Our World has Gone Mad! – Part 3: Globalism and Nationalism
Earlier in 2023, I penned a five-part series on Globalism and Nationalism, starting with The Tower of Babel and concluding with Conservatism: A Rediscovery. Today’s piece, in my series ‘Our world has gone mad!’ will attempt an update, informed primarily by the ideas of Yuval Noah Harari — who, it seems, may be a key inspiration for Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum — and Yuval’s book Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow (2017) in particular.
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
A history of tomorrow can never be written! Harari acknowledges this, but it is nevertheless an eye-catching title. This book gives the majority of its 513 pages to Harari’s description of the present, then extrapolates into the future through his worldview window.
The foundations of this book are the acceptance of evolution as a principle despite it being rendered as a theory, and the demise of all religions, notably Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Harari argues the case that God is dead, and therefore mankind must put away all myths relating to the supernatural and replace him with the ‘Man-God’ (Homo Deus). Establishing man as the supreme authority even with the ability to defeat death, bringing in the potential for immortality for ‘superhumans’, those whose biology has been augmented by technology.
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism, is quoted:
The “fundamental axiom” of Bentham’s philosophy is the principle that “it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”. (p. 34)
I am sure we could describe Bentham as a secular humanist, Harari’s preferred ‘religion’, with the establishment of subjective right and wrong a recurring theme in his book.
Essential Fictions and Narratives
Harari claims that society has only ever advanced on the back of lies, myths and fiction. He argues that the establishment of the correct narrative is essential for the twenty-first century.
Fiction isn’t bad. It is vital. Without commonly accepted stories about things like money, states or corporations, no complex human society can function. (p. 206)
I agree that yes, society and communities do need a clear narrative, but I do not agree with the fiction. Christianity gives me meaning; it gives me a clear definition of right and wrong; it also gives me hope. It is not surprising then that Harari must create a fictitious narrative, as he has dismissed the true one!
Shareholder Capitalism Replaced by Stakeholder Capitalism
There is a long tirade of the virtues of shareholder capitalism. Harari admits that capitalism and the necessity for growth have solved most of the world’s ills, poverty, war and plague. But:
The real nemesis of the modern economy is ecological collapse. Both scientific progress and economic growth take place within a brittle biosphere…We could lessen the danger by slowing the pace of progress and growth. (For example) global warming is already affecting the lives of poor people in arid African counties more than the lives of affluent Westerners. (p. 251)
He argues for a new capitalism, stakeholder capitalism, with zero growth. He goes on: society must be content with no further improvements in our lifestyle as we can see all around us the destruction of the environment; let’s preserve what we have left by limiting any resources we take from our planet.
The Flood of Technology
Another theme of the book is the insignificance of the individual and the supremacy of the collective. Harari suggests that the flood of extremely useful devices, tools and structures will make no allowance for the free will of the individual human. He argues that democracy, the free market and human rights will not survive this flood:
- Humans will lose their economic and military usefulness; hence, the economic and political system will stop attaching much value to them.
- The system will continue to find value in humans collectively, not in unique individuals.
- The system will still find value in some unique individuals, but these will constitute a new elite of upgraded superhumans, rather than the mass of the population. (p. 356)
Harari asks the most important question in the twenty-first century will be, what to do with the superfluous people?
I have found this the most confronting prospect of his book. It is the most damming indictment of his worldview that I can imagine. The fact he can write this down and have it published astounds me! He goes on to say:
…we might witness the creation of a massive new unworking class, people devoid of any economic, political or even artistic value, who contribute nothing to the prosperity, power and glory of society. This ‘useless class’, will not be merely unemployed – it will be unemployable. (p. 379)
Harari’s vision for mankind, all bar the new elite upgraded superhumans, is that we will become mere vegetables, existing on the earth, consuming state survival rations and Netflix. In light of this, consider all the assaults on the sanctity of human life in recent years – adverse reactions to medications, excess deaths, abortion rates, live babies left to die, transgender normalisation, euthanasia and more. Devoid of purpose, what a tragic, depressing view of our fellow man.
This is Globalism
This is the heart of Harari’s beliefs: God is dead, all religions are myths, and there is no meaning other than what feels right at the time. And if this dystopian view of the world, its ecology, economics and political landscape is correct, I can understand a man who believes himself to be god would try to engineer a future for himself and his fellow elites. The only way to defeat all challenges would be to invoke global authority.
