Our Current Situation
The ongoing collapse of the societies of the world, especially those based on the capitalist economic system, has created ever more irrational and dangerous circumstances for larger and larger numbers of people across the world. The widespread irrational belief that one people’s progress or security can only be gained by the domination of another people is being acted out destructively in many parts of the world. The feelings of needing to dominate, recorded in distresses left from centuries of past dominations, interfere with the human urge to end destruction and find solutions that work for everyone.
We all carry distresses that can lead us to blame a people and pick sides in conflicts created by governments, rather than working for solutions that benefit all. It is important to not confuse a people or a nation’s people with the behavior of a government. Distress recordings of anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab feelings and antisemitism are pushing people in this direction now.
The governments of many countries have played major roles, through centuries of colonialism and imperialism, in creating the conditions that have led to these wars. Many of these countries continue to pursue destructive policies, obstructing the finding of actual solutions.
Only large numbers of people protesting, widely spread, can begin to give governments pause. A growing number of larger and larger protests against irrational policies, especially war, are needed to force existing governments to change their policies.
Institutions that support the current order endeavor to scare everyone and discourage people from protesting the current situation by portraying protests as misguided, bent on violence, or based primarily on antisemitism or other oppressions. They try to create the impression that working for Palestinian liberation is antisemitic or against Israel. There is no inherent conflict between Palestinian liberation and Jewish liberation. Many believe that Israel’s long-range interest will be best served by support for Palestinian liberation.
Irrationalities and oppressions will show in some of the protests because these have been part of our societies, but they are not the defining aspect of what is happening. We do not need to hold ourselves separate because some irrationalities are shown. Rather, we can join and discuss with others who may be partially motivated by their distresses.
Shoreline, Washington, USA
(Present Time 216, July 2024)