What’s left to be happy about?

• Cliff Buchler, former Managing Editor of Caxton West Rand writes:

Even the most optimistic among us are wilting under the parlous conditions prevailing worldwide. There’s hardly a country unaffected by negative influences politically, medically, environmentally and socio-economically.

Let’s start with the real baddie. The coronavirus has radically changed the way we live, eat and drink. Unemployment, already a problem before the repulsive ingestion of Chinese bat brew, is reaching new highs with the attendant widespread poverty. So, there’s no surprise at the uncontrollable crime rate.

Farm and domestic murders, gender abuse, rape, hijacking, and armed robberies have become a way of life.

And gangs flourish. Exacerbating the problem, and setting no example, we’re stuck with a government being wrecked within by unrepentant and arrogant criminals, and a president who can’t plant that uppercut to wipe the smug smile off their dials.

Then there are the wars fanned by religious fanatics with wretched civilians bearing the brunt. Add this to terrorism, floods, wildfires, cyberattacks, and we’re left with a cocktail of misery and deprivation.

Turning on the television for a relief from reality is no help. All you see and hear are stats of the number of coronavirus deaths, so-called experts analysing and predicting the outcome of vaccines produced by a plethora of drug manufacturers out to exploit the situation by charging an arm and leg, and government health officials going to great lengths to make folk believe they have the situation under control; just adding to the incertitude.

If this is not enough you face adverts promising dignified funerals, conveniently leaving out the undertakers running out of land for burials, and coronavirus bodies having to be incinerated. Some dignity, eh?

What about those jarring and endless insurance adverts with screaming characters popping up all over the place, including honeymoon suites, and scaring the daylights out of the shocked couple.

Ah, you say, there’s sport to watch. Like cricket. That should get your minds off the negatives. Wrong. All we witness time and again are our batsmen mesmerized by spin. And when bowling, labour at chopping off the tail. It’s just not cricket, old chap?

Rugby is no better. Compared to New Zealand and Australia – and lately Argentina – our blokes look like amateurs.
Is there anything out there to lift our depression?

Ladies’ cricket on a winning streak? If my pride allows …