The New World Order That Never Was |
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by Armen Gakavian"A new world order has been formed In 1989, amidst the euphoria of the tumbling of the Berlin Wall and the 'end of communism', US President George Bush boldly proclaimed the beginning of a 'New World Order'. With the Cold War well and truly over and the end of the arms race, there was a strong sense of optimism and an expectation that the nineties and beyond would herald a world of Peace, Harmony and Order. For the first time in the twentieth century, there appeared to be the possibility of real progress towards a common humanity. Yet the unfolding of events in the early 1990s and beyond made it clear that the so-called New World Order simply marked the replacement of one oppressive international regime with another. The much heralded 'triumph of democracy' turned out to be a false victory, an opportunity for economic imperialism to find new roots, with transnationals entering (or creating) new markets and the World Bank / IMF finding (or creating) a new niche. As part of this process the Soviet Union, far from transitioning gracefully from communism to capitalism, fell apart at the seams, producing untold misery and economic hardship for millions of people. These disappointments were accompanied by a further, more profound realisation - that perhaps human beings had not changed, either. We had hoped against hope that the horrors of the twentieth century would have taught us some lessons, that we would be quicker to resort to peaceful means to resolve complex issues. Yet war, revolution, genocide and torture continued to characterise human relations not only in many parts of the Third World, but also on Europe's own doorstep. Enter the nineties, and names like Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia and East Timor became household words as the horrors of genocide and destruction flashed before our eyes on the evening news. The New World Order, it seems, died before it ever had a chance. Greed, competition, hatred, war, genocide and double standards continue to be the guiding norm of international behaviour. Yet in many ways, this is not all that surprising, because a New World Order is not going to come from the top. It is not going to start with the decrees of politicians, by creating new systems, by allowing free reign for multinationals, or by policing the world with more armed forces. Nor is it something we can hope someone else creates for us, which we can then sit back and enjoy. Rather, it is something that needs to be built by the little people - by you and by me. For a true New World Order to emerge, what is needed is first of all a social and spiritual revolution premised on truth, co-operation, faith and practical love. It is on the basis of this kind of grassroots strength that sustainable political, economic and structural change can be achieved. Then we can begin to enjoy a New World Order - not of rhetoric created by politicians and guided by the chequebook, but rather of truth and reconciliation between human beings, the Creator, and all of Creation, starting in our own families, communities, universities and workplaces "Hold onto dreams, |
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