As always, the situation is not as easy and simple as we would like to have. There are five major mainstream agendas in play.
The historically justified and dominant one is “stand for your country” (which is different from the nation or the state), commonly called patriotism. This was altered after 9/11, when any and every “patriot” could become an unwelcome enemy.
Then there is the supranational agenda which is being activated in times of major crises (depending on who defines the particular situation), like floods, infectious diseases, or - preferably - alien attacks on the Earth. “Alien” meaning not from this world. In such times we become human again and we stop destroying each other, for some time. The intergalactic space invasion has been a very popular theme to present an image of state rulers being so friendly to each other that they single-handedly terminate conflicts and wars right this evening, simply because the aliens won’t give us another chance.
The third agenda is in the form of support (open or silent) for radical groups, which often use historical motifs and appear to be quite appealing to regular folks.
The fourth agenda is based on fingerpointing “the enemy” or “the traitor”, pushing and pulling the mind of the public in a direction desired at a specific time point.
The fifth agenda consists in maintaining a continuous threat “somewhere there” or “it may come here”. A very useful tool which may be used in support of or for the submission of any of the other four agendas.
None of these agendas are based on values, in particular on universal values, or on human values. Amazingly, after about 4,000 years of reading great philosophers and quoting them whenever needed to change the public mind, not a single politician in the history has ever even attempted to compile a priority list of values necessary to ensure continuous wellbeing in this world. Strange, because the state (as a social structure) has it, although in the form of “crime and punishment” catalogs. The so called organized crime has it, as we are often shown in the media. Until recently, the medical community had it (first, do not harm), but it was so inconvenient that it had to be replaced with DNR (do not resuscitate). The financial sector has it, although in the form of top-down duties and allegiance requirements.
But the environment realm (the air which you breathe, the water which you drink, the food which you eat, the natural space in which you should live) is not covered by the “what is most important for our existence and survival” list.
All in all, there are conflicting and ad hoc activated agendas, and an average person who is not interested or does not have time to read in depth about this world may be in a permanent state of surprised suspension of belief and disbelief.
Effectively, we do not have #1, #2 and #3 priorities in this life. The ultimate priorities which - if they were communicated and observed - would ensure the most basic level of security for everyone. Clearly, we (they? who?) don’t care about priorities. We don’t care about wellbeing or security. We don’t care about continuity - which also means our children and our parents. We don’t care about our air, water and food. We don’t care even about our own. All in all, we do not have a purpose in life.
You humans, most of you, subscribe to this policy of an eye for an eye, a life for a life, which is known throughout the universe for its... stupidity. Even your Buddha and your Christ had quite a different vision, but nobody's paid much attention to them, not even the Buddhists or the Christians. You humans. Sometimes its hard to imagine how you've made it this far.
As always, the situation is not as easy and simple as we would like to have. There are five major mainstream agendas in play.
The historically justified and dominant one is “stand for your country” (which is different from the nation or the state), commonly called patriotism. This was altered after 9/11, when any and every “patriot” could become an unwelcome enemy.
Then there is the supranational agenda which is being activated in times of major crises (depending on who defines the particular situation), like floods, infectious diseases, or - preferably - alien attacks on the Earth. “Alien” meaning not from this world. In such times we become human again and we stop destroying each other, for some time. The intergalactic space invasion has been a very popular theme to present an image of state rulers being so friendly to each other that they single-handedly terminate conflicts and wars right this evening, simply because the aliens won’t give us another chance.
The third agenda is in the form of support (open or silent) for radical groups, which often use historical motifs and appear to be quite appealing to regular folks.
The fourth agenda is based on fingerpointing “the enemy” or “the traitor”, pushing and pulling the mind of the public in a direction desired at a specific time point.
The fifth agenda consists in maintaining a continuous threat “somewhere there” or “it may come here”. A very useful tool which may be used in support of or for the submission of any of the other four agendas.
None of these agendas are based on values, in particular on universal values, or on human values. Amazingly, after about 4,000 years of reading great philosophers and quoting them whenever needed to change the public mind, not a single politician in the history has ever even attempted to compile a priority list of values necessary to ensure continuous wellbeing in this world. Strange, because the state (as a social structure) has it, although in the form of “crime and punishment” catalogs. The so called organized crime has it, as we are often shown in the media. Until recently, the medical community had it (first, do not harm), but it was so inconvenient that it had to be replaced with DNR (do not resuscitate). The financial sector has it, although in the form of top-down duties and allegiance requirements.
But the environment realm (the air which you breathe, the water which you drink, the food which you eat, the natural space in which you should live) is not covered by the “what is most important for our existence and survival” list.
All in all, there are conflicting and ad hoc activated agendas, and an average person who is not interested or does not have time to read in depth about this world may be in a permanent state of surprised suspension of belief and disbelief.
Effectively, we do not have #1, #2 and #3 priorities in this life. The ultimate priorities which - if they were communicated and observed - would ensure the most basic level of security for everyone. Clearly, we (they? who?) don’t care about priorities. We don’t care about wellbeing or security. We don’t care about continuity - which also means our children and our parents. We don’t care about our air, water and food. We don’t care even about our own. All in all, we do not have a purpose in life.
Prot (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272152/quotes/?item=qt0318887&ref_=ext_shr_lnk) summarized this condition in one final sentence:
You humans, most of you, subscribe to this policy of an eye for an eye, a life for a life, which is known throughout the universe for its... stupidity. Even your Buddha and your Christ had quite a different vision, but nobody's paid much attention to them, not even the Buddhists or the Christians. You humans. Sometimes its hard to imagine how you've made it this far.