Today\’s mainstream theology believes that they are in the first world, there is a second world ‘out there\’, and the rest of us are from the third world. So, their theology goes. But, really of you think about it, we are from two-thirds of the world, often denigrated to the third; where one and two are better!
By their definition, a materialistic worldview defines progress. Ultimate progress means owning two cars, a house, and a holiday home with a boat somewhere else. And, so that rat race continues in search of the more and better, always! Enough is never enough!
For any reflective person, this materialism is only a humanly constructed worldview and not even a merely a scientific or purely rational assumption. In fact, it is embedded in a view of the material world, rather pretentiously and without a moral framing of human issues and problems. All Abrahamic worldviews have a clear definition for how the materialistic world became tainted by evil and therefore, we have the moral imperative \”to fight\” to overcome evil with good and goodness.
In human history, such ‘good wars\’ or ‘good fights\’ have always been fought to overcome evil. We had two very famous wars which we call I and II. Actually in the first one, Asia may not have been directly involved; even if we were forced to choose sides.
The choices and arguments were framed as ‘democracy driven by capitalism versus communism driven by socialism.\’ Unfortunately it was also framed in either-or terms. The theologies were different; one put a premium on the individual and his freedoms, and the other on the state and its rights.
Capitalism vs communism
When simplified this either-or was called capitalism versus communism. These became the first and second worlds; even if a value judgment! The capitalists or the good guys were from the first world and the communists or bad guys were from the second world – basically the Soviet Union and its allies.
The Second World War ended with the dramatic application of science and technology over human-driven wars. The atomic bomb ended the war brutally for the \’good guys\’ against the \’bad guys\’. Germany and Japan and their allies lost, were subdued and submitted to the Allied Powers. They defined and divided the world as they fancied; and we get the language of today\’s mainstream discourse of the first, second, and third worlds.
But, a third world war had also begun, but we only labelled it as \”a cold war.\” It was cold and therefore not as visible. To me, the Third World War was one of differing and different worldviews. It continues till today; except we do not have a mainstream language for it. The closest label was called The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel Huntington; but, his too was a limited worldview with inaccurate assumptions.
That war of worldviews has not ended but began to collapse with the breakdown of the Berlin Wall. That also signalled the breakdown of the false framing of \”this wall of hostility and the either-or worldview conceptualisations!\”
The human tearing down of the wall was driven by the information, communication and knowledge revolution. Information and communication technology framed and facilitated social and community building development. The breach and breakpoint was the physical dismantling brick by brick of the Berlin War and this was a clear and stark reminder of the discontinuation of the either-or dualism and frameworks.
\’Enuf is enuf\’
I have a simple theory why the Berlin Wall collapsed; and it is linked to McLuhan\’s Global Village thesis and phenomenon. Shared values communicated vide the new media technology enabled the ordinary and simple citizens of the world to understand what human freedoms are denied to them. They said to themselves, ‘enuf is enuf,\’ I am going to make a difference. Therefore, ordinary individuals began doing extraordinary things. We see the same storyline repeated again and again vide the now fully connected media technology.
The Berlin Wall, the Apec Seattle debacle, the Sept 11 destruction, and now the almost collapse of the modern economic system as we know and understand it define this deconstruction of the mainstream and worldviews. Why else would good and clean money chase bad money on the paper promise of heaven on earth?
Let us come down to earth. Let us get real. Let us not live in the clouds. The world is in trouble and we can put an end to it; but only if we change our worldviews. And what does that worldview change involve? In involves becoming humble and acknowledging that there is a God out there, who really, really cares for humankind whom he created to love and fellowship with. I call this the first R of my Theory R, or truth of any matter and non-matter! Unless we begin thinking about all truth, we start at the wrong place.
Then, all it takes is for mankind to get on our knees and pray that the God of the Universe can help us out. We can see and witness this kind of miracle even today as we await Muamba\’s full revival and recovery from his life-threatening collapse. But, as his girlfriend said, \”Just pray for him.\” If he is healed, we must say thanks to the doctors and the hospital that gave him care – and we must also acknowledge that there is a God out there who cares and continues to intervene in this world.
So, Mr Ban Ki-moon, since you visited Malaysia as your formality and sought to bring about the many changes the world needs, my only issue and question to you is: Would you agree with one of our foremost professors in Malaysia that we live in a world still with filled with psychological feudalists?
It is psychological feudalism when:
1. The UN still believes and deploys the veto. That is why thousands of Syrians are victims to their internal collapse of governance.
2. There is an implicit assumption that we still owe goodwill to America and Europe and allow them a European candidate for the IMF and an American for the World Bank. The mere concession for the UN with a two-thirds\’ world candidate is simply not good enough. We, the two-thirds world want to handle the money and the power resources of the world; like how to \’un-veto\’ the UN Security Council over Syrian abuse.
3. Any qualified individual candidate with absolutely excellent credentials cannot become the next World Bank chief in 2012.
4. You are a two-thirds world candidate and you can always speak up for the rest of us. Please put your foot down and if need be, resign to make your voice known. After all you are in your second term and South Korea today is second to none. May be with your show of such moral courage, some in the North and South too can unite with you.
5. When human beings lose the courage to stand up for truth of any matter for fear of being chastised or excluded from their ‘club of company\’, such fear of separation and exclusion is only embedded in the psychology of a feudal state of mind. If we believe in a God up there; he is the only one we should fear and never any human system
Therefore, Mr Secretary-General, while you tour the world and make excellent speeches from your heart; please seek to live by what you preach and step down if you are not able to move with courage of your conviction. At least some in the Malaysian civil society will back and support you. The world today needs courageous leaders and not cowards dressed in the clothes of fear! Fear denies human dignity in a most fundamental way and our God-given destiny for human life. May God bless the world through your wisdom and perseverance.
