"Beyond my own personal dilemmas, my times in Colombia also helped me comprehend the distinction between the old American republic and the new global empire. The republic offered hope to the world. Its foundation was moral and philosophical rather than materialistic. It was based on concepts of equality and justice for all. But it also could be pragmatic, not merely a utopian dream but also a living, breathing, magnanimous entity. It could open its arms to shelter the downtrodden. It was an inspiration and at the same time a force to reckon with; if needed, it could swing into action, as it had during World War II, to defend the principles for which it stood. The very institutions- the big corporations, banks, and government bureaucracies- that threaten the republic could be used instead to institute fundamental changes in the world. Such institutions possess the communications networks and transporation systems necessary to end disease, starvation, and even wars- if only they could be conviced to take that course.
The global empire, on the other hand, is the republic's nemesis. It is self-centered, self-serving, greedy, and materialistic, a system based on mercantalism. Like empires before, its arms open only to accumulate resources, to grab everything in sight and stuff its insatiable maw. It will use whatever means it deems necessary to help its rulers gain more power and riches."
I've said before that I believe this country had great opportunity when Columbus discovered this land. It was immediately ruined when the Pilgrims came with their heads full of new freedoms and opportunity. They didn't think. They didn't know what we do now (duh) and they set a precedence. They spread new traditions and diseases. They created immediate inequality when they disbarred the "red man." Then they turned to the dust and played 'cowboys and indians' for a couple hundred years. Then they starting bringing African men and women over here because they heard they could turn more profit with slavery. It was all about the money then, and it continues to be about the money now. With the Africans came malaria and AIDS. It was about black-vs-white and red-vs-white. Then people started thinking and it resulted in the Civil War. Then it was red-vs-white, black-vs-white, and white-vs-white with the north against the south. Then there was the Underground Railroad when Harriet Tubman thought that her efforts would free runaway slaves from a life full of torture, hatred, distrust, and abuse. She didn't realize that the white-man would NEVER EVER EVER treat her people with the love, honesty, and loyalty that they truly deserved. Even to this day in March of 2008, well beyond the years we thought we would even exist, racism and discrimination run rampant, but now on a global scale. We are called "the land of plenty" where we can choose our own path and pick from the fruit of our nation's loins. We think about now, about instant satisfaction without thinking of the consequences. We discovered the use of oil and began tapping the earth only to suck it dry. People say there's plenty of it, but our planet is only so big and oil doesn't generate itself faster than we consume it. But we don't think about that. My aunt told me the other day, and this does not surprise me, that there is a "peak" oil level-- and we have gone passed the peak. This means we are on our way to running out. We assume that whatever hasn't already been taken is ours and ours only. We plant a flag and draw an imaginary line to CLAIM IN THE NAME OF ME.. not allowing anyone else to benefit unless they pay for it. Then we don't think about what effects our consumption has on the planet and each other. We don't CARE that Mother Earth created us and we're destroying it in a "thank-you" card.
We are going to kill ourselves off, you must realize. This is not a paranoid side effect of the copius amounts of smoke that I pot. It's the truth. One way or another, we will end our own existence. And for what? For a bigger paycheck.. for diamonds and jewels that made us happy for only the moment they were purchased.. for furs and glamour.. stretch Hummer 2's and i-Phones.. celebrity status and parties with Hef.. We think having nice cars, homes and clothes makes us "better" because that's what we see on TV. We buy buy BUY and don't know how to balance a checkbook. There's something wrong with that. I have a couple theories as to how we will cause our own extinction:
1. Robot Apocolypse: not in the sense that you may think where actual robots take over the world to spite their human creators. I mean in the sense that because we have come to rely so heavily on the use of computers, and other such technologies, that a mistake WILL happen somewhere and a glitch in the system will go unnoticed. We know how catastophic a tiny glitch can be, as it can cause mass hysteria-- a side-effect of human nature. Remember Y2K? Yea- didn't happen. But you know what did? millions of people started stocking food and water.. they came up with family plans as far as where to go and what to do. People started preparing for a small apocolypse, all because we WEREN'T SURE if computers would make the 2000 switch when the year turned at midnight. All it would take is what was depicted in "Fight Club" to tear down some corporations and eventually the millions of people who have their lives invested in them.
2. Environmental Catastrophe: If the first one doesn't happen, this one will be the next likely. If we continue doing what we have been doing without changing our behavior, we will run out of natural resources and turn the globe into a sizzling ball of radiation and sludge. Although I think it would take a long time for us to actually die off from these bahaviors because humans are the most adaptable animals in the entire kingdom, it will happen.. eventually. As we consume and consume and consume, we neglect our lands and refuse to replace what we've taken from them because the work is "too hard." It's easier to take than it is to give, and that's exactly what we're going to do until we either realize the consequences of these behaviors, or just run ourselves off the planet. We cut and burn down thousands of acres of trees and rainforest every day and use the lumber for buildings and businesses and furniture and back-yard playgrounds for our children. We even use natural resources to fuel the vehicles used to cut down the trees. So we're not only cutting down our source of oxygen, we're thickening the air with the exhaust that comes from the vehicles we use in order to cut the trees down. Not only that, but by cutting down trees, we're cutting down entire ecosystems. And we don't even empathize! How would we feel if aliens came down and took over the planet just because we were weaker and they could use our planet for their own bidding? We would HATE it! We would try whatever we could in order to fight them off and probably lose because if they had resources to get to our planet, I'm sure they would have enough to destroy it.
3. the fall of Global Empire: ALL EMPIRES HAVE FAILED. We're already on our way to this status as the US tries to police everyone else. With the 5 powers of the world, we will likely unite.. rape and pillage.. and fall together. How nice. There are talks of an international ID card and currency. The Euro is already used in Europe, and the US is on the way of producing the Amero in order to unite Canada, the US, and Mexico. And then there are talks of a computer chip being inserted in our children as soon as next year. Like I said- ALL EMPIRES HAVE FAILED and we are no smarter or different. We're smarter as far as technologies go, but we still exhibit human behavior with instincts to compete and win.
WE CANNOT BE NAIIVE TO OUR OWN BEHAVIORS AND THINK EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.
THINGS WILL CATCH UP, AND WE WILL LOSE. Sad, but true.
peace and hope
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