THE WESTERN TIGER HAS CANCER

The elites of the western world have long bestrode this world-jungle like a never satiated tiger seeking its next meal. Naturally it is focused laser-like on its own self-interest. This is natural though of course but in practice bloody remains are inevitably left behind. At times the prey was left caged (a neat trick for an actual tiger, I know) to be eaten slowly, piece by piece, almost offering itself tamely. The tiger was happy. There never seemed any end to those it could prey upon, devour or cage. But all things must pass as the saying goes. Civilisations rise and fall… and along with them all life forms… including tigers.

The world is moving on from the laws of the jungle that have held sway for so long now. That jungle served the tigers within it exquisitely well. However, in recent months and years the habitats of the tigers and all large beasts of the western jungle are steadily shrinking. Other forms of life are now rising to claim their land back, land that the western tigers have sought to have as their own hunting grounds. These others are uniting to set traps for this tiger, are planning ways and means to warn each other of its approach and in general take advantage of its growing weakness. For this tiger has developed within it a cancer.

Largely unknown to the western beast in its ferocious self-belief and notions of invulnerability built over the years it swallowed elements from its environment that are now ever more rapidly causing its downfall and will eventually result in its death. It grows weak due to the sickness that is spreading inside it. Those elements of its being that once worked as a self-healing system within it have lost their form and have begun to metastasize. A once extremely effective immune system is steadily breaking down. Various parts of that immune system are beginning to attack and harm other parts bringing the whole to a condition of growing weakness and inability to protect the tiger’s health.

It is said that a house divided against itself cannot hold and in terms’ of societies (and tigers) when various elements are fighting within some entity then that entity’s days are numbered. In addition to this internal chaos there is the threat of a tsunami headed straight for the western jungle. That tsunami is composed of all the animals that were under constant threat of being eaten by the western tiger. Under the leadership of two bears, a panda and a brown bear these previously rather meek beasts have found renewed courage within themselves and now conspire together to defang the tiger that has so threatened, tortured, imprisoned and killed them as long as they can remember.

Will we see the tiger caged before much longer? It appears so. All the signs are that the others have smelled blood and have sensed weakness. They are gathering and have nets which stand every chance of snaring the tiger and then quarantining it. They know however, that they must act fast, the tiger just might instil enough adrenaline within itself seeing its danger to scar some and even kill others among them. In their minds they remain cautious knowing the total focus on self-preservation that is within this beast. Its claws are still long and sharp. Its stride though slower now is faster than many among them. And most of all they know that with beasts that have acted to use and abuse their power as this tiger has, they are most dangerous the closer they come to death.