At its heart is the belief that the individual has no value and that nations are too small and consumed with petty rivalry to solve any global challenges. So, to save the human race, it seems that the globalists bypass democracy and human rights and impose their utopia from above.
For me, this book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, has been the biggest indictment of globalism I have ever read. It nails their colours firmly to the mast for all to see. And what is most disturbing is that this globalist DNA can be read in all the agendas coming from Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF). However, I don’t believe the WEF is the globalist government.
Lineage-on-Lineage versus the Cosmopolitan West
Before going there, let’s consider another perspective as outlined by Dr Bret Weinstein on Neil Oliver’s show on GB News. Bret made the observation that through most of our history as a human race we have been organised into lineage-on-lineage groupings. In other words, our genes and our geography have been the primary determinant of our loyalty and cooperation.
Yet, in recent times, the cosmopolitan west has arisen as we have aspired to put our differences behind us. Bret argues that this has worked very well; our world has been safer, fairer, and more enlightened as a result. However, he fears that in hard times, such as the present Israeli–Hamas conflict, we are likely to fall back into lineage-on-lineage fighting with the potential for the demise of the human race altogether.
It seems to me that these two competing teams battling it out on the playing fields of life are the globalists and the nationalists.
The cosmopolitan west, the globalists, tend to be younger, think of themselves as progressive and better educated, having shaken off the straitjackets of their community’s traditions and values. They are mainly to be found in the major metropolitan centres of the west.
The lineage-on-lineage, the nationalists, tend to be older, thinking of themselves as guardians of traditional values, and are often seen as reactionaries, and the greatest threat to progressives and their innovations. They are typically to be found in regional centres or in the more ethnically homogeneous suburbs away from current waves of immigration.
So, we all must decide. We can’t serve two masters, for either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24)
We might sympathise with the globalists, conceding some problems need global innovation, intervention, and leadership while celebrating our cultural individuality and honouring our homeland. But I contend that this is sitting on the fence. If the globalist’s agenda is being worked out under our feet, we will soon have no nationalism left to celebrate.
Who is Running the World?
Just a few years ago, I would never have asked this question. But I now believe that our world has gone mad! Nationalism has been parked in the lay-by while globalism has powered on down the freeway.
So, who is running the world if it’s not Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF)?
Let me introduce Guy and Jessica from Coin Bureau, and their take on the Concert of Europe, the League of Nations and the place of the United Nations in global governance.
In 1815, the Concert of Europe was founded by Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed to prevent member countries from going to war. It fell apart with World War I in 1914.
The League of Nations (1920 – 1946) was the first intergovernmental organisation established “to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security”. It is often referred to as the “predecessor” of the United Nations. It, too, fell apart with World War II in 1939.
Then:
as World War II was about to end in 1945, nations were in ruins, and the world wanted peace. Representatives of 50 countries gathered at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, California from 25 April to 26 June 1945. For the next two months, they proceeded to draft and then sign the UN Charter, which created a new international organization, the United Nations, which, it was hoped, would prevent another world war like the one they had just lived through. (UN History)
Today, there are 193 member nations, only two excluded — Palestine and the Holy See (Vatican City). It is the effective global government, with designs on a single world currency and a single global military. It fights mis and disinformation, and it champions the UN’s 17 goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), by 2030. A central plank of the SDGs are the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) scores.
Further, the UN’s drive for Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is not letting up, along with their plans for digital ID and smart cities. And the WEF is partnering with the UN to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
One thing has particularly intrigued me about the work of the UN. I had not noticed how many less developed nations have become developed in the last 50 years. Apparently only two: South Korea and Taiwan. Does it serve the UN agenda to keep the world divided between the rich and the poor? Indeed, can it be said that the divide between the rich and the poor has actually widened in the last 50 years?
It seems to me that the world is being run by the United Nations out of its General Assembly in New York, USA. I argue that this is madness.
If individual nations are debating the 17 SDG, the merits of ESG, the wisdom of digital ID and smart cities. Then, taking their nation’s perspective to the General Assembly of the UN in New York for honest, open debate, I might be cautiously optimistic. But the reality is that individual nations are not debating these issues at all; they have turned a blind eye to the UN’s agenda. They are sleepwalking into the future with apparently no conscience that they are betraying their people who elected them to the new global elites.
