United We Stand

efined as the despotic abuse of authority, tyranny is everywhere in our society today, in our governments, in our media and in our consciousness. Examples are everywhere of the rampant abuses of power, of secretive agendas, the corruption of politicians and of manipulative media outlets, all commonly sharing a total disregard for any of our best interests. Instead of performing their sacred duty of defending our liberty and our humanity, they serve the elite. That the system is broken and simply cannot be saved from within needs to be the cornerstone of lasting solutions to these problems. The hour is late, and the time for change is now.

Change We Can Believe In was the new hope back in 2008 and I, like many of us, got caught up in the rhetoric and the mantras that were spoken over and over throughout the campaign; the possibility that things could get better again, together. But it all came and went like so much kindling; lots of smoke but no fire. The examples of that administration's abuses of power started to roll in, and they didn't stop.

They have lost a great number of us along the way and sadly for them, this is just the beginning - our numbers are growing and we are starting to stand on our own two feet with the strength, knowledge, wisdom and history behind us to mobilize and force the few hands that hold all the power. We are ready, but we need to continue to educate ourselves and to gather all the tools we're going to need to make lasting change happen.

Imagine for a moment a different kind of world. Put out of your mind the voices of authority telling you that Utopian idealism is unattainable, because it is attainable - indeed why would we even want to pursue the progress of humanity at all if that premise wasn't true? Willingly suspend your disbelief if you can, because it is entirely possible to one day live in a world free from the life-threatening problems we face today. There can be a world free of inequality, injustice, poverty, war, disease and greed, and in its place, a world of equality, justice, abundance, peace, health and benevolence. Honestly, pause for a moment and see if you can envision what that world would be like, would look like, would feel like. A world where we freely pursue our own desires and goals, our wants and needs, unencumbered by the media machine that is all-pervasive in today's world and unhindered by the agenda of a powerful ruling elite. A world of cooperation, not competition or corporation, a world that can sustain us as a species forever because we have made it sustainable. As the great visionary Bill Hicks once said:

We can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings, no money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourselves off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's one thing you can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defence each year, and instead spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, for ever, in peace.

Sadly, that is not the world we live in today, not in the least. So given that reality, and given our collective desire for a better future, how do we get from here to there? What is the path? Could it be as simple as this?

I: A universal or at least a critical mass understanding and acknowledgement that the current political and economic systems that are in place are not adequate to solve the problems plaguing us, and in fact have clearly proven their ineffectiveness time and again. 

II: The creation of a new political and economic system based on our scientific and empirical understanding of the world around us, existing within the parameters defined by these understandings and limited to them, with infinite sustainability being the cornerstone. All the while, accounting for and nourishing our inner selves.

As straightforward common-sense as this is, there are a lot of blanks to fill in; but those blanks become a lot easier to fill when the decisions we make are based on scientific principles and empirical evidence, not on lobbyist power and political ends or elitist greed. But as long as the  path we take is chosen based on love and not fear, truth and not politics, then everything else starts to fall in place. The answers will become clear, and we can begin to move forward.

There is so much we have learned in the last decade alone about science, the natural world and human psychology that it becomes more and more clear that the current political and social systems have become outdated, ineffective and obsolete. Over the millennia, we have implemented many political and social systems, each one building upon the previous and arguably, each one superior to its predecessor. And yet, with all of our knowledge, technology and science, we've yet to even attempt a system based upon fact, empirical evidence, and the scientific method. As a simple example of this, think of the problem of sustainable forestry. We now live in an age where we understand species diversity and the various issues related to the sustainable harvesting of our forests - the models are in existence - yet because of political and economic motivations, we choose not to practice this. This is not only unethical but a crime against future generations. A system based on science simply would not and could not do this, and there would be no need for a debate; our collective understanding would be that what is sustainable is also what is ethical. 

When one becomes aware of the  simple fact that 1% of the world population own half of its wealth, it then becomes obvious that we live in a system that serves very few at the expense of so many. A zero-sum economy whereby so many have to lose so that so few can win. When will they be happy? Their track record has proven that the answer to that question will be never. It then follows that a new system is required, for this and a vast array of other motivators.

So why do we choose to live in a world that is controlled by so few when the fact remains that there are 99 of us for every one of them? While it is true that a critical mass of people is building, brave and inquisitive individuals who seek the truth and understand that our system is broken, the powers of media, government and particularly corporation are so strong that many individuals simply throw up their hands in despair and continue to lead their lives of quiet desperation. 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has - Margaret Mead

So where does this leave us? While there  still remains some semblance of freedom in our society and while there are still some few actions that we can take that are not subject to surveillance by the NSA for example, we need to mobilize, opt-out and take action, first at a community level and then at larger national and international levels until our voices cannot be ignored and we force their hand and collapse their systems. This can be done peacefully, effectively, and efficiently if we are smart and if we get the greatest minds in the world working on the problems or transitioning to a new type of society. There's little time and we're left with few choices, but with determination and a common goal we can achieve the unimaginable. 

Once these changes come about can you imagine a world where 3.5 billion more of us have access to education and knowledge? When empowered to be productive, what will the other half of our human population bring to the table? While it is true that some will have to sacrifice in order to create a sustainable future for ourselves, I for one do not want to live in a world where someone feels the need to own 130 cars or eight houses or entire islands. Infinite economic growth is not sustainable nor is the capitalist system in its essentially Ponzi-scheme construct. For those of you who do believe those things and believe that extreme wealth is justifiable in a world where people starve and poverty is commonplace , I suggest you start getting accustomed to change and to an ethical lifestyle.

United, we truly can achieve anything. The time has come to take the power back. Let's educate, share and organize, turn off the TV, open your minds and hearts, and let's take the world back once and for all. Do you not want to be part of a movement that will define the pivotal moment in human history, the one that brings peace and prosperity to every last one of us? When future generations look back at these times, which side do you want to be on? The side that saved humanity or the side that fought to destroy it in greed's name, in religion's name, and in the name of nationalism? We truly are one being as science demonstrates more and more, and perhaps more importantly we are by our very nature extremely cooperative beings, as sociology has proven over and over as well. We are capable of so much, from deeds of absolute selflessness and greatness, to atrocities beyond belief, and we become what we nurture. The time is now to nurture sharing, love, kindness and cooperation and to fix this mess before they destroy everything for good. Put simply, it's time to stand united and revolt.