Chapter 41: One Does Not Fit All

In the human world, there are a wide variety of paradigms in operation.

Some countries are in urgent need of Transition. Some may not be. And some may be in need of both Transition and Revolution to overthrow both the economic and the political systems. People around the world will do well to examine their socio-economic and political environment to decide what is needed. In countries such as the United States and others dominated by laissez-faire Capitalist economic systems coexisting with democratically-founded constitutional political systems, the kind of Transition described in this writing is absolutely necessary in order to break the pattern of feudalization that inevitably emerges out of Capitalism. It is best and wisest to respect he political and Constitutional mechanisms and entities; though to the extent that they are dominated and controlled by Capitalist Feudal Lords, they must be defied, resisted, and ignored. But only the social-economic power structure needs actually be overthrown and transformed. Once Capitalism is replaced with the new synergistic Paradigms, elected governmental personnel and their institutions will have no choice but to work within the parameters of the new Paradigms. The current reinforcers for corruption will be absent. There will be no corporate or other wealthy lobbyists to influence government, because there will be no corporations and no ultra-wealthy neo-feudal lords to drive such dynamics. The loudest, most audible voices that politicians, representatives, legislators and others will hear will be the authentic voices of the People. These voices will not always agree. Difficult decisions and compromises will have to be made many times; but the context will be an honest, pertinent public dialog based on authentic human issues and principles. The domination of political institutions, mechanisms and actors by the power structure and interests of a feudalistic economic Pyramid will be over. The pyramid will be dismantled. In democratically socialistic countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and others, no Transition may be necessary. Countries implementing such paradigms tend to be strong in principles similar to those of the Transition. According to current and ongoing research, members of such Communities tend to have a high quality of life, freedom, access to necessities and resources, respect, health, and happiness. Such countries may require occasional adjustment and problem-solving to stay in keeping with the greatest good and well-being of their people. In such paradigms, reinforcement of abusive or predatory behavior is low, and the voices of the People are much more clearly heard and expressed than in other existing paradigms. Necessary changes and adjustments can generally be made within the existing mechanisms of the system. In countries such as Vietnam and the People's Republic of China at the time of this writing, we see the verbiage of Communism with the actual practice of centrally-monopolized Capitalism with sharp stratification. In fact, such countries are end-stage neo-Feudal oligarchies where the governmental structures and personnel are largely one and the same with the neo-Feudal Capitalist lords. As in the European Middle Ages when the Church and classical Feudal lords were part of the same power structure rather than checking and balancing each other, so today countries like China experience the melding of Capitalist neo-Feudal lords with the institutions of government. The rhetoric and narrative of Communism are maintained in the same way as the rhetoric and narrative of Democracy and Freedom are maintained in the United states and similar countries: as propaganda designed to perpetuate the illusion of a benevolent government responsive to and motivated by the health, happiness, safety and well-being of the People. In China and similar countries, unlike in the United States on the one hand and the socialist democracies on the other, both the socio-economic and the political power structures will have to be overthrown, transformed and re-cast. Where there is a Constitution or similar defining document along Marxist lines, it would be wise to preserve and implement its basic principles to the extent that they serve the happiness, well-being, empowerment and dignity of the people and amplify those principles. Of course, some changes may need to be made in order to establish freedom of religion, strengthen the guarantee of democratic government of, by and for the People, and undo any portions that enact totalitarian paradigms or mechanisms. Best results can of course be expected if the same kinds of tactics used in the economic Transition are also applied to the overthrow and ouster of the governmental authorities and structures. A blood-bath will not lead to a free, democratic, empowered and compassionate society. In countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Russia and many others, we see a ruthless oppressive political or military dictatorship, which makes no pretense of responsiveness to the People, interwoven with a Capitalist paradigm lacking any regulation. In such countries, the only option for moving towards a thriving, free, democratic, empowered, compassionate community is the complete overthrow and scrapping of both the political and the economic power structures and in many cases the military. Foundational, Constitutional documents will need to be drafted and enacted. This is perhaps one of the two most perilous situations for those engaged in the Transition and the most difficult scenario for maintaining the principle of non-violent or minimally violent action, strategy, and tactics. Such paradigms have no Constitutional foundation upon which to build the new Paradigm. Each country will require its own unique strategy and