Nonetheless, Trump back-stepped abruptly, saying “no one was in the mood for war”, in so many, not so harsh, words. He was right. But, the truth is, this sentiment has to grain in much deeper, if now nationwide non-animosity between religious sects, unlike in Sri Lanka and Burma, is to be upheld.
by Shani Punjab Rajah
( March 24, 2018, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The erring over the ominous clash of civilisations thesis meant that Donald Trump tried, horribly, to make the next international war against, yes, North Korea. So, it was a reversion of communist-capitalist antagonism, to explode, in him, instead of hellish religious rivalry on the agenda, as Huntington predicted. But it was not to come, in any global bi-polar or multi-polar way, for now at least.
Only local territories have seen the former religiously-inspired attacks bite, by and large, according to mainstream news analysis, who refrain from branding the Middle East war zones as a Christian-Muslim abode – globally alight.
Nonetheless, Trump back-stepped abruptly, saying “no one was in the mood for war”, in so many, not so harsh, words. He was right. But, the truth is, this sentiment has to grain in much deeper, if now nationwide non-animosity between religious sects, unlike in Sri Lanka and Burma, is to be upheld.
The end of merciless wars, was never imaginable at our beckon call, until recently. The idea that Socialism is the “Politics of co-operation” didn’t apply without firstcourse to the economy, and business, as its way. Not now. We can after it, say, by logic, that politics, or political theory, like Aristotle wanted, was the study of political actors in the state. Further, non-state political participants can, similarly, wash in, if we want to dig more deeply, and that’s where cooperative politics leads.
Jeremy Corbyn, has made the point, recently, on Channel 4 News, in an interview. Applied Marxism, here, is a lesser scope than political economy, but is still vibrantly pertinent. Especially, as a soluble product for all conflict ending, by its simple capacity – Political Co-operation - ingrained, practised and at one’s fore in the political arena. Corbyn, however, has not made another tangible brief as recognisable which he ought: Namely, that the politics of co-operation, again, worldwide, and internally, is just how little that is required, by everyone involved, in clashes, carefully, to stop it – a field, in potency, of neurology in future-classic-texts, when trusted. When we don’t have the evolutionary capacities of co-operational behaviour beyond capitalism, we backfire.
Sounds absurd. But co-operation, in political caps, is not mentally ill. Nor is selflessness there. And ongoing war is, when not much is given. Sounds absurd again. But not in “some” Buddhist interpretations. It is, sadly, what makes us “mad” at others not “crazy” (a craze started by leaders) for whatever reason, that causes fully-blown war. Some say, I’ve spotted, it is even anger produced by the mathematics of gain that is at fault at war’s start on Earth initially. So, it is “madness” at the war-crux, in a manner of speech, for now.
Different from other religious views of conflict like the Sikh take of present woes in-country in trouble spots. Committee Member of the Sikh temple in Brent, UK, Narinder Mudhar, says “The Sikh religion is apolitical. Sikhism teaches to serve the community, [and] help the needy. Its three tenets are: honest living, shar[ing] your earnings with the needy and worshiping the creator i.e. God”. He adds that Sikhs are regarded as a warrior race but not to build an empire, instead to create a [Godly] nation by helping the oppressed and ensuring human rights. He cherishes that free food is available in the [temples] around the world as an example of service to the community.
But is this enough? If anger still beckons the Sikh region of Punjab to everyone’s dismay? So how can it end? Is Socialism the answer? Some say it is, until a more heavenly Kingdom lowers beautifully into the earth’s settling climate, political, sooner, rather than later. That’s what political selflessness, after co-operation, is – religion based, but not sectarian, only commonly understood, where the downtrodden can be saved next to the ideas of God. Can Socialism get us there? If yes, when will global politics yield?
So who has to change? In Buddhist circles, it is not always clear cut, who is right, the people or the leaders, if divergent. Reverend Pannavamsa, a Sri Lankan monk, says he would have to disagree on the fact that people are hate-filled, actively seeking war over peace. For some, he says, especially for those who live in developing countries, riots and processions would seem the only place where the working class is given an ear to.
But for those who wallow in anger, he goes on, the use of Mindfulness based tools and techniques has been proven to aid in emotional stability and better decision-making skills, as per research conducted by University of Massachusetts and University of Oxford. However, he insists, in most situations, “good governance” should be more efficient than any other tool. Racism is something we all face even while living in 'first world countries', he laments.
This ambiguity infers, we all have a part to play, whether we are politicians or ordinary folk. Especially if race-hate is a factor that threatens to exist in all of us who lack enough care to do the opposite. “Good governance”, as Reverend Pannavamsa, calls it, requires leaders to have foresight and vision which resonates, justly, to all, within and outside their sovereignty. For this, the mind has to bright and alert, and, therefore, lean towards, a more compassionate state- of-awareness, according to our scriptural take on “good action” – political or not. Only, then, will kind Socialist decisions prevail, impactfully, for the sake of others, wisely and rightly.
What this implies, is, that World Socialism, now, as the next stage, still, even as home-grown, as Bernie Sanders and Corbyn instill, and peaceful, is, or can be, potentially, or truly, the philosophy of “no hate”. Gandhi wanted “non-violence”. Even better, is “no-violence”, which means not less attacks after vile behaviour has gone on. But stopping it before it adds. The greatest triumph in Socialism will be this. When no hating leads to “friendships” everywhere, the dialectical opposite of “enmity”. That’s the outcome Socialists have been yearning for, for centuries. And yes, that really is an agenda that’s worth rooting for, until love replaces hate irreversibly, as the dominant trend in society, once and for all. The implication: Both you and I are wiser to be corporal, on a street level, too, even if governments lag behind, until, eventually, institutions have all caught up to the trend of, in the end, a-much-sought-after and needed, yes, - an International-Socialist-Peace, kept steady from thereonin.
The need for this is self-evident explains Ishara de Silva, a Socialist and former editor of once Britain’s longest serving South Asian national community paper, Asian Times. De Silva said: “Nothing will prevent wars from restarting until each nation-state co-operates with a fully functioning Socialist cabinet, even if the general type of Socialism for each country is characteristic of the traits of each nation individually, so long as the basic idea of the politics of co-operation is understood across the board, between states.” A Socialist world, therein, means everyone will act with co-operation as the foremost capacity held within, as in neurology, and when this is encouraged, hopefully, a greater peace on the street level, also, will ensue, he proclaimed.
“Socialism will be triumphant, De Silva continued, when we see Socialist thinking as a step higher and forward than capitalist and is in our best interest as a species and as Earth living organisms for which there are many in sea-life too. Even they can only rely on a more sane humanity which has to take the next leap from selfishness, as science points out, until it gets far beyond even co-operation. When this is flattened out across the globe we will evolve in much more fairer and just ways together and in common. That is why Karma is in, I expect!” De Silva explained.
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