possible to hide behind the seemingly inevitable.

No one is ever responsible, is that the conclusion then? Not at all. The very opposite is also true: We are all responsible all the time. Our actions have consequences and who knows what chain of events might get started by a trivial move.

The virus spreads by itself, and we spread it. Events happen, and we take part in the events. The full responsibility cannot be traced, but to plead innocence is irresponsible.

https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2020/06/12/your-daily-word-prompt-responsible-ydwordprompt-June-12-2020/