tactics. Post-Transition, democratic socialist and other similar paradigm countries can assist by putting pressure on the governments of those countries via blockades, trade embargoes and other economic sanctions, isolating them on the world stage. We simply will not do any business with such countries. We will form no alliances with their power structures. While post-Transition countries and communities will not engage in covert or overt invasions or interference with internal affairs of other countries, we will openly support those seeking to free themselves and enact their own Transitions. Important factors will be secrecy, the element of surprise, and high bandwidth streaming of events to the world at large. Post-Transition communities can help support this by covertly supplying satellite phones, micro-SD data storage and other devices to people struggling under these dictatorships, which generally block access to the Internet and the outside world. This is practical now with the small size and power of such devices. While individual countries of the Transition will not interfere directly, once such a scenario of peaceful but determined people striving to free themselves of oppressive regimes becomes an internationally recognized humanitarian crisis, it may be possible for alliances such as NATO or the United Nations to intervene with peacekeeping forces. The international community will likely unite to send humanitarian aid to the people initiating the Transition and to isolate and pressure the dictatorship. For this to work, it is vital that the people of the Transition maintain a high standard of commitment to nonviolence, except when self defense leaves no choice. We must always strive sincerely to act with a high level of integrity and compassion. Countries with theocratic dictatorships are perhaps the most challenging of all. Any Transition worthy of undertaking will respect the basic core religious and cultural identity of the people. The paradox is that when religious or cultural parameters are injurious to and incompatible with a free and empowered community of free and empowered individuals, there will have to be changes imposed, ideally drawing upon an available basis in other aspects of the local religious or cultural context. For example, in cultures which practice female genital mutilation or forbid women from studying or expressing themselves, those patterns will have to change, with no exceptions. There are cultures which practice ritual cruelty to animals, cremation of the living wife on her husband's funeral pyre, forced arranged child marriages, "honor" killings, various forms of slavery and forced servitude and more. Such practices will need to be stopped, but not in a manner that fundamentally negates or disrespects the faith and cultural identity of the people of the affected community. As a case in point, there is nothing in the Quran, Sunnah or Hadith that mandates, justifies or even suggests female genital mutilation. Indeed only a few countries and cultures practice it, but they treat it as a part of Islam. In ending this practice, it would be optimal to base the change on Quranic scriptures that prohibit or discourage cruelty, abuse, oppression, and mutilation of human beings. In a deeply Christian culture that persecutes homosexuals or non-Christians, emphasis can be based on Biblical scriptures instructing non-judgmentalism, forgiveness and judgment being the purview of God alone. Where Muslim and Christian communities are persecuting each other, breaking this pattern can be argued based on Quranic scriptures directing Muslims to respect ‘the people of the Book’ and Biblical scriptures instructing Christians to love their neighbors and even their enemies and treat all with respect. The way Japanese culture was treated after the end of World War II is instructive. Though the Emperor had led Japan in an aggressive and brutal war, the occupying forces treated the Emperor, the Japanese people and their culture with respect, while introducing improvements to many aspects of Japanese life. The result was a thriving, more democratic, humane Japan that has still retained its cultural identity and dignity.

Negating or invalidating a people's cultural or religious identity is both oppressive and ineffective. It engenders covert resistance and a backlash that does more harm than good.

Whenever practices harmful to human well-being and happiness are present, they must be stopped in ways that respect and honor the overall identity of the people. Every culture and religion has its unique mix of beneficial and harmful expressions. When post-transition communities are supporting and advising those working to bring Transition in other communities, care must be taken to study and learn their culture and religion in depth so that necessary changes can be introduced in ways that strengthen and reinforce the uniqueness of the people. It would be contrary to the very nature and purpose of the Transition for any country, ethnicity, religion or culture to attempt to impose its aesthetics upon another.

As we work to bring about Transition within our own respective cultures, it will most likely result in greater human happiness and thriving if we neither throw out our entire cultural identity in favor of that of another culture, nor blindly perpetuate all aspects of features of our own culture.

The core principles of the new Paradigms include respect for all people, the importance of government and economics of by and for the People, reinforcement of mutual effort for mutual good, equality, the right of free access to all resources for all, peer-based social structures, distributed rather than centralized production and distribution, and more. Yet the strength of our unity at every level will be in the embracing and choreographing of our diversity in the human community.