We seem to be very divided as a species, split up and separated. Very easy to manipulate into a way of behaving, or Reacting for a purpose, and not always one that is our own. Heavily influenced by what we see and are told, what we are taught to know, and then taught how we are meant to think about those things. Information can be destructive if not comprehended properly or presented in the correct context, as we well know. But cutting things in half and keeping them separated seems to be a thing for humans who like contracts, treaties and Ownership.

Korea – while wondering about this very separated country, split into North and South, I wondered if it was just an odd experiment back in the day, a precursor to now. So, they can have somewhere completely monitored, subjugated and compliant through force and repeated conditioning. I didn’t realise until recently when I actually bothered to look up what happened and when as I didn’t know. Of course, should have realised it would be other countries that decoded to split it up. A casualty after WWII, as many places and people were.

USA – a little bit more divided than just north and south these days, but we are led to believe during their civil war, it was very much a north south divide. Fighting each other they say for a way of life, for freedom and independence. So it is said.

UK – a quartered land, the four areas that apparently make us a United Kingdom, of what who can say. Because it has been known for centuries that there is rivalry, mistrust and generally a tolerance for each other, but not a liking it would seem. Which is sad in itself, but within that, we managed to then separate the mentality of just those in England, with northerns and southerners. And there really is a difference, which doesn’t seem much on the face of it. We speak the same language (making allowances for regional dialects obviously), look the same and are from the same land. Yet it can be a culture shock, not only to experience such differences where you are from, but it can be a strange thing to experience a culture shock in your own country. I’m guessing many are going through that now, natives and new arrivals.

Ireland – A constant feature in this lifetime and many before, a divide put in place and maintained for centuries, of differences and dominance. Heavily influenced and controlled by religions with a heavy dose of politics to make it all very messy for a time, of which we are still moving through now.

Cyprus – One that still lingers on today as well, split into two and maintained as such with a buffer zone. A desolate strip in between the appointed divide, piles of rubble, ruined building with bullet holes to drive past, and military either side to ‘check your papers’. Tolerating you crossing the border, but only because they have to, the hostility clearly evident, as with many of these places.

Germany – not a constant as with the others, as it was divided by way of a wall, a significant one that lasted decades and went up overnight. Separating families, friends, colleagues, businesses and making it east and west rather than north and south. That didn’t come down until 1990, so when people think of past upheaval and outrageous rules and laws on citizens being a thing of the past, need to think again.

And there are others where they have divided it up for ruling purposes and for agreements and deals, but not with any care or concern for the people affected by it. India and Pakistan being another in our recent history, as well as the current focus point for the middle east, Israel and Palestine. Where borders and territory become something more than just a resource for sustainability, they become commodities to be fought over and destroyed. We are a territorial creature after all it seems. And clearly, we have an odd restructure taking shape of Europe and society as we know it, so good to take note of things in the past generally. As we also know that people have a habit for repetition and sticking to a method, so it could be that the same old story of rinse and repeat will be wheeled out and put in place with a technological update. Or, who knows, we could just find ourselves in a unique position, to change what was and break the cycle of what we have become, being the change you want to see and all that. You never know, it might just work…

(c) K Wicks