Illustration of the Theory of Moral Foundations, by Aprilia Muktirinia
“Evil is not what we should fear. Creatures with power acting in their own interest: that is what should make us shudder” - Shehan Karunatilaka (Booker Prize-winning, Sri Lankan author)
“It’s not dark yet but it’s getting there” – Bob Dylan
SCIENCE FICTION AND MAN AT THE PINNACLE
Winston “Churchill believed that modern scientific advancements, while productive of many good things, could also potentially lead to the loss of freedom. He sought to counter this possibility by speaking out against socialism and by recruiting citizens to the cause of a free society" - Prof Larry P. Arnn, Hillsdale College
Yuval Noah Harari, adviser to Klaus Schwab and lecturer at the World Economic Forum is adamant that:
• natural selection is being replaced by intelligent design as man continues to evolve,
• science is gearing up to create eternal life for man,
• men will become gods,
• the Bible is fake news,
• science is the new world religion.
https://podpoint.com/truth-to-ponder/we-will-become-gods-yuval-noah-harari-wef-advisor
Homo Deus, Harari’s new book is recommended by Bill Gates. Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg are amongst his other fans. A review states, “We are the only species in earth’s long history that has single-handedly changed the entire planet, and we no longer expect any higher being to shape our destinies for us”.
https://www.ynharari.com/book/homo-deus/
See also: https://www.google.com/search?q=yuval+noah+harari+everlasting+life+for+man
The term science fiction describes a speculative literary genre but has recently assumed a sinister new meaning when dishonest, deceptive ‘leaders’ and a new self-appointed ‘elite’ refer to “following the science”. (We need to question everything. Ask “Who says?” and “So what?”)
DANGER AHEAD
Churchill - British warrior, statesman and Prime Minister during both war time and times of peace thought and worked on the basis that there are only two types of country:
• People own the government (Participatory democracy at its best. Free), or
• Governments own the people (Socialism carries within it the seeds of totalitarianism. A regimented society without freedom)
We are on a path from the former to the latter.
In this chart (click on image to see larger version) we try to depict:
THE DANGER OF POWER
Information-power, the power of science, technology, engineering, wealth, position - in the wrong narcissistic hands for the wrong reasons - signals extreme danger for humanity. Churchill pointed out that Marx saw the institution of family as a threat to the State, (where all loyalty should be directed).
Andrzej Lobaczewski, the Polish psychologist, recognized that ruthless and disturbed individuals are strongly drawn to political power, and often end up constituting the government of nations. In The Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis (educator, philosopher, author of the Chronicles of Narnia series and other incredibly wise books), tells a story of self-appointed ruling “elites” who adopt the power of science and use emergency conditions as the opportunity to enforce their self-interested rule. They run NICE (the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments) as a front for sinister forces).
Lewis points out the self-destruct certainty of totalitarian politics, for example Nazism, and “the disciplined cruelty of some ideological oligarchy”. (Wedgeworth, S. 2013)
Such power overcomes any resistance to the reining in of the destructive potential carried by science, engineering and technology.
GOVERNMENTS WHO TELL AND DON’T TALK ARE DANGEROUS
In any form of totalitarian rule (like socialism or absolute monarchy) that entails a “scientifically” regimented rule by a self-appointed “elite”, and administration is performed by non-elected civil servants who are neither civil nor servants - the people effectively become slaves. Get told what to do. Institutions like family and local community are overthrown and eradicated by centralized, unbridled power.
The toll on citizens can be huge – to take one indicator: rates of euthanasia, assisted and unassisted suicide may all be on the rise around the world. And the numbers tend to increase in times of undue trauma and economic hardship. For every suicide there are many more attempted suicides, and for every attempted suicide there are many more contemplating whether to act or not. It runs deep and sore. (Chapman, A. 2020)
And what we are being encouraged to accept is an artificially imposed ‘new normal’ which is not new (Oligarchies continue to happen time and time again) and is certainly not normal (when evaluated against freedom, morality, power abuse and power imbalances, loss of competence at deep listening and communication, how we organise, democracy, well-being, dominance of pseudo-science, conflicts, thrust of education, our physical norms, what we may own, what we may or may not spend, what we must think and believe, falsehoods, rich-poor gaps, narcissism, inequalities, exploitation of societies and the environment by irresponsible capitalism, decline of neighbourliness and compassion and our disconnections from others, nature and spirituality, the negative ongoing impact of lockdowns and related regulations and controls, forced compliance with 'orders' from the 'elite' reinforced by digital vaccine passports and the like …) and this ‘new normal’ is set to get worse. Far worse.
Make no mistake. We are in mortal danger. It's like the (twisted values) game of Monopoly where the rich and 'elite' are amassing all the wealth, powers and control, and are bent on eliminating any competition. We might go around the board another few times but the end is in sight.