I call for a rise in nationalism. A return to the days when governments believed in themselves and their future and protected their people from undemocratic globalist agendas that, according to Yuval Harari, will:
… witness the creation of a massive new unworking class, people devoid of any economic, political or even artistic value, who contribute nothing to the prosperity, power and glory of society. This ‘useless class’, will not be merely unemployed – it will be unemployable. (p. 379)
___
Photo by Xabi Oregi.
5 Comments
Leave A Comment
Recent Articles:
10 December 2024
2.7 MINS
The Australian economy is tanking. A large part of the cause is government spending, and yet Labor treasurer Jim Chalmers believes all is well. Rather than motivate businesses to build growth, Labor has chosen to further bloat the bureaucracy instead.
10 December 2024
12.6 MINS
We need to go back almost 20 years to the time when the inaugural Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the first dramatic arrest warrant for a sitting head of state. Will it prove a case of three strikes and you are out with respect to global governance?
10 December 2024
5.8 MINS
How much worse things get in Australia, in large measure, depends on the Labor leaders running the nation and most states. Ugly antisemitism seems doomed to simply worsen if they remain in power.
10 December 2024
3.8 MINS
Regrettably and importantly, the assisted dying bill gives no direction as to what the doctor should do if the “lethal” dose does not, in fact, kill the patient. This will certainly happen and it needs to be specified if the bill is to become law.
9 December 2024
4.3 MINS
My stand is against the treatment of Israel by the Australian government and the United Nations. The Australian government would rather reward the terrorism of October 7 and has continually pushed for a two-state solution, when all the terrorists want is a one-state solution.
9 December 2024
6.7 MINS
What is the difference between 9 November 1938 in Germany and 6 December 2024 in Melbourne? Nothing, except some 86 years. In both cases, Jewish synagogues were set alight. The truth is, Jewish people no longer feel safe in this country.
6 December 2024
6 MINS
Australians are already feeling the cost of the 'renewable' transition, but there are far higher costs to come, according to Chris Uhlmann's new documentary 'The Real Cost of Net Zero'.
“Homo Deus “reminds me of the bizarre excesses and murders of many thousands of ordinary , innocent people by The French Revolution . Until Australia joined the United Nations (was it 1975 ? ) , we were the richest country on Earth, Christian and known as “The Lucky Country “. Today we are divided, mostly secular , have enormous social problems, ignorant of history , an education system in tatters, a society riddled with violent crime, and billions in debt thanks to Australia following the dictates of the UN whom we never elected ! The UN does not stop wars. It just milks us for financial contributions. We should pull out immediately and start having a long , hard look at how to impove things for Australians, and, not feed the luxurious lifestyle of the thousands of parasistic bureaucrats the UN employs in places like Geneva, Switzerland and New York !
Countess, a lady after my own heart! I agree with you completely but let me add a rider to your comments. I do not support the idea that Australia needs to pull out of the UN so it can get its lifestyle and economy back into focus. These things are important but I argue that the corruption and leftist agenda are the things that need to be exposed. Have you heard the Israeli, Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, a few days ago. A most brilliant take down of the UN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrWnLFJbvns
Jim,
In your first article of this series I was critical of “your negative sceptical approach and conspiracy theorising”, My concluding comment on that article, and our subsequent conversation, was this:
“So, when we extrapolate all of that to the issues you’ve dealt with in your article, there is no proof, or even evidence, for any of the claims you make in relation to “the agenda of the globalists”, and even less in relation to “Western governments, in particular, have bowed the knee to the globalist agendas of the WEF and the WHO”, or that “their people…now are under the authority of the globalists”.
As these claims are the basis of your deduction that “it’s a mad world”, then the whole thing simply crumbles. I honestly and passionately wish it were otherwise!”
Yet I see you have not considered anything of what I said there of value, as you now make the outrageous claim that Klaus Schwab’s “World Economic Forum” is “running the world”?
It’s this kind of defeatist and negative thinking, leading to wild conspiracy thinking, that I wrote about in the article I referred you to in that discussion less than two weeks ago (https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2023/10/13/what-is-revival-6-hindrances-conspiracy-theories/). From this it appears that you either dismissed it, or you didn’t even bother reading it. That’s disappointing, as I gave you the opportunity then to either engage or refute what I wrote, which you have not done.
