Thousands of Years of Civilization

 Thousands of Years of Civilization

Evil is Resident to Us All

In the modern world we often find ourselves caught up in what we consider to be the latest news. We also have quick access to the news that occurs all around the world almost as quickly as events transpire. We comfort ourselves in believing that the evil so evident and the tragedies it fuels are disparate from the lives we lead.

However, history teaches us that evil has been present since the dawn of human civilization. The evil that history clearly and categorically demonstrates through actual data and real evidence remains present to this day. It is convenient and somehow gratifying in choosing to believe that evil is perpetrated elsewhere and does not really impact us in any substantial way. Reality, which reflects the true nature of things, tells an entirely different story. Most nation states and sovereignties were founded and were sustained using violent means with the inevitable consequence of many lives lost, much blood spilled, and much grief endured - enfolded by actions and events shaped by evil intent. Here, I define evil as strategies envisioned and precipitous actions taken without concern for the usually disastrous consequences of these actions on the real lives of human beings. These actions are usually inspired by an insatiable quest for power and dominance with the real cost being ultimately born by the powerless.

A relatively unsophisticated search of the brief history of the United States readily demonstrates the evil that was perpetrated as an integral part of the development of the burgeoning nation – this of course includes the near genocide of the native populations, the enslavement of a people captured in Africa, compelled against their will and forcefully taken to America, the horrific wars against defenseless peoples around the world (Central America, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, Iraq, etc.) leaving millions of deaths and shattered lives in the nation’s quest for economic and political hegemony.

As a people, we cannot escape this history, but we are completely capable of recognizing our collective failings and purposefully fashioning a better world for not only ourselves but for future generations to come. We can do this by speaking out against evil and working towards a more equitable environment for all of us.

The Ultimate Issue Facing the Survivability of Homo sapiens

 

Currently, there are over eight billion humans populating planet Earth.  There are over eight billion humans - each one of us having a clear perception that we are individuals on our personal journeys.  Each of us has been shaped by our genetic inheritance (i.e. genes), our particular life experiences, our families, our historic perspective, our unique cultural worldview, our language, our religious and spiritual inclinations, our philosophical point of view and many other factors.  In other words, each of us is uniquely different.  Even within the same family, even among identical twins, everyone is different. 

As members of the same species, Homo sapiens, we share common characteristics directly related to the human brain. These include intelligence, language, our ability to make tools and with these, build civilization. We share the same panorama of emotions, wishes, desires and needs. This has been true ever since the beginning of our species; some estimates have determined this to be about 300,000 years. So far, we have survived quite successfully as our numbers attest. So, what is different about the current epoch

Due to the nature of the rapidly evolving technological changes that have transpired over recent human history, inspired and promoted by the Industrial Age, we now collectively face the prospects of a future living on a planet with a seriously degraded natural environment possessing a profoundly diminished capacity to support highly evolved species like our own.

Although our higher order brain capacity recognizes, understands and appreciates the nature of this present danger, the powerful and emotionally charged affiliation to tribe or nation, our ever-present fear and suspicions about those different from us, our collective affinity towards delusional states of being have clouded our judgment. This dilemma is of a profoundly serious nature, for our future as a species is irrevocably tied to the collective choices we make – reality is unforgiving in this regard.

Currently there is no clear or unambiguous way forward in meeting this ultimate challenge. From my perspective, since this is a dilemma that encompasses the viability of the entire species, a globally based solution is an absolute requirement. Unfortunately, there are forces operating in many human communities that are directing collective energy towards moving backwards to a more insular mindset that can exacerbate the underlying issues. In my mind, this tendency is wrong-headed and dangerous, for it interferes with the kind of communication between people that this kind of all-encompassing problem mandates.

What is required is a radical departure from collective action based upon irrational and delusional thinking and a movement towards a concerted effort to come together with the recognition that all humans are members of the same human family. After all, the science is clear and a multiplicity of tools are readily available to thwart the unrestrained progression towards planet-wide degradation of Earth, our extraordinary home. The teaching of science should be a fundamental part of any curriculum in early education; science is the gateway to an appreciation of reality. It is after all, in the best interests of everyone to find a global solution to the threat of an environmental catastrophe.

There are many young people with boundless energy, imagination, creativity and focused concern that are actively engaged in reshaping the future. My hope and optimism lie with them, for it will soon be their world to manage and sustain.

What criteria will ultimately define whether or not Homo sapiens will continue to exist into the distant future?

