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The State of Humanity 2010
Reflections, January 11, 2010jsc
A United Nations summit on climate change at the close of 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, provides insight into the state of humanity in 2010. Despite the hope for real progress at this much-anticipated summit, there was no strong commitment from humanity to deal with planet Earth and our children's imperiled future. Ambivalent, distrustful, money-driven, argumentative, blaming, finger-pointing on the issue of rapid climate change, all the while dumping seven billion human persons' effluvia into the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the seas and lands that grows our food, per year. There is pride in the "little steps" taken, as if those will head off what is ahead. Add to the mix of the cataclysm-in-the-making are wars unbounded by law, terrorism by any other name, injustices akin to feudal society, to name but a few of the factors determining our future. (World War III) An unimaginable stink akin to London in the 16th century before elementary sewage system rules began to be enforced arises before us on a global scale. Back then, the ignorance of harm to health, the practices of human sewage disposal, and the complaints of the wealthy that such enforcement would hurt London's commerce, the impact was limited to the city and affected only public health and comfort, but the threat to humaniy's future in our current circumstance is far more insidious.
If we look carefully we can see how our dominant nation-state mentality blinds us to the solutions that would prevent a lot of unnecessary suffering on a calamitous scale. "Black Holes" exist in the legal systems of many societies in which persons are allowed to be "renditioned" and disappear with no accountability on the part of government. Surely such behavior is akin to times when slaves had no rights and could be tortured at will. Times when governments and "private owners" not guided by the principles of Love and enlightened thought that make individual rights, human dignity, just government and the rule of law, the hallmarks of civilized behavior.
Is not freedom from torture a universal human right?. Is it not true that what we do to the least of us can be done to any of us? In the United States, for instance, Republicans decry the application of full legal rights for the "Christmas Bomber" believing him an exception, and imply support for torture if needed to get the full "truth" when subject is not white. Remarkably such is accepted as normal debate with no large outcry from church. Will we soon allow those who advocate slavery equal time in social debate as if slavery were an option for civil society? Sadly the children of the God of Abraham, the God of Love, now at war with each other, behave en-mass no differently from the "pagans" to whom they feel so superior. For is it not said that even pagans love those who love them, but the God of Love calls his/her children to a higher standard? "Love your enemies." And, if we cannot love as we should, at least we can support law grounded in love and compassion. Is that not what is meant by the law fulfilled? But instead legal black holes and torture predominate, which is indicative of a soulless collective humanity bullied by the majority of the moneyed and "talking head" classes. Many people of all colors and beliefs know better. We must object to what is evil and work to right what is wrong, for as some philosopher said, "Evil happens when good people do nothing." In the state of humanity in 2010 the devil is gaining power and promises to leave us alone if we do not speak up. The powers-that-be threaten us, saying," Speak up and you risk the black hole and torture." And beware, all who justify black holes and torture speak with forked tongues as they laugh all the way to the bank. They play on fear and believe in war, and portray those who believe in love and favor justice through law as weak and unpatriotic, even unAmerican.
The enemy (Al Qaeda) of the Rome of Modernity (The U.S.A.) declared war on the West for six reasons in 1996, one of which is the ongoing horror of terrorism in Palestine. Both sides suffer horrendously, but one more so than the other by a kill ratio of seven to one. It is not an exaggeration to say that how that war unbounded by law ends will indicate whether the state of humanity passes through or avoids World War III. Humanity, while pretending to care about the injustice done to the Palestinians, essentially takes a "hands off" approach to Israel in what is a slow-moving struggle in which genocide is a possible outcome, and believes magically that the warring parties will settle this themselves. Is it not clear after fifty- plus years that tension is posing an ever-increasing danger to the rest of humanity? What might be the situation in the Mid-East now had George W. Bush gone to the United Nations after the September 11, 2001 attacks when humanity was ready for great leadership, and asked the world to enforce the 66 resolutions designed to end that conflict and support the use of international force (think Bosnia) if necessary to enforce compliance. If he had lead a war weary humanity in this manner rather than invading Iraq one can only wonder how much safer the world would be today, an action that would have earned him his desired Nobel Peace Prize. Surely this would have been difficult to accomplish but I do believe that after ten years of an imposed two-state solution (which many in this war-torn land know is the answer) these ancient peoples would now be living in peace and enjoying the fruits of commerce. And our enemy would have one less fewer reasons, and a major reason at that, for making war on us. In fact the key to ending the age of terrorism peacefully lies in knowing your enemy, but instead delusion, ignorance and deliberate public deception as to why Islamists declared war on the West and attacked the United States in particular have humanity on course for greater and greater war.
Barack H. Obama elected president by a clear majority of U.S. citizens knowing George W. Bush's course had been wrong, was given the opportunity to act boldly on the world stage by virtue of that win and his 2009 Noble Peace Prize. A man was given to us with great promise in the rule of law. Whether or not his long-range plan eventually proves worthy of his election and prize, to date he has been timid at best. He seems to be made impotent by fear should he take the bold action needed to set the state of humanity on a course away from the horrors ahead. Is it the fear that he might lose the election in 2012 to those who beat the drum of commerce and war? The fact that this man upon whom we have projected so much hope is only a little to the left of George Bush on most matters is itself a statement about the state of humanity in 2010. So, blind, wandering, soulless, and ignorant, we trudge into the night.
Yet the future is not without hope, for when the blinders are removed there are solutions for those who believe in love and the rule of law. We hear of folks from different religious traditions meeting to bridge the gaps between them. There are leaders who might yet truly lead us. But is a war-torn humanity ready to make the sacrifices in blood and money needed? The answer at the beginning of 2010 is "no", as evidenced by the outcome of the Climate Summit at the end of 2009. In the end humanity's greatest hope may come down to the masses. Will the innocent multitudes take to the streets in a Gandhi-like state of global consciousness and resist paying the "salt tax" equivalent (Gandhi Salt March, 1930) that props up capitalistic, autocratic and theocratic empires, the stench of their wicked brew, a symptom of what will destroy civilization as we have known it? Maybe by 2013 we will get a glimpse of the answer to the paralyzed state of humanity in 2010.
World of Peoples
Justice the Answer to War
Question: Will Humanity take the third step toward global governance before or after
World War III?
(In 2012 the doomsday clock was set one minute closer to midnight.)
(And, a story to turn the clock back is contained herein.)
Our Choice
Our Call
Our Vision
It Is a Matter of Imagination, Collective Human Will and Money.
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