The myth that wouldn’t die!

Clash of Civilizations

The myth that wouldn’t die!

Diversity is the melody of creation. From the ornate intricacies of the microcosm to the vast wonders of the universe, diversity is the order of the day.  “Our use of the word “diversity” primarily to address issues of racism, classism, sexism, and other oppressive isms has blinded us to the fact that diversity is a vast fact of life, deeply embedded not only in humanity but in natural systems and in the very fabric of the universe,” according to the Co-Intelligence Institute.  “As is freedom. Uniqueness is the inside face of diversity. If I want to ‘be myself’ and ‘do things my way,’ I have to live in a culture that respects diversity. The more free a society, the more diversity it tends to generate. And that diversity tends to beget even more diversity as diverse people, stimulated by each other, find new ways to be unique..”  Diversity is what enables us to create whole and complete systems that compliment the works of the parts and create synergy.  Our very existence is gleaned from, and thrives on, the diversity of all creation.  “Our diversity is a resource. In particular, we can tap our diverse strengths — skills, aptitudes, forms of intelligence, experience — in ways that make us much more powerful than we could ever be separately.”

Human progress, for better and worse, is the culmination of all human effort, ingenuity, and experience since creation. “The world of science as we now know it is the result of many cultural and religious interactions throughout history. One of the most important of those influences has been that of the Islamic culture of the Middle East,” according to Hogendijk and Sen.

“From the second half of the eighth century to the end of the eleventh century, Islamic scientific developments were the basis of knowledge in the world,” says acclaimed scholar M. Bassiouni.  “It is certain, moreover, that the modern world would look much different than it does today. For the culture and civilization that were founded on Islam not only preserved the heritage of the ancient world but codified, systematized, explained, criticized, modified, and, finally, built on past contributions in the process of making distinctive contributions of their own.”

Civilizations don’t clash, they collaborate & learn from each other.  They aggregate and reiterate, building on each other’s achievements.  There is no winning side when civilizations clash. Both sides lose, if only part of their humanity.  War itself is the enemy of the human race (Zinn).  There is no good side, either. Good guys do not start wars.  The elite work out their differences by sending the wretched masses to the battlefields, while maintaining cordial- sometimes friendly- personal discourse among themselves.  When they finally settle their differences, they go back into business together, leaving the masses to deal with the trauma and loss of war.  Germany and Japan are excellent past examples, Cuba and Iran present, China and Russia may be the future version.

“War itself is the enemy of the human race”

As having discussed in a prior post, divide and conquer has been the tool of choice ever since man attempted to rule fellow man.  The elite, by definition a small group, ruling over the multitude of rabble, could only keep control of the masses by creating artificial divides between ordinary people along ethnic, religious, or color lines.  We’ve seen it after 9/11, and ever since.

The only means for the 1% continued exploitation of the world, its population, and resources, is through the polarization of the masses and pitting the herds against one another.  Whatever distinction, no matter how slight or insignificant, is amplified and exaggerated as needed, summoning the media and hollywood- always ready to oblige.  John Pilger describes the phenomenon,  “The times we live in are so dangerous and so distorted in public perception that propaganda is no longer, as Edward Bernays called it, an “invisible government.” It is the government.”  Public perception has been manipulated since long before 9/11 into the clash of civilization paradigm, but the effort has intensified since.  And, it will be escalated further still.

What we’re witnessing today across Europe is an attack on some of the E.U. countries’ attempt at extending an independent, reconciliatory hand across the cultural chasm.  America, however, is addicted to war.  “Our haywire economy requires a state of permanent war,” argues William Rivers Pitt, “we lost it for a time when the Wall fell, but found it again when the Towers fell.”

Wars are not waged in the interest of the people. To the contrary, adds Stephen Lendman in a recent article, war is a tool “for carving up whole continents for profit and dominance.  Serving monied interests at the expense of popular ones, using America’s resources for unchallenged US hegemony, no matter the human cost.”  A sales and marketing campaign is systematically initiated.  Lendman describes the process, “Propaganda works as intended. Minds are manipulated to support war. Truth is suppressed. Fear is stoked. Patriotism, national security, and democratic values are highlighted.”   Fictitious enemies are created on demand, wars on something or another are declared at home and abroad, alliances are built and armies mobilized, all in the pursuit of money and power, under the guise of fighting the bad guys.  Wars are waged when monied interests deem it profitable to do so, sometimes driven by economic depression, often by pure greed.  Lust for money and power is what fuels the wars of this century.

Wars need bodies. Bodies can only be mobilized by fear and hatred of the “other”.  In order to mobilize, an enemy has to be created in the minds of the populace, who will invariably bear the brunt of the cost of war.  The terrible human waste that results is almost always shouldered by the poor and helpless on both sides, while the ruling elite waging the war runs with the loot.

“Long before there was Islamist terrorism in the West, the United Kingdom, France, and the U.S. relied on diplomatic chicanery and launched coups, wars, and covert operations in the Middle East to assert and maintain Western political control over the region. The fact that jihadist terrorist attacks in the West are relatively new, occurring only in the last generation or so, indicates that they are a blowback — or at least an extension — of the Middle East wars.” says Jeffrey Sachs,  “the overwhelming majority in the region want to get on with their lives in peace, educate and raise their children in health and safety, and participate in global society. Their objectives — prosperity and human security — are our own.”

The divide created between societies begin to break down those same societies from within.  As we live in a global village, and that’s a good thing, societies are becoming more diverse illuminated by inter-cultural exchange as a result.  This is the upside to globalization;  The free exchange of ideas, through open access to knowledge, within democratic and popular eco-systems. It is an enabler, not of the violent paradigm we’re being coerced into, but of human connectivity, leading to mutual growth and progress of mankind.

There is no clash of civilizations, except in the serpentine minds that seek to satisfy its own tortuous impulses, by degrading fellow man to its lowest form of spiritual being.  A man who sees no other, seeking safety, fighting for survival, and violently militant.

Today, will live in an age of convergence.  Call it globalization, new world order, global village, terms varying according to perspective.  By any name, these are come together times!  The ubiquity of internet access and the availability of mobile devices has created cross-cultural ties and personal bonds between individuals and groups oceans apart.  A new language is emerging by which the multi-tongued mellinnials across the world communicate common likes, challenges, and fears.  In fact, the new cyber space has provided an alternative common grounds for youth engagement that the political establishment does not provide, either sinisterly or arrogantly.

People of all walks of life and from diverse and disparate origins are coming together to reach out and to collaborate with fellow humans who share their passions, aspirations and struggles; their mutual desire for a better tomorrow.  This emerging unity is the biggest existential threat to the rotting establishment, and requires nothing less than a clash of civilizations to thwart it.

This is a great time to be alive.  With possibilities never before imagined, humanity should be seeking its ultimate potential, looking up and ahead, moving forward towards the fulfillment of a common human journey.  Unified by inalienable goal, bound by common destiny.

We are one with earth, one with the universe.  From the atom to the black hole, the Creator has contrived a vastly diverse universe in consonance and harmony.  Everything, everyone has a role to play, something to offer to this divine narrative. What we, as a species, can do today with what we have is far better than our current human state of affairs.

As Deepak Chopra once said, “Love is natural. Hate is learned.”

Peace.

This is the first in a two part series.