An Insight

I’ve been a geopolitics buff all my life. And up came an insight last night, to share with you. It’s this…

Forget China. Yes, it is taking over from the industrial countries of the Global North but this is because, after its Century of Humiliation, it needs to return to its proper historic status – as the Middle Kingdom.

There are things that Europe and America have failed to do, as a result of our own limitations, materialism and vested interests. China is taking them over, to take them to their conclusion.

We in the West have lost our vision and seek now only to hang on to what we’ve got – and that’s no vision.

Such a transfer happened before, around 1890-1920 when the impetus transferred from Europe to USA. It is now transferring to China and the Far East, but this is temporary. It will last a few decades only, since they too have their limitations and, like us, they’re getting old.

For genuinely new things to arise, young people are needed. In large enough numbers to turn the tide and overcome the resistances of oldsters.

This is what happened in Euro-America in the 1960s, when an enormous cultural change became possible, because of the sheer numbers of young ‘boomers’ – but it was suppressed, and the West ran back to material and military security.

Where are these young people now? Africa.

By the end of this century, Africa will be the place that defines the world’s direction. This will not be about technology and economics. That’s the old stuff, which China is bringing to its proper conclusion. But China is growing old too.

The African future is cultural, ethical and it concerns people. It will address a problem that the West could not solve:

Do people exist to serve the System, or does the System exist to serve people?

It is likely that Africans might be able to bring planet Earth to the state where it becomes a ‘light-space vehicle’, falling into line with what The Nine were alluding to in my recent posting titled ‘Imitating Mountains‘, a few days ago.

We need to take ourselves and our planet in hand. We need to become truly human.

This might just be so, with Africa: it is a glimmer of possibility. However, the future is not written, since we humans are the authors of it, and we’re a capricious and thoughtless lot, as a whole.

“Take me to your Leader.”
“Um, no thanks – that’s no solution.”
“It’s okay, we know.”

Don’t get caught up in the urgent stream of daily events. Step back and look at what’s happening behind and underneath. Listen more closely to Things than to people. Think less about yourself and yours, and more about all of us, and ours.

Forget World War Three too: don’t buy into the logic of destruction. It will destroy you. Stay tuned to the logic of reconstruction and rebirth. There lies a future.

Think about it.

With love, Palden