{"id":111971,"date":"2018-05-28T12:00:53","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T11:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=111971"},"modified":"2018-05-25T13:39:23","modified_gmt":"2018-05-25T12:39:23","slug":"deconstructing-power-part-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2018\/05\/deconstructing-power-part-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Deconstructing Power (Part 4)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read: Part 1<\/a> \u2013 Part 2<\/a> \u2013 Part 3<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

28 May 2018 – <\/em>The exploration of \u201cpower\u201d made so far has been general. It is applicable to any human society, irrespective of time and place. We shall focus now on the specifics of the exciting but alarming situation prevalent today.<\/p>\n

Salient features of the present age are: technology<\/em>, industry<\/em>, colonization<\/em>, industrial scale slavery and warfare<\/em>, abundant use of inexpensive fossil fuels<\/em>, and \u2013 especially in recent decades \u2013 higher levels of education and awareness<\/em>. We consider globalization<\/em> to be a major consequence of these factors.<\/p>\n

Note that \u201cideologies\u201d \u2013 prominent in academic and political discourse \u2013 are NOT listed as a salient feature of the age. The reasons are: (a) a \u201ctailor-made\u201d ideology can always be commissioned as a vehicle to gain power and wealth, and (b) the actual practice of any ideology is shaped hugely by hidden motives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Global politics today is described using words such as \u201csuperpower\u201d, \u201cemerging superpower\u201d, \u201cunipolar\u201d, \u201cmultipolar\u201d \u2026 and so on. These words describe the inevitable tensions and friction between existing and emerging \u201cempires\u201d \u2013 that is, conglomerates of power<\/em>. Use of the word \u201cemperor\u201d is shunned today \u2013 but of course power works on human societies in the same way, regardless of which words one may use to describe its chief actors and its effects.<\/p>\n

The causes and moving forces of \u201craw power\u201d are rooted deep in the human psyche \u2013 but its outward manifestations are specific to time and place. Thus a present-day global \u201cpower-monger\u201d affects dress, language and manners which are totally different from, say, those of the Roman or the Mughal times. But the underlying human psychodynamic is exactly the same.<\/p>\n

A \u201cstandardized\u201d suite of dress, manners and verbiage serves as a \u201cmust have\u201d accessory to the games of deception, obfuscation, coercion and exploitation which are played out at the expense of the masses \u2013 that is, ordinary human beings whose main aim is to live in peace.<\/p>\n

There is no cultural distinctiveness among the global \u201cruling cliques\u201d. In the \u201crealpolitik\u201d of greed and power, cultural distinctions have no role \u2013 indeed they run the risk of being misunderstood. To \u201cnetwork smoothly\u201d, a global \u201cpower-monger\u201d must adopt the style and manners of the capi du tutti capi<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Uniformity of dress, manners and verbiage has practical utility. It serves as a signal between parties to drop all other considerations and \u201ccome directly to the point\u201d \u2013 to the underlying thirst for power and wealth. In fact, in the \u201crealpolitik\u201d of greed and power, there are no \u201cspecial\u201d or \u201cchosen\u201d ones. Any claim to being \u201cspecial\u201d or \u201cchosen\u201d is either a cunning \u201cpower gambit\u201d \u2013 or a delusion.<\/p>\n

In fact this \u201cbeing special\u201d posture leads to huge practical difficulties.<\/p>\n

A \u201cspecial person\u201d usually misjudges other human beings, since they are judged to be in a different category. Miscalculation follows, as does eventual failure.<\/p>\n

However, it is not an option for \u201cspecial ones\u201d to admit any mistakes \u2013 since others may then see through their game. To err may be human \u2013 but \u201cspecial ones\u201d do not err! What ensues then is non-stop duplicity, doubling down, lies \u2013 and steady erosion in the vitality and creativity of the \u201cspecial ones\u201d.<\/p>\n

For \u201cpower-mongers\u201d, only one \u201cgod\u201d is left standing today \u2013 \u201cthe god of power\u201d, attended demurely by the eternal concubine \u201cwealth\u201d. All other deities of yore have become either collector\u2019s items or objects of empty ritual.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpower clique\u201d usually dubs itself the \u201caristocracy\u201d. Every modern state carries its enormous and unwholesome burden, which is essentially parasitic. An elaborate \u201ccover\u201d is deployed to hide the ugly reality of greed and exploitation, but the \u201cdisease of power and wealth\u201d is the same everywhere.<\/p>\n

This disease is spread by contagion \u2013 a mindless compulsion of \u201ckeeping up with the Babbleburgs\u201d, as in \u201cDaah\u2026ling! If she can have a second Rolls, why can\u2019t I?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

We have heard of the cruel moneylender in a typical Indian village, who exploits to the hilt a poor farmer\u2019s desperation and illiteracy. This problem is explained away by the well-meaning as a mere symptom of \u201clack of development\u201d.<\/p>\n

