A world according to its own intrigues

AT a first glance and whichever place one is on the planet earth, be it in poverty-weary Africa, self-delusive Europe, anomic North America, disoriented Latin America, discriminatory Asia, terror-assassinating infested Mideast or standoffish Australia: what promptly props up is a compendium of political instability, general insecurity, partial justice system, economic inequalities, vicious socialisation package that is ravaging the entire human sphere…and in essence, the world at large.

Far-or-wide, no region is so insulated against one or another form of these maddening malaises, as each and all of them assail humanity so fiercely and viciously beyond transnational borders! For the free-minded and truly liberated citizen of the world, nothing can indeed be more sickening than the devastating way the present rage of avoidable poverty and other institutionalised deprivation have hit the helpless and hopeless lot. Regretful still, there seems to be no succour or solution in sight, at least, not in the immediacy of the present scheme of affairs. Even the combined efforts of global and regional bodies to eradicate lack and want have till date been so infinitesimal and ineffectual that one shudders at that one scriptural admonition which aptly says that; the poor shall never cease from the land!

Granted, between and within these abounding nations, there exist some exceptional cases of excellent standards of living, especially in areas where the processes and ethics of good governance, entrepreneurial spirit of fulfillment, codified liberties and coexisting freedoms are accorded free reins…but these are like occasional drops in to an empty bucket.

However, taking a continental contrasting note, Asia stands out as the world’s most populous place but with its own more complicated societal disconnect on the miseries indexes. In the league of its four leading nations of China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan and with a combined force of over three billion peoples which is close to a half of the world’s population, Asia is one region where the miseries of its lack and avoidable suffering are spiritually explained away on the altars of its Confucian/Buddhist adherent faith-beliefs. Like a left-behind-late-comer for a cross-country race, Asia has habitually contented itself with its fateful realities.

As if not to be outdone in the continental sharing ratio of lack and tribulations, Africa’s own account of burdens starts and ends with its syndromes of continually failing leadership materials, systemic inertia, power tenacity and tyranny, dislocating abandonment of its once-rich socialisation values and virtues and quite foundational to these avoidable woes is its seeming sense of inferiority complex or despondence on the one hand and weakening institutions needed for necessary change on the other.

Away from this theatre of sufferings is Europe (a region often credited to have forerun man’s bid for modernisation) by refining its rudimentary civilisation and other early human efforts at standardisations and to wit are the Greek’s origins of democratic processes, British’s Industrial Revolution, French’s 1789 triple legacies of inculcating freedom, liberty and egalitarian rights. Ironically, it is this same Europe that later went all out to widen and deepen the crusade of colonial slavery during which the rest of the world, unfortunate enough to be caught in the webs of this better-be-left-for-history-to-judge era (particularly Africa) were made to lie prostrate in institutional disorientation and dehumanising order. As a matter of fact, Walter Rodney’s resourceful book: ‘How Europe underdeveloped Africa’ is one good point of reference to feel the heartbeat and reality of that history of distortion and sheer wickedness.

Playing back the memory reels, the multi-faceted ploys and consequential impact of Britain and France in the colonial and resultant neo-colonial subjugations were felt in most parts of Africa and North America; while Portugal and Spain went for the societal jugular of Latin America. With some 34 nations in the Latin American axis, Spain was in direct charge of these whole nations except the princely state of Brazil, which was made Portugal’s ‘baby’.

Despite these intrusions, different platforms were applied by the European invaders for their conquered territories. For Africa, it was more of straight invasions and slavish subjugation while subtle tactics shrouded in trade-by-barter enterprises and the widely acclaimed campaign for a new world were used on Latin America. Further afield, the British domineering flag of invasion went for the eastern tips of Asia, which spread, from the Indian subcontinent to the surrounding archipelagos.

That Africa, a wounded concentration of depleted people has since not disappeared from the world map has essentially to do with its basic psyche and raw survival instincts. Coupled with this rare gift of perseverance is its kinship sense of belonging, characteristically expressed in its extended family-values system. May be, this is why Africa records such a lower rate of the typical anomic suicide in total contrast with the astonishingly high percentages in other parts of the world and this is apart from the recurrence of other types of egoistic and altruistic suicide. Whereas, for Africa, there is almost always a branch to hang to on the African support-tree system for all purposes and at all times.

