THE IDEAL NATION, WHICH IS STILL IN THE MAKING
- Fundamentals -
Great ideals are meaningless to those who prefer the selfish way of life. People cannot understand principles or concepts that do not correspond to their whims, vices, selfish interests and preferred dissipation.
It is fortunate that Nature is multiple yet capable of knitting and pleating together all sorts of people, even those of the most opposite likings and designs by means of common ideals, faiths or interests.
Needless to say, ever since the world is what it is people have been struggling for improvement, better living conditions, more humane treatment, a higher standard of living and the attainment of mystic yearnings, religious hopes, social conquests, political designs and spiritual ideals. Yet, progress along those lines is rather slow. Material progress is much faster.
Material progress is faster than moral, psychological, religious and spiritual progress. This is true, in fact, because material progress can use force and aggressiveness. However, material progress is delusive if it is not backed by stern moral conditions, substantiated by psychological consistency, sublimated by religious firmness and dignity, and vitalized by spiritual integrity and power.
People have struggled for centuries. Empires have risen and prospered, then have fallen. Countless individuals have courageously fought for their cause; many have sincerely sacrificed all they had, even their life. Yet, the problems of today are those which caused revolutions in the time of Pharaohs, and the worries of ancient Assyria, Greece and Rome remain just as real even now. Tremendous fortunes have been spent in wars and for the defense of peace, and countless lives have fallen in holocaust to progress, yet history tells us that the awful human drama must have been futile since it has repeated itself century after century, year after year, day after day until this very moment.
If we consult the compact pages of the daily press anywhere in the world, we will realize that all mankind is terribly confused yet set on follies, war-weary yet feverishly preparing for war, supremely displicent yet ridden with worries, toiling yet yielding to fear, vying for freedom yet regimented, boasting liberties yet suffocated by religious intolerance, prejudice and persecution and checked in all over-emphasized exertion of conscience and freethinking; vaunting traditions yet incapable of courageously imitating the virtues of the most prestigious idols; uniting and syndicalizing for worship as well as humanistic conquests yet indulging in endless social discrimination and class hatred and party virulence and violence. We see Nations, Churches, Associations and even family clans strive to reaffirm themselves with vigour and endless expressions of good purposes, yet they oppose each other fiercely, indulging in ferocious slander, denials, demotion, evil accusations and aggressive designs, as though they have never heard of the GOLDEN RULE commanded by Christ, Moses, Buddha, Confucius and scores of great world religious Teachers and Spiritual Guides. Everywhere we hear of morality, Divine revelation, heavenly ministering yet nobody seems to have heard much about goodwill, unselfish designs, kindness, character, rectitude, mutual respect and social correctness.
Peace is vaunted everywhere, yet there is “revolt in the air”, profound discontent, repulsion for so much social injustice, human misery, economic incapacity, disgust in the face of political crookedness and religious absolutism, and disrespect for the insolence of fortune bearers amid the disheartening human plight ridden by want and poverty. The general disgust for heart-breaking conditions of this sort is not necessarily “Communism”, because communists themselves are no exception in reaping the lot of this bedlam and hell which has been loose is the world under the leadership of unholy souls, unscrupulous dictators and vicious charlatans of all sorts.
Again, humanistic ideals are glorified everywhere, yet when earnest leaders arise they are branded as satanic criminals, roguish profiteers, antichristians, black magicians, insane conspirators or brutish atheists. It does seem that the whole world has gone mad, and while prestigious criminals are readily honoured or glorified, really honest idealists and devotees of Spiritual principles and values are slandered, demoted and persecuted!
Tons of ink and millions of kv are spent continually for the purpose of informing and guiding human criterion, each party posing as sole mouthpiece of truth, democratic paradigm or religious perfection, yet this propaganda ridden and slogan beaten world of ours is each day becoming more a bedlam of specious doctrines, unrealized ideals, brutally trusted absolutes, disreputable regimentation, insanity, mystic totalitarianism, effete morals, psychological complexes, economic exploitation and social dissociation.
An act of injustice, a spell of religious persecution, a portion of political crime or an excess of authority in any nation is a threat to all of the nations, and any overt act or unscrupulous behaviour of one nation or a group of any nation is a menace to all other nations. In recent times countless events have proven of an abominable character. Groups of nations have betrayed even the most elementary religious truths and sociological principles, while some nations have felled others. Racial groups have been ruthlessly persecuted and even submitted to genocide processes. We have even seen the existence of the Atlantic Charter denied by its main drafters, while the spirit of this exemplary democratic document has been consistently opposed and trampled upon. Important minorities have vied and are still vying for self-rule, yet instead of giving them understanding deals, redress and willing cooperation they have been wantonly decimated or subject to beastly treatment.
The powerful economic pressure and subjection and the religious and racial prejudice and economic stress under which many people now live in different regions of the world makes it very impossible for them to entertain even a remote hope of self-government or a semblance of economic freedom and cultural dignity. All these conditions not to mention many others equally atrocious render materialistic civilization impossible of approval, admiration or commendation. They make life a tragic affair, an unbearable situation that could be inspired only by freaks and insane people. Many never set their mind to realize the extent of their gruesome destiny. However, people with principles, who are highly evolved, and capable of noble ideals, can only experience deep disgust and repulse for such hellish realities. Is it any wonder if some people yield to desperation? Again, is it not more then justified to try to run away from it all and seek refuge if possible among the happy primitive tribes who have been lucky enough not to receive all these questionable blessings of present-day materialistic civilization?
This is the objective picture of unquestionable realities. In the subjective realm we find unessayed principles, magnificent yet unpractised religious codes, rehabilitating ideals without crystallizing dimensions, never substantiated hopes and everlastingly effaced promises by the more powerful imperatives of selfishness.
Crime is international. So is Truth, and also freedom, respect, welfare, morality, kindness, peace and happiness. The only trouble with these categorical assertions is that the world does not seem to improve morally, since crimes, vices, injustices and all forms of gangsterism and exploitation of man-by-man increase day by day. As time passes nations need more law enforcement officers, more jails, more secret police, more armies and all sorts of extremely expensive armaments. Neither Church Teachings, official education, nor civic activities really seem to have been effective to a great extent.
All nations seem, in fact, to have the same troubles, and no amount of gospel preaching and political boasting has any improving effects on the world behaviour of people. Officialdom seem to believe, in fact, that only war can prevent wars, only prison punishments can prevent crime and vice, only threats of hell and Divine wrath can lead people to better morals, and only an increase of police forces and armies can make people respect, admire and love each other. On the strength of evidence it is obvious that it all proves somewhat impractical if not utterly futile. In fact, it should convince us all that such systems are definitely outmoded, inoperative and fruitless.
The present legal economic system is also a monstrosity that may be the very root-cause of all this tragic mess of humanity. Then a reconsideration of principles should ensue, new Institutions revised, and new methods sought.
Obviously the tragedy of Man is general, deep and widespread, and it is not time for sentimental idealism and romantic fancies. Even ideologies prove futile if they are not complemented by actual efforts of human rehabilitation. It would be in vain to continue along the same path of vaunting stale traditions and unproven and ineffective prestige. We mean to say that unless we process to substitute age-old causes of crime, vice, ignominies and vicious intolerance, eradicating delusions and inhuman concepts and methods which characterize so well the materialistic civilization, the future of mankind and her patrimony is doomed.
