I envision two possible stories that future generations may tell about
the transition from the Age of Empire to the Planetary Age. One is a
sad
story, a story of chaos, dissolution and destruction, of environmental
and human exhaustion, followed by a long, labored rebirth of a new
planetary
culture. The other is an ecstatic story of a new planetary culture
quickly
coalescing in the first days of chaos, before dissolution and
destruction
exhausts the earth and the human spirit. Believing with hope and
determination
that we are not fated to suffer the sad story but that we will create
an
ecstatic story, it is such a story - looking back from our future -
that
I will tell.
The Age of Empire followed the Age of Tribes, hundreds of thousands of
years during which humans lived in small, largely self-sufficient
groups.
However, in many areas of the world, population pressures, advances in
agriculture, trade and communications, and the development of more
powerful
weaponry, destroyed tribal cultures. The more informal, consensual and
even non-violent tribal political and social systems could not
withstand
growing tribal warfare over scarce territory, nor readily adapt to
highly
populated and diversified town and city culture. New political systems
developed as the militarily strongest tribal leaders conquered
surrounding
territories and set up hierarchical, bureaucratic kingdoms regulated by
the threat of military force. This system had changed little over the
centuries,
though those at the top of these hierarchies may have legitimatized
their
rule by referring to the will of God, majority rule, Marxist
dialectics,
states of emergency, or the fatherland.
Time and again some kingdom or nation heard the call of empire and
proceeded
to conquer peoples and territories near and far. As the
twentieth-century
neared its end, two great empires faced off, each determined to
dominate
the whole earth. Large portions of the wealth of these nations had gone
to maintain the personal power of its elites, to run their propaganda
machines,
to buy off troublesome power or interest groups, to destroy any
resistance
movements, and to maintain and expand the military and the empire. The
proudly displayed symbols of the empires were the maps and flags of
kingdoms
and nations and the metallic flash of their swords, guns and missiles.
THE NEW VISION
Ironically, it was a venture whose purposes were as much military as
scientific
that produced one of the most powerful symbols of planetary
consciousness
- the photographs of the whole earth taken from space. In this and
other
ways, twentieth-century science played a major role in demolishing the
old-world view that had legitimized nations and empires and in
establishing
the new, planetary world view.
"Old paradigm" mechanistic science described a material universe ruled
by deterministic laws in which machine-like humans are ruled by
dominant,
"survivally fit" males or by unforgiving laws of dialectics. Where the
old ideologies of God, King and Crown could no longer control the
masses,
the new ideologies of state capitalism, the "welfare" state, or the
dictatorship
of the proletariat could.
Those who explored the implications of the "new paradigm" physical and
social science discovered a new model of the universe, and of human
behavior
and purposes, one that mirrored more the ideas of mystics and
anarchists
than of priests and politicians. Whether called the Holistic, Systems,
Ecological or Self-Organizing view, the new paradigm emphasized that
the
universe is a dynamic but interconnected web of events, seemingly
evolving,
self-organizing, pulling itself up by the boot straps. Over the years a
scientific and cultural consensus based upon this new world view began
to emerge.
Metaphysically, the concept became accepted that reality was the
manifestation
and evolution of organizing principles akin to consciousness. Narrowly
theistic ideas of a single, transcendent, all-powerful God continued to
lose credibility. The purpose of this "universal" consciousness was
increasingly
recognized as being the development of beings who could both explore
and
enjoy a variety of talents and experiences in the material world. And
humans
seemed to be those beings, at least in this solar system.
Psychologically, it became clear that the human brain contained both
the
original reptilian and mammalian brains controlling automatic and
reflexive
survival functions and, heaped above these, its own unique "neo-cortex"
with enormous intellectual and creative potentials. Humans did not have
to be content to be ruled by their "lower brains," by their most basic
needs for survival, procreation and status. In fact, humans who
remained
stuck on these lower need levels developed innumerable psychological
pathologies,
physical addictions, and obsessions with wealth, fame and power. This
was
because their innate drive for fulfilling and actualizing higher
potentials
was being stifled. There grew to belittle doubt that through education
and meditation humans could develop their higher brain, rise to higher
consciousness, and even experience cosmic consciousness, cosmic ecstasy.
Ethically, what humans saw they could choose, many of them decided they
must choose. For the first time in history, millions came to
consciously
experience the ethical "space" which had been described by great
teachers
like Buddha, Lao Tzu, Jesus and Gandhi. They felt love and
connectedness
with all living things, and gave up the need to dominate, exploit or
direct
them. They lost the desire for obsessive material accumulation and
began
to appreciate the harm they were doing to the earth and its other
living
inhabitants. They developed a tolerance for individual diversity, an
acceptance
of the subjectivity of truth in all matters of fact and value.
So humbled, they finally began to understand Gandhi's message that all
conflicts - personal and political, individual and group, local,
regional
and global - should be resolved through non-violent mediation instead
of
police and military violence. And they accepted the fact that in a
world
organized by non-violence, great nations and empires, created in and
maintained
by violence, would crumble, to be replaced by networks of non-violent
communities.
Secure in the knowledge that most humans were capable of such expanded
consciousness and ethical action, they lost the fear of the great
bugaboos
"The Russians," "The Big Corporations," "Immigrants," and "Foreigners."
Visions, strategies, practical plans and projects of how to organize
this
loving, generous, ecological, tolerant and non-violent world
flourished.