But are \u201cdeveloped societies\u201d faring any better today?<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s \u201cdeveloped societies\u201d, exalted moneylenders \u2013 with the status of \u201cdemigods\u201d, no less! \u2013 not only lend but also create money out of thin air! They lend out the created money on interest \u2013 and also take other huge, unprotected bets with that money. If their bets go wrong, taxpayers bail them out!<\/p>\n

Entire countries fall into the debt traps of the global \u201cmoney-mongers\u201d. In this way, cruel debt-slavery has been raised to the level of geopolitics. It is clear that \u201cdevelopment\u201d does not necessarily solve the problem typified by the rural Indian moneylender. Is it any wonder then that children of Indian \u201cruling classes\u201d flock to global investment banks for careers in glorified usury and money-printing?<\/p>\n

We can only hope that national unity and sovereignty everywhere will withstand the relentless attacks mounted by agents of power and wealth \u2013 attacks which consist of both financial pressures and the allure of fake \u201cfreedoms\u201d.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The true purpose of human life is happiness<\/em> and peace<\/em>. But when power and wealth are seen as ends in themselves, this true purpose of human life is lost. A mindless drive to power and wealth is rooted in deep-seated insecurity and inadequacy \u2013 the opposite of happiness<\/em> and peace<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Thus a mindless drive to power and wealth aims at the opposite of what 99% of humanity needs and seeks<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Therefore a strategy aimed solely at achieving power and wealth, using any means available, is eventually a losing strategy. The root causes \u2013 deep-seated insecurity and inadequacy \u2013 do not go away with the attainment of power and wealth; in fact they multiply, and a kind of pathological addiction ensues. Strife and decline are inevitable; happiness and peace are absent.<\/p>\n

It is a seriously defective mind which cannot imagine or countenance peaceful, happy human life \u2013 that is, \u201cfulfilled\u201d human life. Such seriously defective minds are the ones chasing forever more power and wealth. For such misguided ones, \u201cThe world is not enough!\u201d And therefore they will never be happy.<\/p>\n

A mind burning with envy, anger and thwarted ambition has the attitude: \u201cIf I cannot be happy, I will see to it that you cannot be happy either! Anyone else\u2019s happiness must only be at my mercy \u2013 because I am the boss\u201d. This is no more than a doomed attempt to \u201cgrab\u201d happiness \u2013 a sickness in an adult person.<\/p>\n

We see restlessness which only guilt can produce, and we see \u201cdoubling down\u201d after every fiasco. This zeitgeist<\/em> has a centuries-long record of failure to show for it \u2013 but the failure is disguised by technology<\/em>, exploitation<\/em> of \u201cvirgin\u201d territories, academic hype<\/em>, media hype<\/em> and fake money<\/em>. Such a model of \u201ccivilized life\u201d or \u201cprogress\u201d works only because \u201cWE SAY SO \u2013 AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sadly, \u201cpower-mongers\u201d drunk on their own deluded being are oblivious even to the immense damage caused to the environment and the ecosystems.<\/p>\n

Today, can the powerful and wealthy \u201cleaders of the international community\u201d give us a life of happiness<\/em> and peace<\/em>? NO. They cannot. Why is that so? Simple \u2013 because they do not even understand what these words mean!<\/p>\n

Can we make these \u201ccrazed\u201d people aware of their own pathetic restlessness, barely hidden by their tragic but laughable attempts to play \u201cpower games\u201d? Can self-knowledge alleviate the problem of their delusions? We can certainly hope so \u2013 even if that sounds like desperate \u201chope against hope\u201d.<\/p>\n

Let us at least state clearly and politely: \u201cWe are not impressed\u201d.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

All this is extremely tragic. Gautam Buddha might not have imagined dukkha<\/em> of such magnitude \u2013 not that he tried to quantify dukkha<\/em>, to be fair.<\/p>\n

What is the course of action left for an individual seeking happiness and peace?<\/p>\n

Both imperial hubris and strong resistance to hubris are, as they say, baked into the Homo Sapiens<\/em> DNA. History has proved this fact many times over; the present age is no different. Miscalculation and conflict are inevitable. Truth prevails. But, in the near future, we may witness a cascade of events \u2013 debt defaults, economic and energy crises, wars \u2013 which cause widespread disruption and misery.<\/p>\n

Is it possible to chart a \u201csane course of action\u201d?<\/p>\n

Finding such a course requires a difficult exercise in \u201csanity\u201d \u2013 for which the present author has accepted Gautam Buddha as the best exponent.<\/p>\n

The good news is that recent decades have brought rising levels of awareness among all the people of the world. Over the internet, the pathology of power is played out in full view of the world. No other era provided such a \u201cringside view of power games\u201d \u2013 from which the right lessons can be drawn.<\/p>\n