 

Introduction

From the cosmic perspective, there is no guarantee that the human species will survive well into the future.  The fact that humans are rational and self-conscious beings with the ability to make choices provides us all with the opportunity to establish universally accepted policies that would help define a more peaceful, harmonious and productive environment for not only ourselves but also for future generations.

 Currently in the year 2025 humanity is plagued by a magnitude of serious and foreboding problems.  Some of these include repeated and destructive acts of aggression between peoples of differing and disparate cultural, or religious, or ideological beliefs.  In spite of the fact that we live in a technologically enriched human environment, supposed racial differences remain a source of intense animosity and hatred.  Along with these kinds of conflicts are the much more ominous wars spawned by empire building and driven by hatred and the desire for conquest.  These kinds of issues have plagued human civilizations for thousands of years with no end in sight.

There is also the steady and inescapable evidence of the ongoing reality of the degradation and destabilization of the natural environment as a direct result of human activity, and the substantial peril of climate change that has the potential to undermine the very future of humanity in both the immediate and more distant future.

All of these factors are clearly understandable and recognizable through a process of reasoned and thorough analysis.  The historic record is clear and the long-term science-based projections regarding the impact of climate change are undeniable.

 

Discussion

Considering all these factors as outlined above, I have formulated a list of societal transformations in thinking that suggest a paradigm shift from the current state of human existence that would hopefully disrupt the seemingly endless cycles of violence and retribution and allow for a more peaceful and harmonious human world.

 

·         In this technological age in which the Internet has radically transformed the access and dispersal of information so that all kinds of data are transmitted and received nearly instantaneously, the boundary between that which is representative of the truth and lies and misinformation has grown indistinct.  It is therefore incumbent upon human societies to reject lies and misinformation disguised as truth and embrace and uphold an acceptance of the truth as embodied in science and other disciplines that base information upon trustworthy, reliable and insightful data.  A definitive emphasis on seeking what is true would advance progress in human affairs and provide for a clear recognition of real problems that need attention and require resolution.  The one very particular and immensely important example of this is that of the reality of climate change.  With this emphasis on the truth, effective leadership could be readily chosen to address the enormity of this issue over those who choose to minimize its importance to meet their own ends and promote hidden agendas.

 

·         A universal acceptance of the unavoidable reality that life on planet Earth is fragile – this remarkable planet that sustains us is, after all, suspended in a hostile cosmic environment and dependent upon a thin layer of atmosphere that provides life-giving oxygen and the myriad and complex ecological interrelationships that sustain all of life.  The continued sustenance and abundance of living organisms on earth requires a viable natural environment that is absolutely dependent upon the willingness and determination of humanity to protect it.  Since human activity over the recent past has seriously disturbed the delicate balance that sustains life, it has become imperative to implement universally accepted and ecologically sound policies to protect that atmosphere from the onslaught of poisons and other substances that imperil life on the planet and modify human behavior so that it becomes more congruent with long term survival of the living world.  At the heart of this attitude shift is an acceptance of the nature of reality and incorporation of the unmistakable role of science in uncovering the tangible aspects of the multi-faceted and  intertwined ecological relationships that maintain the living world. 

 

·         A universal acceptance of the reality that all people regardless of skin color, or cultural and ideological differences, or sexual orientation are all members of the same species, Homo sapiens, and are all deserving of the same level of respect, caring, compassion, and rights.  This recognition of the fact that all people are equal members of the human family would require the abandonment of cultural mythologies rooted in so-called racial differences and a universal acceptance that race is in fact an erroneous construct that has little congruence with reality.  Such an acceptance would ultimately undermine noxious and destructive policies that have such a myth as its operating principle – a system of belief that justifies untold wars of aggression and violence that ultimately creates an enormous burden of unnecessary suffering.

 

·         A universal acceptance of the value of the Commons.  The Commons refers to the sum total of those aspects of everyday life that are necessary to serve and maintain community life such as an adequate supply of good nutrition, drinkable water, clean air, access to adequate and dependable health care etc.   The current emphasis placed on the individual and individual rights has led to a distribution of economic resources in many societies that is skewed disproportionately towards those with considerable wealth.  This has led to a diminishment of the emphasis placed upon the pivotal importance of the Commons.  As a result, many communities find themselves bereft of the essential materials and services that are required to sustain and maintain the Commons.  The result of this imbalance has led to a great deal of unnecessary suffering and instability.   