With their new vision, increasing numbers of humans faced the uncertain
future.
As the twentieth century drew to its end, conflict increased within and
between nations and empires. Privileged classes fought popular
movements
for control of state power in order to force their economic, political
and religious agendas upon the populace. Whichever class or party
proved
victorious, the arms race continued to accelerate. For most nations
were
held together by massive government military spending, jingoistic
nationalism,
war scares, and threatened or actual armed force against those who
challenged
central authority.
War spending beggared economies and impoverished peoples. Third World
nations
financed their arms spending with loans from the First World, then
reneged
on these loans, undermining the world monetary system. Governments
worldwide
took over banks, froze assets, and nationalized essential industries.
Some nations geared up to institute compulsory electronic money systems
where every dollar could be traced and taxed. Others returned to
printing
press money to pay for warfare.
When unemployed and hungry
protectors took to the streets, governments tried to rally them by
blaming
other governments. They instituted trade wars and waged real ones to
expand
the territories, resources and markets under their control. The U.S.
invaded
Nicaragua to insure control of Central America. The U.S.S.R. supplied
massive
aid to communist insurgents in Iran. India and Pakistan increased troop
strength near their tense borders. Israel planned military expansion
into
"biblical" territory while Muslim fundamentalists readied to reclaim
Palestine
for Allah.
Meanwhile, through their televisions, radios, and daily newspapers,
billions
of humans witnessed this increasing economic, civil and international
chaos.
But many, the visionaries and the pragmatists, the organizers and the
enterpriser,
watched closely for some sign, some vision, some alternative, some
movement
that might save themselves, their community - and their planet - from
impending
doom.
Those philosophers, writers and organizers who had studied the work of
biologists like Ilya Prigogine hoped that the tendency for increasing
fluctuation
and change in living systems to precipitate a leap to higher levels of
order would apply as well to the currently chaotic planetary economic
and
political system. Many prefaced their pamphlets and introduced their
speeches
with the confidence that creative life forces would lead us out of
chaos.
But instead of looking for leadership from the rulers of the nations,
these
modern revolutionaries reached out to the latent higher consciousness
in
every human. They challenged humans to make their first priority taking
that leap from motivations and behaviors controlled by the lower brain
to those flowing from higher brain consciousness. And they continually
reminded them that a world ordered by lower brain power struggles and
force
could not much longer survive the weapons of mass destruction that
imposed
that order. In the new age that was coming, each individual must become
fully responsible for her or his own actions and for gently influencing
those of others. Inner individual peace would thereby be translated
into
planetary harmony.
The worldwide revolutionary movement that rapidly evolved during those
heady days used modern technology to implement three tried and true
strategies:
education, constructive action, and nonviolent non-cooperation. Video
and
audio tapes, computer programs and linkups provided powerful tools to
individuals
and groups in their efforts to transcend fears and addictions, reach
higher
consciousness, and experience the cosmic ecstasy that had once been the
province of the few. They used them as well to learn the theory and
practice
of the new ethics of love, tolerance and nonviolence towards the earth
and all living beings. Less attached to, and most oppressed by, empire
age cultures, many women led this very crucial first stage of the
movement.
Women and men joined together in constructive action. Alternate,
appropriate
scale energy, farming, building, manufacturing and health technologies
were created and disseminated worldwide to advance individual and
community
self-reliance and to minimize environmental harm. Local and regional
alternate
trade and currency networks created and financed cooperatives and
businesses
in tune with the new ethics. Alternate governance systems showed that
direct
democracy and contractual relationships, all enforced by nonviolent
mediation
and sanctions, could replace coercive political structures. Worldwide
computer
networks accessed by growing hundreds of millions helped break down
nationalist
consciousness and advanced planetary consciousness.
As these new alternatives proved their potential effectiveness, and as
frightened governments tried to stifle and destroy them through onerous
regulations and outright repression, the final strategy was implemented
- total non-cooperation with nation states. Nonviolent protests of
specific
repressions grew to widespread tax revolts, shifts to the new alternate
currency, and non-cooperation with oppressive or irrelevant national
laws.
The "nuclear free zone"movement grew to a "nation-state free" movement.
Communities and regions, often simultaneously with sister communities
nationally
or worldwide, officially seceded from nation states. (This was
especially
popular in cities and regions which knew they were first strike nuclear
targets!) In order to minimize violent retribution from central
governments,
citizens quickly decommissioned all military bases and rendered useless
all weapons. Instead, activists readied themselves to engage in the
strategies
and tactics of non-violent civilian based defense.
The nationalist loyalists - often 25% to 30% of a population - who
remained
within the territory were reassured that they could continue to obey
all
of the nation's laws and pay all its taxes, as long as they did not try
to force their neighbors to do likewise!
Let's not give the impression that the transition was effortless; that
mistakes were not made; that some of us did not slip into lower brain
consciousness,
tyranny and violence; that nation-state leaders did not resist our
movement
with brutality; that several million humans did not die during the
great
transition. But let's remind future generations that billions would
have
died and the planet have been despoiled for millenniums had we not
acted
when and as we did. In a world where "Think globally, act locally" is
now
a way of life, there are those who have forgotten that there ever were
warring empires and nation states. In a world where individual ecstasy
is as commonplace as monthly junkets to favorite vacation spots around
the planet, there are those who have forgotten that misery, fear and
narrow-minded
nationalism were once the human condition.
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Copyright by Carol Moore.
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