With respect to the mindless \u201cpower-mongers\u201d, a good start may be this: Do not fear. Do not hate. Do not fight them using their tools. See through. Be patient.<\/em><\/p>\n

Global turmoil caused by irrational passions run amuck \u2013 a toxic mix of power, wealth and egos \u2013 is not unlike a powerful tsunami. One cannot reason with a tsunami, but one must make every effort to stay safe and stay sane.<\/p>\n

Therefore: Do not let the \u201cpower mad\u201d rob you of your happiness, wisdom and equanimity <\/em>\u2013 your priceless assets. <\/em><\/p>\n

The global \u201cconsumer culture\u201d is in reality a \u201cconsuming culture\u201d \u2013 not a \u201cnourishing culture\u201d. It is no more than a seductive method of exploitation, leaving no one fulfilled and at peace. Only a fool would dub such life to be \u201cadvanced\u201d \u2013 or even merely \u201ccivilized\u201d.<\/p>\n

In view of the corrosive role of modern finance: Minimize debt<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Live a resilient and sustainable life<\/em>. Stay healthy<\/em>. Be skilled. Work hard. <\/em><\/p>\n

Build and rely on direct and trustworthy human relationships<\/em>. Fruitful collective action is possible only on the basis of trustworthy human relationships. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Avoid addictions<\/em>. Any addiction is a form of enslavement.<\/p>\n

Laugh freely. Pursue at least one goal which has a degree of altruism. <\/em><\/p>\n

No \u201cpower-monger\u201d can block the development of an individual mind. But beware the cunning games of the \u201cpower-mongers\u201d<\/em>. They are always on the lookout for \u201cuseful idiots\u201d!<\/p>\n

When \u201cpower-mongers\u201d are isolated from their mentors, lackeys and props, they are seen to be helpless, pitiable and even laughable. By no means can they be considered happy, fulfilled human beings.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower games\u201d are no more than a tragicomic spectacle put up by a few for the enlightenment of the many. Understand the \u201cdelusion of power\u201d<\/em>. An enormous amount of useful learning is possible thereby. In this way, \u201cpower-mongers\u201d serve our noble purpose in life \u2013 and not the other way around.<\/p>\n

Educate the young and bring them up right<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The generosity of our dear Mother Earth supports simple, happy life. The greedy \u201cpower-mongers\u201d have chosen to cut themselves off from this generosity. But we do not have to accept being at the mercy of \u201cpower-mongers\u201d.<\/p>\n

However: Do not get mad. Do not try to get even<\/em>. Be creative<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Regain awareness of the immense generosity of Mother Earth, the one true and reliable source of happiness and peace of mind.<\/p>\n

Prophecies in certain ancient \u201choly\u201d books \u2013 whatever \u201choly\u201d means! \u2013 are sometimes used to justify the \u201cpower games\u201d of today. BUT THAT IS A SCAM! What is the use today of a millennia old prophesy? Who could predict the future that far off? Why should we place faith in self-serving prophecies?<\/p>\n

What we need is the wisdom which will work for us today.<\/p>\n

Global turmoil may bring violence and incredible \u2013 should we say \u201cbiblical\u201d? \u2013 amounts of misery. A desperate and misguided search for \u201cthe promised land\u201d has endangered the beautiful and bountiful planet granted to us \u2013 generous, life-sustaining Mother Earth, unique in the infinitely vast and beautiful universe.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s \u201cpower-mongers\u201d apparently do not see the option of a grand and noble human enterprise<\/em> \u2013 elimination of hunger, say \u2013 towards which all human beings around the world can cooperate. That would be way beyond their capability!<\/p>\n

Mother Earth is our one and only \u201cpromised land\u201d. Any hoary book which claims otherwise is wrong. Sadly, life is now at immense risk from our own folly. Are we worthy of the wonderful gift granted to us? If not, the gift may be taken away; that is, we may be removed from \u201cthe promised land\u201d.<\/p>\n

Let us hope that other beautiful life forms will thrive in our absence.<\/p>\n

We close with a couple of jokes:<\/p>\n

Question<\/em>: What happened to Cinderella three years after her marriage?<\/p>\n

Answer<\/em>: She could not cope with the palace intrigue and became a nun.<\/p>\n

Question<\/em>: What will be the last human\u2019s last words on this planet?<\/p>\n

Answer<\/em>: Oh no! This was not prophesied in my holy book!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em>Dr. Naresh Jotwani is a semi-retired academic living in India and a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment<\/a>. Apart from part-time engagements in engineering education and consulting, he engages in an in-depth, personal exploration of how Gautam Buddha\u2019s profound discoveries and teachings can be applied to the acute problems of modern life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

28 May 2018 – The exploration of \u201cpower\u201d made so far has been general. It is applicable to any human society, irrespective of time and place. We shall focus now on the specifics of the exciting but alarming situation prevalent today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":106734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transcend-members"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}