As for Harari, I recall a previous discussion where his earlier book, “Sapiens”, was referenced in one of your articles. I’m sure I don’t need to waste my time reading this book since I gave up on “Sapiens” after less than 100 pages. It was the worst example of atheistic question begging and circular reasoning I’ve come across. It was even worse than Dawkins, and that’s saying a lot! So I expect this one is just more of the same form of fantasising as “Sapiens”.
That being the case, Harari is no more than a legacy of the dying embers of what became known as “The New Atheists”. Their day is now past. And one of the results of their heyday nearly two decades ago is actually a more intellectually robust Christian response, which is one reason their day is past. The other, more significant, is that their worldview doesn’t work when it’s lived out.
And as far as the UN’s SDG plan, if you pry off climate change and “reproductive health” (code for abortion) from it, most of the aims are more than admirable and, I would say, consistent with Christian notions of caring for the planet.
That being the case, as Christians, we should never “throw the baby out with the bathwater”, but first find the points we can praise, which is the only way you can then have a civil debate on the areas of difference.
And if you ask me for a biblical precedent for doing so, and in that order, I will point you to the seven letters at the beginning of Revelation, where every letter begins with praise for what’s done well, followed by, “but this I have against you”.
And a good way of doing so is to look wider than this myopic focus on bodies like the WEF and UN, and instead look for those critics with the credibility to offer sound alternatives. In that respect, why not, for example, highlight such notable figures as Bjørn Lomborg or Michael Shellenberger on the issue of climate change? Far better than to blindly overstate the power of these elites without offering a positive alternative.
And at the end of the day, that’s the Gospel – being able to offer a positive alternative to any and every idea that ever comes out of the world. Your articles, sad to say, are not that, though my greatest hope and prayer is that in the future they will.
Kim, I appreciate the time and effort you put into your critiques of my work. You cause me to think and reassess the assertions I make, and the mind set I am developing from my research.
Perhaps one of our differences is our understanding of what counts as valid research. I am, as you probably remember, a science trained high school teacher. As such I understand the demands of good scientific research, quantitative research. However, in my PhD, I employed, what you might call ‘soft research’, qualitative research, interviewing people, embedding myself in cultures, focus groups and the like. Many still dismiss qualitative work as second rate. I do admit it can’t really be compared to quantitative research, but I would argue it is still ‘valid’ research.
So, when you ask for ‘proof’, you are not going to get it from me, as I am now focussed on qualitative research. I argue that the ‘proof will be in the pudding’. Wait and see!
Since writing this, my Part 3, I have come across a number of valid attacks on the UN in recent times and the suggestion that ‘its days may be numbered’. I for one would not miss it one bit. If it had stuck to its founding charter, I would be delighted but it hasn’t.
By the way, I didn’t claim in Part 3 that, ‘Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum is running the world’. Rather, it is my ‘impression’ that the UN is ‘behaving very much as if it is running the world’.
“Many still dismiss qualitative work as second rate. I do admit it can’t really be compared to quantitative research, but I would argue it is still ‘valid’ research.”
As a scientist you know that such research (if it can be given the term) is also fraught with the strong potential for confirmation bias. And it is that which unfortunately peppers your articles on these issues. And when I made the reference to “running the world” I was quoting you directly: “So, who is running the world if it’s not Klaus Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF)?”
But the reality is that neither the WEF or the UN are running anything, apart from themselves, and that (which we both agree) very poorly. But that’s where we differ. As the UN has departed so far from its charter, then it should first be encouraged to do so once again or be re-organised or then done away with.
I once had a friend, now passed on, who was at the head of the local UN Association, and I used to tell him I thought the UN had become nothing more than a think tank for Third World despots and dictators.
But that’s why alliances like NATO, AUKUS, ASEAN and Five Eyes are far more influential now than the UN and WEF ever will be again. And we should be thankful for that and stop focusing on what isn’t happening. These are the signs that Nationalism is FAR stronger than Globalism can ever hope to be. As I said, our focus as Christians should always be on the solution, not the problem.
By the way, I watched the video of Gilad Erdan’s impassioned plea to the General Assembly. It was really something else! How it could fall on deaf ears is also something else!
I don’t know if you are on Facebook, but I posted two excellent articles this morning that appeared on my feed. Here are the links:
https://murraycampbell.net/2023/10/31/letter-from-6-former-australian-prime-ministers-is-historic-and-important/
https://helenraleigh.substack.com/p/champagne-marxists