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Why to live differently in the 21st century

Five arguments why a radically different way of life is necessary.

1. In the past two hundred years, industrialization has destroyed much of the earth. Originally the earth was 'very good', as was said in the creation story. Now landscapes have been devastated, biodiversity has been horribly damaged, the air we breathe contains toxic substances, the North and South Poles will never be as before, the rainforests are getting smaller every year. This shame is man-made.

2. Thousands of billions are spent on armaments. This has gotten completely out of hand, even in countries where the majority of the population lives in extreme poverty and where children do not get the chance to get a decent education. With the war in Ukraine, the arms race is getting worse and what can we expect this century? While we could (should) use all that money better to guarantee people a dignified life.

3. The family has been the cornerstone of society for thousands of years. The survival of mankind depended on it. Now starting a family is postponed until the age of thirty. Many choose a celibate life. Many couples remain childless or have only one child. The divorce rate has gotten completely out of hand; the children are the main victims of this. Because the parents are too busy with their work, the family is no longer the home where the children are warmly welcomed and feel safe. Basic safety is fundamental to mental health and not only disrupted family life counteracts this basic feeling, but also other threats we face in this century.

4. For many thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years, people have attached importance to spirituality. They believed in higher powers. They obeyed the commandments they thought came from the gods. Western civilization was characterized by the belief in one God who had revealed himself to man. That belief went hand in hand with Jewish and Christian ethics. All this has been abandoned by the masses, especially in the West, to worship the Golden Calf of materialism. We have entered an era without spirituality. A great void, nihilism and lack of meaning plague the minds of the people.

5. Traditionally, people felt a sense of belonging to their family, their neighbourhood, their village and their country. Each group had its own traditions and stories, its own history and culture. This connection and communality are the basic conditions for psychological well-being. In the family, values and norms of the own community are transferred to the child. All this has been thoroughly disrupted by mass immigration, especially from peoples who have opposing and incompatible values. Globalization does not bring a global connection, but rather an emptiness, superficiality and reverence of materialism that no one can identify with.

These five developments mean that tensions and conflicts will increase. Climate change is becoming uncontrollable with dire consequences such as crop failures and areas that are flooded or become uninhabitable. With the war in Ukraine pushing coal and fuel oil even more as energy sources, hopes of making the impacts of climate change manageable are shattered as the critical limit for irreversible and very serious impacts is now exceeded with absolute certainty.

An all-destroying war is not inconceivable. New pandemics are emerging that could potentially kill tens of millions of people. The aging population leads to an unaffordable care policy and many cannot count on informal care. Instead of connection there is more and more polarization. Great catastrophes await us. It is becoming clear to everyone that the way of life we are used to leads to untenable situations on several fronts. Living conditions are becoming so terrible that everyone realizes that radical measures must be taken. Then comes the catharsis and the survivors will choose a radically different way of life. The latter is explained in ten points below, on the basis that such serious and disastrous developments take place that the survivors have no choice but to pursue a radically different policy.

1. All black people from all over the world go to Africa. All Muslims settle in Islamic countries. The Chinese and other people of Asian descent all go back to Asia . Thanks to this massive return, there is hope for a prosperous future for those countries.

2. Europe, together with Russia and Israel, forms a confederation . This is a Holy Alliance whose constitution is based on Judeo-Christian ethics.

3. The economy is designed in such a way that an 18-hour working week is possible. The hiring policy is set by law in such a way that both parents can work in the same region. This allows parents to raise their children themselves and turn their home into a safe haven.

4. After the age of eighteen or after their training, all young people complete a two-year military service. During this period they learn a second profession in healthcare, technology and education. They are active in the army, the police and customs. Thanks to these conscripts, the borders can be well guarded, there is sufficient security in every neighborhood and village and everything that is imported can be controlled .

5. The second profession that was taught is intended to be able to contribute to 'networks of solidarity' later in leisure time. These networks are intended to provide the necessary help free of charge, such as student counseling, informal care, doing odd jobs or contributing to biodynamic agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry.

6. Agreements are made in a permanent world conference to halt the arms race and to ensure that the security of each country is guaranteed.

7. The landscapes are restored as in old paintings. This even means that highways will be demolished, because in a world where life will be radically different, people will constantly live and work in their own environment.

8. A sober lifestyle is chosen. Holidays are spent in one's own country or in neighboring countries. Sports and culture events are organized in one's own country for their own public.

9. A maximum limit is set on income, including from movable and immovable property. What is earned above that goes to a solidarity fund. With this, every prosperous country can take initiatives to ensure in its own country and in the Third World that all children, girls and boys, can receive a decent education, that extreme poverty is eliminated, that high-quality health care is accessible to everyone, that employment is created. With this measure, there are no longer extremely rich people, which corresponds to the Judeo-Christian and especially Evangelical ethics.

10. The European Confederation wants to be an example and a beacon for the whole world. To make this possible, every effort is made in politics, economics and social policy to apply the fundamental values of Judeo-Christian ethics: mercy, forgiveness, sacrifice, selflessness, unconditional love for one's neighbor. Summarized in one sentence: Not the I is in the center, but the Other. Man is in the service of the Other. The Other are the people who are near, those far away in developing countries and the future generations who will have to live on the planet we leave behind for them. That service and charity are identical to faith in God.

link:  The future of Europe lies in Russia

see also: The Holy Alliance and Without NATO there would be no war in Ukraine

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   © Juliaan Van Acker 2024