Is
The Time Ripe For A Restart?
by J.
H. Hernández
Originally Published in Spanish
for the Diplomatic Corps of Madrid,
Spain on August 22, 1994
There is no doubt that we find ourselves in a period of authentic
crisis of a worldwide scale. We are not referring to the economic
crisis which "we are beginning to emerge from" and which affects the
U.S.A. as well as the European Community; it is the crisis which will
logically result in the devastation of our planet to a greater or
lesser degree.
The 'Reason' of man, so praised by the first Greek illustration, the
Renaissance, the German illustration, etc., has manifested itself only
as very limited techno-scientific reason. How many triumphs has man
gained in such field, and how many more he would have obtained if his
techno-scientific reason had been accompanied by 'Reason'?
That 'Reason' would be no more than the acquisition by man of: (a) A
clear conscience of his individual responsibility; (b) Respect, as the
basis of any relationship; and (c) His responsible participation in the
world which surrounds him.
What happened to religion? Could it have been a vehicle, among other
possible ones, to obtain this awareness? (1)
Yes,
it could have been if man would have had a clear comprehension of the
religious phenomena. However, the confusion into which the world
continues to submerge itself, in the religious and other aspects, is
painfully obvious. Precisely this has impeded the natural progression
toward 'Reason'.
We find ourselves in a moment in which all society's sustaining
structures are swaying: Everywhere serious and terrifying conflicts
erupt. It is not necessary to mention all of them. The memory of the
bulldozers gathering and burying thousands of corpses in common graves
in Rwanda suffices to remind us of the, obviously failed words of
Adorno: "Act in such a way that Auschwitz does not repeat itself".
These philosophers of the School of Frankfurt thought that, after the
brutal Second World War, the decadent structures which had, up to then,
sustained the world would collapse and give way to a new system in
which justice and equality would be evident. History, once again,
demolished the dreams.
Why do we function in a a macro system which only has limited value for
a small part of the world, and which ruins the rest and is of an
obvious short term validity?
Who has the power to change this system? Who has the power to establish
Utopia, regardless of its characteristics?
Only a man-made, and God allowed, cataclysm of global proportions which
would force society to stop and take stock of how far off the right
path it has deviated. Isn't it always a catastrophe or crisis that
unites a family, a town, a nation?
However, that is the most dangerous time since the masses will be
aimlessly seeking for "that one leader" that will pull the world out of
chaos.
What if a Hitler-like mind avails himself to be "that one leader"? What
if that was precisely the plan of a Hitler-like mind who is already
walking amongst us?
(1)
Religion as a vehicle to reach God, the
generally acknowledged fountain of all Reason and Wisdom, thus,
attaining through Him the conscience, respect and sense of
responsibility.
The M+G+R Foundation
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