Choosing our Destiny 10/24/23

 October 23,2023, ano4

Study the Picture Below

What you see does not have to be our destiny.

Sometimes it is handy to think of Human Progress two different ways;  "The identifying and investing in those things that lead to a stable environment, Where basic needs are adequately covered, there is enough free time and capital to pursue personal as well as group goals, where life is precious and avenues are available to all in regard to conflict resolution and having their voice heard".  The other way is thinking of human progress is, "The identifying and dis-investing in those things that lead to a unstable environments. It  does not fund or  encourage the manipulation of the population thinking or values that are necessary to create and promote a stable yet progressive culture.  In other words you don't build and sell products that, while you make a handsome profit,  cause the buyer or society in general to regress.  Activities that don't in some way celebrate life, or encourage it to be seen as sacred are shunned...publicly and privately.

 Look at the picture again.  Make it full screen.  Look at the details.  Does that look like human progress to you?  Does it?  It doesn't to me...To me that picture looks like a frame cut out of a time-lapse photoshoot of humans practicing conflict resolution (think of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series visualization of "billions and billions of years...").  The first clip shows two clans of near-humans arguing over who has right to a certain waterhole.  Things break down and the two groups clumsily whale away at each other before one retreats. A few clips later; same scene but the  the players are clearly human, the same issue comes up, crude clubs come into play, and amid much posturing and screeching one group withdraws to nurse its bruises.  A few clips later things get interesting;  The clans are larger, the issue of water rights is the same, the clubs have been refined to specifically meet the needs of combat and we have sharpened sticks in which to prevail over the enemy and force him to retreat.  Jump ahead a few clips and now the issue has become "Who owns the water hole and the surrounding meadows.  Both sides come prepared for combat if it should arise.  There are negotiations, posturing, demands and counter demands and finally combat breaks out.  Both sides are far more organized than what we have seen in the past.  There are spear chuckers and stone slingers and beefy club swingers all going at the opposing tribe in an organized and coordinated manner.  There are dead and wounded.  One tribe withdraws and the other claims victory.

Make a bigger jump forward in time and even bigger changes come about;  The waterhole is now protected with a walled stockade with trained militia armed with pikes, swords, calvary, and crude muskets.  Access to the water is determined by clan/tribe identity.  The ruling clan claim exclusive ownership to the water, the meadows and the entire valley surrounding it.  The clan leader(s) charges a number of "taxes" that are favorable to clan members and is clearly punitive to non clan members.  These taxes support the military, as well as head clansmen, leftover funds go for needed public works or as bribes with neighboring (thus rival) clans/tribes.  There is talk of treachery inherent in the surrounding tribes, This belief is constantly verbalized by the clans' leaders as "A good clansman is a hyper-vigilant clansman."  There is less overt conflict now, as long as the balances of power doesn't change appreciably.  To say, "there is peace in the valley", is not quite correct, as the impaled heads at the city's gate prove there are spies, poisoners and saboteurs in our midst".

Taking another big jump forward in time, we watch as the borders of the tribe wax and wane, at some point the clans begin to consolidate into larger tribes or confederations.  The cohesiveness of this society is a function how much of a shared history (as allies) they have, if they share a common religion, and if not, how similar are their faiths?  Do they intermarry?  Long distance trade is evident but it is slow and dangerous...and very lucrative.  Long distance trade brings new ideas and new opportunities.  Local knowledge of malleable ores as well as a limited presence of precious metals ores leak out into the larger world by way of exaggerated tales told by traders who had passed through the area.

    As we watch, groups from far, far beyond the horizon begin to take an interest in the geopolitics of the region.  Get-rich traders provide the ruling party with foreign delicacies, bribes and advanced weapons in return for exclusive exporting rights.  Missionaries of various religions come to proselytize, bringing with them other strange and foreign ideas. Dissent may be severely limited or out in the open depending how entrenched the ruling power has it.  Money, arms and at times, foreign militaries  flood into area.  Some in hopes of propping up the current regime, others in hope of toppling it.  It is War by Proxy, and the foreign powers play it with gusto.  Depending on the situation and what is at stake, foreign influence may be all but invisible to the masses, subtly working behind the scenes.  Or, it may be on every street corner in the form of checkpoints, cheap assault rifles, and lots of angry young men.

The weight of foreign influence weakens local traditions, religion's ability to influence and cultural stability suffers greatly.  Economic stability crumbles as thoses with ties to foreign capital and military might, take what is claimed as rightfully theirs or they just flat out confiscate what it is they desire at that moment.

It is during this period that we begin to see some significant changes in some key statistics;  Weaponry become much more advanced and lethal. Mass graves handle the overflow.  The use of propaganda to saturate the population with inflammatory fears and then to preselect who the scapegoat shall be for relieving of this tension becomes ritual, and the term genocide is born.  State sponsored surveillance, as well as established networks of neighborhood spies make dissenting from the state position very dangerous.  Democratic principles decline (if they ever existed to begin with) and might-makes-right goes mainstream.  Wealth is accumulated by connections not talent, to a degree far beyond what was seen in the past.  Death, torture, rape, confiscation, bribery, mass deportation/genocide, ethic cleansing, all become common.  This is what much of the world wakes up to everyday. 

I find this appalling. 

 I find this unacceptable.

 I want you to agree with me.

I want you to act.

That is asking a lot.  In some situations you will stand out as a sore thumb.  In some situations you will lose friends, relationships with loved ones can suffer, your career path stymied...or all the above.  Going against the grain is difficult to say the least.

I have changed a lot in the last few years, wrestling with holding conflicting ideas/values is a lot like paddling the Colorado River with each foot in a different canoe...it doesn't work.  Change doesn't come easy at 70. The wood is as hard as iron, the grain is interwoven, the nails deeply set. You just don't go up and bend that gnarly piece of wood easily...but I'm getting it done... it's been painful to say the least.  To say it is life-altering is an understatement.

I hope I have been clear in this post, and I hope my intentions are clear in future posts.  I'm just one guy, with a disease that takes a little bit of me each day and flushes down the toilet.  I don't have a keen intellectual mind. I don't have big or long-term goals anymore, I just feel strongly that I do have something that needs bein' said.  I just try to make small incremental progress each day.  I intend to be transparent, I don't intend to come across as having The Answer to Everything, because I don't.  As I said above, I find much of what goes on in the world appalling. I think I can make an argument that can support that position.  

My goal is to have you become appalled also.

I want to help you grow in understanding

in order that you no longer support the Unacceptable.

I want you to explore new and untried ways.

When you find something that helps, act on it. 

luvya,

bobb