Nevertheless, standing so distantly aloof are the restrictive institutions and consequential, impersonal rigidities of individuals, societies or nations that so pooh-pooh and discard free-flowing interrelationships at different times, in dissimilar places and for inexcusable reasons! Take Europe’s normlessness, America’s gun-violence culture or Asia’s highly stratified caste-systems as disconnecting instances. For a sharpening effect; as universally acclaimed as Japan is, it is still randomly subjected to its social stratifications of Aiuns, Burakumins, Nippon-Koreans or the upcoming world’s second largest economy, China, with its still-closed society and over-monitored orientation.

That our contemporary world has glaringly been caught in its own webs of intrigues and riddles of subterfuge may be reasoned out with a chameleon that changes its colours in swift response to its environmental dictates and the more frequent of such changing events, the more obvious the reputed cowardice in this easily acquiesced animal comes to bear. So said to be slow in reacting to its surrounding situations, the chameleon just conforms with the prevailing colourations, regardless.

Ditto has the whole essence of man (especially those with the necessary resources to effect the needed change but have refused and thereby) woefully failed, having abandoned their role-expectation and primary function of guaranteed security and safety for the vulnerable and wretched of the earth.

In the same vein, humanity has observably been trapped between the volcanic life span of extinction, dormancy and active vibrancy and this is because none of any human endeavour is ever static. On a general note, that Europe has often been regarded as the old world (notwithstanding the forbearing impact of its pristine civilisation) is consequent upon new discoveries and in fact, it was the daring adventures of the Christopher Columbuses-cum-similar Spanish explorations of the then-era that made possible the discovery of the Americas and other frontiers of conquests.

Considering the advanced stage of Europe’s cultural atrophy and godlessness along with its North American collaborating and morally deficient soulmates; it may not be wide-off mark to say that, most of the Western world, spiritually speaking, is already a spent force and outmoded in patterns and thinking.

Rather than seek needed relief where it matters (i.e., godly virtues and sane societal values); it is in scientific discoveries, technological thoroughfares and newly creeping degeneracy/moral bankruptcy of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) confraternity that this twin-of-a kind willfully find ephemeral fulfillments. For this alienation of spiritual/societal dryness in the West, the world in a way can now be said to have gone extinct.

Closely in tandem is Asia, apparently buried in its Confucian or Buddhist adherence and since none holds a single banner of steering the whole mankind in one spiritual direction, it then implies that this region is seemingly under a spiritual dormancy but with a very likelihood of waking up to the present Africa’ s typical spirit of vibrancy. Before long, Asia might open up as expected as the irresistible 20th/21st century globalization gale…is deafeningly knocking loud at its hitherto shut-out borders and like the once-reputed Jericho walls, it is just a question of time before it caves in to the spirit, mode and reorientation of this existing age of fierce individualism and nationalist fervency.

For quite awhile, some have contended that Africa has resorted to spiritualising virtually everything in view because of its state of denied opportunities, deprivation and an existing yawning gap between a pauperized people and its reigning rulers (rather than being leading, altruistic nation builders).

That, instead of striving for abiding excellence of good living which nations of note in caring and decent climes have actually taken for granted, Africans of diverse stocks along with their sense of reasoning and belonging are still largely regulated by political tyrants and oft-untested religious marshals (i.e. e, general superintendents, overseers, sheikhs or inner-circle masters) of some undefendable faith-calling! May be, this is so…but can this be the same or other reasons why Africans have now turned around to re-evangelising the now-spiritually empty Western world; just as the latter’s own generations had earlier illuminated the once “tagged dark-continent” of the world?

In the generations and ages to come, vices like poverty, man-on-man maltreatment, injustices and sort would have become mere hints of momentary events and as the prevailing order to do good gains more ascendancy, the world might have been freed from the shackles of its own making. By then, it is those who have the substances of enduring value to deliver what is obviously needed that would be in place of power and authority to charge and change the affairs of man.

As for the tribe of societal tormentors, who were and are still more of complicated problem propellers rather than being needed solution providers; they might have been safely eased off the scene and effectively confined (dead or alive) to some place of historical irrelevancies.
Goke Omolade, Email: gokeomolade@hotmail.com