We opened this newsletter with a quote that mentions "Creatures with power acting in their own interest". And so for example the World Health Organisation (funded by Bill Gates) is slowly but surely amending the 2005 International Health regulations to eliminate individual freedoms and push their idea of the 'collective interest'. Humanity may be described (as is said to be the American death row tradition) as a "dead man walking".
A MORAL COMPASS IS NEEDED
C.S. Lewis was in his time the most popular U.K. radio host ever. He believed that the fundamental, foundational nature of what it means to be human - a universally embedded objective moral value - is an inheritance the human family cannot afford to lose. Call it Tao (The Way). It is needed to counter evil, tyranny, and slavery in their many guises.
Tao is widely accepted as a true way for humanity. (Truth is a deep remembrance of the nature of things and what is important). (Moore, T. 2002)
Perspective is needed:
A traveller watches an old man struggling to draw water from a well in order to irrigate his garden.
He suggests to him a vastly more effective, modern, mechanistic solution. One that would produce water far in excess of what the gardener needs.
The old man is angry as he replies, “Those who use cunning implements are cunning in their dealings with others, and those who are cunning in their dealings with others lack purity of heart, and those who have cunning in their hearts have restless spirits. I know about solutions such as you propose, but I am ashamed to use them”
- Chuang-Tzu the 4th Century BC Chinese sage. (Williams, G. 2016)
Yullyeo is an ancient Asian concept of the rhythm, cycles, pattern of the universe, “similar to the idea of the Tao, that can help people to understand their place in the universe”. (Lee, I. 2018).
AND CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING
A raising of consciousness is much needed, in order to birth a new narrative for humanity.
One that takes an opposite direction to the expectations of the likes of Yuval Noah Harari, and the New World Order and the so-called ‘elite’. Take Dr Gabor Maté’s advice and counter some of Yval Harari’s thinking by reading The Dawn of Everything. (Graeber, D. & Wengrow, D. 2021)
Raising our consciousness is an absolute choice for every individual to make:
Taking a simple view that ‘self’ is the core of our being, I think we can take one of two routes:
• The low road. Maintain the basic animalistic and egoic self, which determines that our values and choices, conditioned by society, become self-serving and narrow by nature
• The high road. In order to becoming fully human, to be able to bask in beauty, solitude, community, love… requires putting on a more beautiful mind of non-duality and higher character (metanoia), learning to love sacrificially and becoming self-emptying (kenosis) and being completed and being in a new, enlightening, energising point of contact with one’s Creator (pleroma) (Bourgeault, C. 2010) For me personally this lines up with mention of belonging to "The Way" throughout Acts in the New Testament.
Let’s choose and take the high road, and usher in new hope for a better future.
A move towards recognizing the individual and collective trauma that abounds, and promoting the bringing of light and light - triad character traits that underline Tao/ objective moral value (finding the way, the truth and the life)
A closing of the gap between ‘left brain’ scientific/ engineering/ technological analysis and decision-making; and ‘right brain’ poetic, human and big-picture thinking. And embracing community and family (in the widest possible sense)
Ponder for yourself the moral foundation of "sanctity" depicted in the opening illustration. What does it mean to you?
QUOTATIONS
SPEAK TRUTH TO PREVENT A 'POST-TRUTH' CULTURE
"...telling the truth is the first necessary step toward facing well the numerous crises of our day, from a global pandemic to climate change. Truth-telling is an act of faithful resistance and practical hope"- Mary Emily Briehl Duba, Wendt Center for Character Education 2022
DO TO OTHERS...
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
BE HEART-LED
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” - Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to write her biography The Story of my Life, at the age of 22
FOCUS ON THE LIGHT
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light” - Aristotle
NEWS
REFERENCES
Bourgeault, Cynthia (2010) The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: discovering the woman at the heart of Christianity Shambhala Boulder
Chapman, Alan (2020) Suicide https://www.businessballs.com/blog/suicide-prevention/
Graeber, David & Wengrow, David (2023) The Dawn of Everything: a new history of humanity Picador
Lee, Ilchee (2018) 10 Simple Ways to feel the Rhythm of the Universe Patheos
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/ilchilee/2018/04/24/10-simple-ways-to-feel-the-rhythm-of-the-universe/
Moore, Thomas (2002) The Soul’s Religion: cultivating a profoundly spiritual way of life Bantam Books
Wedgeworth, Steven (2013) From the Politics of N.I.C.E. Calvinist International 24 February, 2013 https://calvinistinternational.com/2013/02/24/the-politics-of-n-i-c-e/
Williams, Graham (2016) Ancient wisdom for Modern Workplaces
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