 

·         Traditionally, public education has focused upon the necessity to transfer information in areas of learning that include such disciplines as language, mathematics, history, literature and science to young minds.   However, the predominance of the Internet as a near instantaneous provider of information of all kinds has diminished the value of this approach to some extent.  In the modern era, it is imperative that education has an additional focus - to introduce young minds to the nature of reality and to encourage attitudes that embrace the principles as outlined above.  In addition, public education should also introduce the young to the skills required to explore their own thinking and discipline their minds to understand their own motivations, potential, imagination, creativity and ultimately how to control their own behavior.   The development of such skills would be of unfathomable use in later life – opening up the possibility to use reason, intellect and sound judgment in analyzing and evaluating the immediate environment.

Conclusion

Admittedly, the details (as outlined above) of the paradigm shift suggest an enormous transformation and disruption in the ordinary lives of humans.  I am not proposing that these changes are achievable in their totality.  However, the clear and present danger of doing little or nothing to mitigate the eventuality of a major and catastrophic change in climate may provide sufficient motivation to address this overriding issue with creative and effective resolve.

In order to be effective, any agreed upon strategy to avoid the more serious and devastating aspects of climate change would necessitate a worldwide initiative(s).  If collective action were applied on a worldwide scale, such a unified approach would represent the first time any such action was ever attempted in the entire history of human civilization.

This would represent an enormous first step in approaching the paradigm shift as outlined above.  If this were to happen, the door would be flung open to the possibility of a truly peaceful and harmonious human world.

 

Questions

Since I do not look upon my point of view and perspective as any final word on this subject, I would like to end with the following series of questions –

·         Are you satisfied with the current state of humanity?

·         If not, what kind of scenarios do you envision for humanity in the near and distant future if nothing has changed?

·         If not, what kind of better world would you envision if humanity was to undergo a major transformation – how would it manifest itself?

·         And finally, what would you propose we do collectively to fulfill this dream?

National Alliance to End Homessness

Homelessness is an endemic problem that haunts the entire nation - in both rural and urban environments. There are many non-profits that are dedicated to dealing with endemic issue. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (endhomelessness.org) is one of them.

Helping Hand House

Given the political divisiveness that has gripped this country and the fact that the next four years may be filled with a kind of relentless chaos that can readily distract us from the real issues that plague this American nation,  the focus of this website will shift to those organizations that are attempting to harness the energy, resources and determination  of concerned individuals to help make this human world a better place.

Helping Hand House of Puyallup Washington is such an organization and the following appears on their website.

What We Do

Helping Hand House provides emergency shelter and housing solutions to families in our community, ending their crisis of homelessness. We provide urgent relief with trust, dignity, respect and compassion while we help them secure their new home – helping moms, dads, and kids rekindle their hope for a better future.

Programs

Partner With Families

Transforming a life takes significant amounts of dedication and hard work. It also takes dollars and cents. But the investment—a family’s future transformed, stabilized, and thriving—is PRICELESS. Giving support doesn’t look the same for everyone. That is why we want to give you options in how you can partner with families and support Helping Hand House.

Ways to Give

Lend a Helping Hand

HHH could not provide all of the needed housing services for families without the generous support of like-minded donors and volunteers. Every hour you volunteer
has a tangible value in completing our work. Our appreciation runs deep for those who value the life-changing and community-transforming work we do.

State of the Nation

Given the current state of an obviously divided nation, it becomes quite apparent that the world of modern humans is constantly inundated within the fabric of illusions that provide a false representation of the essence of our collective humanity. This artificial world is buttressed by a constant and torrential storm of information where the demarcation between truth and prevarication is ambiguous at best.

It is regrettable that after thousands of years of human civilization, the human species remains collectively driven by fear, suspicion, bigotry and hate. These feelings are powerful enough to propel humanity to unimagined extremes of violence and degradation. It is equally sad that although science has clearly demonstrated that all humans are members of the same species – the same human family, horrendous and destabilizing divisions over politics, religion, ethnic origins and imagined racial differences persist.

I personally have grown weary of all the unnecessary suffering that comes as a direct result of actions, both personal and collective, driven by hatred, bigoty, closed-mindedness, calousness, ignorance and a basic insensitivity to the human condition.

 
In my estimation the fundamental quality of being a sentient creature on this most remarkable planet is the ability to experience and appreciate existence. We all share this remarkable capacity to communicate with and understand each other. It is such a profoundly important gift to not only consciously experience existence, but also to seek to encompass and truly comprehend existence in all its many forms and aspects. A singular lifetime does not afford me the ability or capacity to embody all of existence, but at least, allows me to enjoy and participate in the adventure of living.