Stuck in the middle of global culture war

CLOWNS to the left of me, jokers to the right - here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

- LARISSA NOLAN

The 1970s Gerry Rafferty classic got a new lease of life when it was later used in the soundtrack for Reservoir Dogs.

Now I find myself humming it again, in the culture war of world politics today.

Whether it's the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Ukraine war, Trump's America, or global immigration, my ears are burned off listening to the extremes of both.

Heads in the keffiyeh scarves are in one ear, going on about Zionists; and in the other ear, gung-ho pro-Israeli people who see criticism of the horrors in Gaza as anti-semitism.

The people blaming everything on the "forr-roight" (member population: 2) and others on refugees.

I never thought geopolitics would be the new rock n'roll, but you must now pick a side on international affairs. You're either with us, or agin us.

When did we get so opinionated? So certain in the rightness of our opinion?

We're increasingly divided into hostile groups, each one convinced of its own righteousness. How do you know you're right?