Who cares is my satirical way of exposing international hypocrisy and the manipulation by hegemonic powers in their unbridled quest to control the resources of the world and in so doing marginalize the economic potential of the people who should benefit most from those resources. While some European Countries are enjoying the wealth they stole from the African Continent to develop their infrastructure and economy, the African people are castigated and looked upon as “backward” and inferior human beings.
Some people who read this article may erroneously categorize me as an angry black man, and I am sure they will be looking for a label under which to classify me. In my life’s experiences, I have observed that everything including people must be defined and classified, and by their classification they are judged. Hence terms like; communist, socialist, moderate, left wing, right wing, center, liberal, radical, inferior, ignorant, uneducated, backward, and so many other classifications which are really ridiculous. One’s capacity, scope, intentions, versatility to adapt and change cannot be contained in a frivolous classification used to label him or her.
For example, if you speak about the injustices in a country, you are accused of being against the government, if you speak about the Israeli occupation of Palestine, you are antisemitic, if you speak about the disparity between the rich and the poor, you are a communist, if you speak about the blatant social and racial discrimination in some countries, you are accused of being radicalized.
If you speak about the evils sanctioned, perpetrated and perpetuated by some religions, you are branded as a heretic or a miscreant.
I am not sure what my classification should be, for my part, I am only a free spirit, who fervently believe in justice, the the end of racism and prejudices of any kind. I long to see the day when people’s worth are defined by their character and conduct and not by their race, academic achievements or their wealth. I believe in fighting to end the exploitation of women and the abuse of children, I believe in universal education, with all children being given an equal opportunity to be educated. I believe that it is an injustice for twenty percent of the population of the world to control eighty percent of the world’s resources. If that makes me a bad person, I will ask, what is the definition of a good person?, I am anxious to hear it.
Edmund Burke, one of the foremost political speakers of 18th century England, said: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”. We hear this quoted so often that it may be that we are deaf to the actual meaning of the words. (Often quoted as simply “evil prospers when good men do nothing”).
The video below reinforces the glaring reality and hypocrisy of the countries of the world which preach justice and equality but do very little to uphold it, unless it is strategically or economically beneficial to them.
Thomas Jefferson said “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent” Those are true words but unfortunately uttered by a man whose actions differed from his words.
Jefferson is also credited for writing America’s Declaration of independence a fundamental part of the American Constitution, as a free thinker, I often ask the question, which part of “all men were created equal” was applicable to Native and African Americans? the governance of the country before and after the so called abolition of slavery proves otherwise.
I am in no way promoting anti American sentiments and I challenge anyone to prove to me that I am stating anything other than the truth. Everything I say is not only supported by, but unequivocally verified by historical facts, which to some are very uncomfortable to accept.
Thomas Jefferson and those leaders of his time have long ago moved on but their legacy remain with us, does anybody remember the Jim Crow laws, the Dred Scott decision passed by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1857, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Bilbo, George Wallace, the Klu Klux Clan and the now modern White Supremacist groups vowing to make “America White Again
History is replete with information about the atrocities of Hitler against the Jews and that is good because we need to have that information, but does anybody remember Leopold 11 of Belgium and the millions of Africans he murdered to extract the wealth of Africa to enrich his country, why is history so conveniently silent about Leopold, could it be because the lives of the millions of people he had killed did not matter?.
Does anybody remember when Apartheid was spreading its evil wings over Africa, the heartland of Black People, some of the most powerful countries in the world were conveniently silent, yet when a little island like Jamaica responded to the call of their African brothers for help, Jamaica was accused of being a communist country.
Does anybody remember when millions of people were being slaughtered in Rwanda, the super powers of the world stood by and allow the slaughter to continue unabated.
Is there a solution to the seemingly insurmountable problems facing the world?
