Eureka!

[Michael Goebel]

For the last three weeks or so I have been asking the universe for the answer to these questions:

What is it that we struggle with SO much ?

What is the exact nature of the greatest problem we face ?

Can it be reduced down to one, simple observation ?

Having spent my whole life busting my brains on the problems of our world, this was nothing really new, except for the fact that I had given up looking for actual *solutions* and turned, instead, to looking for *reasons*.

I sat down, got myself comfortable and watched Zeitgeist 2, hoping it would stimulate my thought processes to get a clearer understanding of just what on Earth is happening here, but it did not seem to help.

It did not help to know that the planet collectively owes itself something like 54 TRILLION dollars. I mean, how the hell does THAT work ??? If we owe *ourselves* that much, why don\'t we just call off the debt ? hahaha

It did not help me to know that we were fast running out of resources. We have been running out of resources ever since we started with this thing called *progress* and hardly anyone in any position to be able to do anything about it cares a hoot.

It did not help me to know that there seem to be just a handful of people who hold all the wealth and power in the world.

It was just more and more BAD NEWS. More problems... more disasters... and this is not what I was looking for.

What I was now looking for was THE REASON behind all these problems.

What IS IT that we battle with ?

What is that ONE big mistake we make ?

Surely, we cannot be doing EVERYTHING wrong!

The Zeitgeist movie illustrated an important point:

We now have automated systems that can produce cars, machinery, equipment and all sorts of goods and services without any need for humans to do actual *work*.

Now, under different circumstances, this would be WONDERFUL! If we were all living in that Utopian society we all dream of, this would be a great step forward, having machines to do all the work for us. It would theoretically leave us free to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed, knowing that our intelligence and technology had relieved us from the need to do manual labour.

But somehow, at the moment, it is not benefitting us. At the moment, it is viewed as a major cause of unemployment and economic difficulty.

Why, WHY, WHYYYYY????

No matter where I looked, or how deeply, all I found were more problems, and, at their core, still MORE problems... everything seems to feed on itself and the harder we try, the worse it seems to get. Here we are, all working our guts out, paying through he nose and *progressing* more rapidly than we ever have done before and life is getting MORE DIFFICULT, rather than easier. We struggle to maintain *economic growth* whilst our standard of living continually falls...

WHERE ARE WE GOING WRONG ?!?!?!?!

WHAT IS CAUSAL TO *ALL* THIS ???

Again, I had had enough for the day and decided to turn in and just get some sleep. I had really had enough (again...;-).

But then, this morning, it hit me.......

Look at all the SYSTEMS we have constructed using parts and machinery - that is, non-living, inorganic objects - the production lines, the computers, the technology...

IT ALL RUNS SMOOTHLY

NOW, look at all the SYSTEMS that we have constructed using PEOPLE or other living things:

NONE OF THEM WORK! - THEY ALL BACKFIRE ON THEMSELVES!

The law system has become the major cause of injustice.

The medical system has become the major cause of sickness and ill health.

The military system has become the main reason behind the lack of peace.

The political system has become the major cause of lack of correct governance.

The financial system the main cause of poverty and

Religion has been the main cause of lack of Love in the world!

It seems that everytime we try to make a SYSTEM that is supposed to work properly for all people, it fails us. We can build a manufacturing plant filled with robots that churns out 1000 cars per day and is almost perfectly relaible, but we cannot create one system that works when it comes to PEOPLE.

The reason is that we are ALL UNIQUE. We CANNOT be regarded as just *parts* in a system. We all have different abilities, beliefs, thoughts, ideals, tendencies, likes, dislikes etc. A SYSTEM relies on components with KNOWN parameters all working together for a common cause. But humans do not have predictable PARAMETERS.

Imagine trying to build an automation plant using components that are completely unpredictable - ie motors that run at any speed they like or even not at all, or intermittently - basically when they feel like it. Other parts that just decide for themselves how and to what extent they will take part in that system or what function they would or would not perform on that day. It would be CHAOS and no such system could work like this.

IS THAT NOT WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE ?

Whether it be a miltary, financial, religious, political or any other other type of SYSTEM, it NEVER WORKS! ALL our problems are caused by the very SYSTEMS we have put in place to eradicate them in the first place.

Now, having recognized the enemy,

What can we DO about it ?

Comments welcome.

\"Humanity is far less brutalised by the occasional outbreak of violence than it is by the systems we have put in place to eradicate it\" - Oscar Wilde

[Eddie Two Hawks]

Read your post with great interest. It is an unsettling situation. But as you said "change" is inevitable. It will take place. However, you cannot change the world. But you CAN change yourself. So to one by one the world changes by individual change and growth. The machine's performance is perfected with each improved piece so to each person contributing his or her change adds to worldwide development. Look within your own self for the answers.

As a machine working to perfection needs no tending or repair likewise human beings each finally tuned and in harmony with nature are better able to be linked together for common cause. CHAOS will then allow ORDER to take center stage.