We do live in interesting times. We have witnessed the death of communism and global bipolar disorder. I even owe a piece of the Berlin Wall, a tourist's trophy from Checkpoint Charlie. And now, we are witnessing the death of capitalism and the global migraine of unipolarity.
After World War 2, the greenback became the global currency and riding its power to attract wealth, the US took control of world affairs. Now, the capacity of the US to maintain a healthy dollar is in doubt, Europeans have laughed off its lectures about the troubled Euro and the Palestinians have brushed aside its objections and applied for full UN membership. And this month India, Brazil and South Africa humiliated the US in the Security Council.
This is the apocalyptic moment that communists had been promised, when capitalism would collapse on its "inner contradictions". Unfortunately, in the meantime, Mother Russia and the Chairman's China have turned capitalist, having collapsed on their own contradictions. Which, actually, are the same as the capitalist contradiction. Both political theories have a childlike belief in our capacity to build utopias when in reality, the world just muddles along.
Communism was doomed to failure because it tried to build a future utopia by denying human nature. But US-led capitalism was sold as a present utopia driven by natural human instincts. It was supposed to be good for you, like organic apples. But the propaganda ignored the worm in the apple: human greed. It's perfectly natural, and it is bringing a global political system to its knees.
So, with both the great political philosophies going to pot, what's left? What's right for the future? Not socialism - we Indians have seen something of its effects. What, then? The void beckons, grinning.
After World War 2, the greenback became the global currency and riding its power to attract wealth, the US took control of world affairs. Now, the capacity of the US to maintain a healthy dollar is in doubt, Europeans have laughed off its lectures about the troubled Euro and the Palestinians have brushed aside its objections and applied for full UN membership. And this month India, Brazil and South Africa humiliated the US in the Security Council.
This is the apocalyptic moment that communists had been promised, when capitalism would collapse on its "inner contradictions". Unfortunately, in the meantime, Mother Russia and the Chairman's China have turned capitalist, having collapsed on their own contradictions. Which, actually, are the same as the capitalist contradiction. Both political theories have a childlike belief in our capacity to build utopias when in reality, the world just muddles along.
Communism was doomed to failure because it tried to build a future utopia by denying human nature. But US-led capitalism was sold as a present utopia driven by natural human instincts. It was supposed to be good for you, like organic apples. But the propaganda ignored the worm in the apple: human greed. It's perfectly natural, and it is bringing a global political system to its knees.
Communism & Capitalism were both doomed. And don't even talk about Nehruvian Socialism. Ask your dad about the License Raj era that prevailed till the 80's and he'll have nightmares to share with you.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the future - well democracy will be dead and so will the concept of Egalitarianism.
The New World Order will pave the way for a Secular Multi- Cultural Religion-Free Gambling & Prostitution Friendly (& Hopefully Borderless) Monarchic society.
And tell me, won't it be Awesometacular if I'm the Monarch?
Yeah my dad told me some horendeous naxal struggle during his youth.
ReplyDeleteAnd on new world order, Zombies are the future.