IT stands on a world of its own creation along its operational set rules where all vices of unimaginable dimensions strive for supremacy and on the terrain of all these vicious combatants is the chief one among them which is perversion also known as (moral) decadence. On all accounts, decadence is the other side of perversion and as interchangeable denominators; both are answerable to each other in this age of a loose generation. Before perversion takes roots, just like any process of growth that follows seedling, planting, ripening and then…decadence, there is a cycle of immaturity, maturity and stunted growth/arrested development consequent upon a period of neglect, violation, inertia and then atrophy sets in.
By deduction, in a setting peculiar to a loose generation; between the pace of developmental stages of individual idiosyncrasies, leadership codes, visionary projection and that peak of the inevitable human incremental decline begins along with self-induced/systemic failures, the place and impact of the existing socialisation process is decisively a major factor. This is because the totality of a nation or the shared values of a people is said to be a collection of each and every member of the stock and it is like that time-tested postulation of old; that is, from each according to his ability to all pertaining to their needs!
On this course is the three main interconnectedness of fermentation, ripening and decadence. At the point of fermentation, the natural order of gestation and organic mutation is allowed to have its full bearing thereby leading to the ripening sequence and at this stage, the impact of an existing socialisation process comes to the fore. Indeed, our contemporary age has been so negatively catalysed that what used to take weeks/months to tastingly mature are now done so genetically, hurriedly… and decadently too.
For good or bad effects, just peruse the almost endless list of the consequential vices of the ‘half/quarter-baked confectioneries’ of this age of perversion and decadence which include insecurity, injustice, poverty, maladministration, mistrust, murder, anger, hatred and terror attacks, religious intolerance, ethnic cleansing, economic inequalities, cultural disorientation, family values-breakdown, societal dislocation et al.
Obviously, these aforementioned features and commonalities that prevail in this ravaging age of perversion are mere signs of the time where anything-goes and anyone comes to the field of decadence to freely plant, pluck and plunder at their individual will and caprice, without let or hindrance.
Nonetheless, perversion like power is considered to be the ability to exert, influence or control others in one or another worsening form. Over times, man has grown so accustomed to the absoluteness of perversion cum decadence which in itself offers ‘some air of freedom, liberty and willful cohabitation with other agreeable or disagreeable vices so long as each one does as it desires. In a permissive setting as this under focus, a regulatory dictum of the government that governs least governs best may certainly be the predominant ideology.
As often contended, perversion in this age of loose generation is one slippery carpet which harbours the temptations emanating from the ageless said-quartet of power, money, woman and wine. Indeed, the inherent capacity to make or mar anyone so caught in these ensnaring webs is better left to the sheer imagination. Irrespective of the integrity, honour, perseverance, decorum of the person so involved, once trapped in its illusory make-believe contraptions, such unfortunate but gullible folks are usually left worse off.
Just as man falls easy prey to the intoxicating grips of power, money and wine; so too is the woman (at least in this new-age of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transcendental Confraternity) and with this reawakened gale of decadence: creed, gender, nationality, race, status is no barrier to its submissive totality. In fact, that English statesman, Lord Acton, generations ago, was so direct to have been quoted: Power (in decadence) corrupts and absolute power (in the co-joined vices of perversion) corrupts absolutely (irrespective of time or space)!
Even before the reputed Great fall, man was recorded to be so ultra-powerful as he was endowed with the ability, for instance, to ‘baptize all inhabitants both human and otherwise on the planet earth’ and to a wide extent, the names borne by each and every species has since largely influenced their characteristics just as that cliché says; as your name is, so are you! Without any iota of chauvinist or misogynistic intention, the title, woman, has differently been (mis?)Interpreted to mean: woe to man!
On the surface, man can claim to be so powerful especially if such individuals are lucky to be still off the clutches of decadence (i.e. life-threatening sicknesses/terminal diseases and other vicissitudes of life). However, there exist three behind-the-scene actors in the life of man, at moments of seeming powerlessness and they are the man’s doctor, lawyer or spiritual leader (pastor, imam or ‘unlisted faith-consultant’). For instance, a man, no matter how powerful, influential or through no fault of his in the throes of judicial strangulation, serious ill health or spiritual torment need not to be told the darkening effects of this side of life called decadence.
It was because of the Adamic fall from grace of man sequel to the besetting sin of disobedience that marked his slide from being powerful/relevant in the schemes of his Creator, any longer, to that state of powerlessness and, by extension, decadence. To wit, in this age of perversion, man, just like any phenomenon in existence, has fallen to become so ordinary, vulnerable and fallible as other creatures.
Like a decadent fruit about to disengage from its uprooted tree and withering branches, this age of perversion is at its own-attained height of advanced decadence and this is why hardly any circumstance, incident or situation ever matters, moves or pricks the average human conscience, especially the ones that are already steeped in horrors of wickedness. In fact, the depth or height of man-on-man wickedness or bestiality is so legendary that the combined sum of atrocities of ages past may not match in any quantifiable measure the current rate of sheer absurdity, condemnable criminality and daring impunity that are seemingly the order and way the whole world goes by!
As this age of loose generation and perversion holds man in complete bondage and behaving, true to type, like helpless hostages, humanity has lost the battle of its mind with the different strands of vices and since nature abhors a vacuum, the ongoing war-of-attrition between virtues and vices is so engaging that no resource or recourse is spared. Having been pushed to this abyss of despair, powerlessness and defensive error of judgment, man and its handiwork at large are now more-than-less an endangered society.
In some specific ways, this age of loose generation exploits the endless personality defects side-by-side persistent societal disequilibrium and with no immediate solutions in sight, like the proverbial monkey that once equated itself with humanity due to a temporary lull of amnesia suffered by man but just when he regained his mental capacity; decency, orderliness, sanity and effective control (even over the erring monkey) were restored. So, too, would virtues triumph over vices while a desired age of excellence vanquish this age of perversion. Contestably, when and how this would happen is better left to the womb of time and space which characteristically initiate such issues according to the dictates of their own era, elegance and relevance.
• Omolade lives in Akure. [email protected]