As a Baha’i, I believe there is, the existing problems facing the world today need a spiritual solution, the first is to recognize that God’s purpose in creating man is to know Him and to serve Him. Because God is so vast and beyond the comprehension of the mind of humans, we can only understand our purpose by adhering to the teachings of His Manifestations those whom some prefer to call Prophets. Second is to accept that all humans regardless of their race, the pigment of their skin, their culture, gender or geographical location on planet Earth, they are all the children of the same God. Accept that the Earth is One Country and all humans are its citizens. There is no your God, my God or their God, there is only one God whom we should all serve.
Baha’is believe that there is only one God, and that all the messengers of the past and future have and will come from Him in a continuous historical process of progressive revelation. In addition, as Baha’ullah pointed out, we are all members of one global family:
- It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
Therefore, the Baha’i teachings assert, people should strive to eliminate all forms of prejudice. Equality should be extended to everyone regardless of gender, race, religion, culture, age, nationality, heritage, language, occupation, social status, or their group’s numerical strength:
- Observe equity in your judgement, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgement is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station. He Who is the Eternal Truth knoweth well what the hearts of men conceal. –
The injustices of starvation and deprivation arise from a lack of conscience in the hearts of men and women – so the Baha’i teachings say that poverty, hunger and the dire economic problems which face humanity must be solved on both a practical and spiritual level. To be effective, the solution must come from a sense of collective and personal responsibility. Baha’ullah wrote:
- O Children of Dust! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
- O Ye Rich Ones on Earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease.
To achieve this solution to the world’s great economic disparities, education must play a principal role. Baha’u’llah taught that education should be universal and appropriate, as the key which unlocks the doors to both individual and social progress. All parents and every one of their communities have a duty to enable children to actualize that potential through education:
- Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. Gleanings form the writings of Baha’ullah.
Baha’is believe the time has come for educational institutions to present scientific and religious perspectives in such a way that they are not seen as conflicting. Science and religion should not be in opposition to each other, but rather recognized as different ways of describing the same phenomena. Teachers and parents should teach their children that there cannot logically be two conflicting explanations for the same thing. The Baha’i teachings say that humanity needs both the analytic reasoning of scientific thought and the ethical morality of religious insight in this age to promote an ever-advancing civilization.
Of course, the world has several basic needs to fulfil before it can move towards a unified global civilization. To secure the establishment and maintenance of world peace, the Baha’i teachings say, we need to create a commonwealth of nations with an effective international tribunal for settling disputes peacefully, a common world currency, and a common system of weights and measures. Together these constitute the beginnings of the New World Order envisioned by Baha’ullah over a hundred years ago:
- The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundation of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the great powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people, government and nation. We fain would hope that the kings and rulers of the earth, the mirrors of the gracious and almighty name of God, may attain unto this station, and shield mankind from the onslaught of tyranny.
Lately, the phrase “New World Order” has been vilified, maligned and employed by various segments of society to characterize any changes to the social organization of the planet as negative, dangerous or threatening. Because of this, the phrase is sometimes understandably met with fear and suspicion. However, the original expression “New World Order” as proclaimed by Baha’u’llah describes a series of positive changes within an interconnected worldwide civilization. We now live in the age of planet-awareness and not just of the locality, region or nation. As a major feature of this emerging world-interdependence, there needs to be selected either an existing or an artificial language to serve as an international auxiliary language, which would be taught in every school throughout the world alongside the native language and literature of that country:
- The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one universal language and one common script. When this time is achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were entering his own home.
All of these basic Baha’i principles have one common aspect and one common goal: unity. This unity, however, does not mean uniformity. The sharing of things in common on a worldwide basis, such as a general system of weights and measures, one international unit of currency, and a universal auxiliary language, constitute elements of the inevitable planetization of humankind. Within this emerging system, however, the cultural identity and diversity of individuals must be protected, respected and valued as integral to the whole. This vision of global unity forms the central hub of Baha’u’llah’s teachings.
These new principles, given to us by Baha’u’llah to facilitate the coming together of all humanity, have inaugurated a stage in our social evolution and development which will be recognized in the future as the beginning of the maturity of humankind.