“The creeping of invasive ideas.”
——
I was in South Carolina last week looking at properties when our realtor pointed out an ivy pant that seemed to be everywhere called Kudzu. My horticultural knowledge is lacking, and therefore, I had not heard of this aggressive plant. Perhaps I am the last to find out about this vine, but it immediately brought to mind a metaphor for the current state of the world.
Given to the United States from Japan for the 1876 centennial celebration, Kudzu was an innocent gift that has silently crept its way throughout much of the Southern United States. Growing up to 60 meters in a single year, this invasive plane has become a notorious problem for its negative impact on the environment. It competes with native vegetation, covering trees, shrubs, and structures, effectively smothering them. This can result in the loss of biodiversity and habitat. Frequently, it grows over electric lines and needs to be removed before causing fire or other harm.
Perhaps you already see where I am going with this, nevertheless, it seems a perfect metaphor for what is happening on the world stage and here at home. Somehow and very quietly, we have allowed seemingly innocent ideas to creep into business and politics. Essentially, what were once fringe or even silly concepts have “kudzued” their way into everyday life leaving us with a large segment of the population questioning capitalism and free speech. Commonsense and critical thinking is frequently replaced by ideologies that require belief without question – this coming from some of our finest “ivy league” institutions with the pun intended. Much like the Kudzu plant, many happily pronounce their victimhood as self-identity and justification for any action or inaction. Now, instead of couch potatoes we have “creeping kudzus” that cause damage.
Just random thoughts about the creeping of invasive ideas.
