Fw: The Global Great Divide (long)

[Meg Salter]

Glad  you found it useful - as have I. You have certainly made it more
accessible!! As for copyright - let's just treat it as "viral" information,
and see what happens.
I have responded to Michelle Cooper's recent posting, providing input to the
Canadian National Liberal Party policy group, using this as a basis. You
never know where things will go - speaking of coincidences!!

Meg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Herman" <mherman at globalchicago.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 4:32 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: The Global Great Divide (long)


> many thanks for posting the don beck reference, meg.
>
> i didn't find a copyright on it, so have cleaned up the formatting and
> pasted it here directly.  maybe it will travel faster and easier this
> way.  certainly it's the clearest story i've seen on this whole thing.
>
> thanks again, michael
>
> -----
>
>
>
> Ken Wilber invited Don Beck to speak out on the recent terrorist attacks
> on the World Trade Center
> of New York, on September 11 2001. This is his response. (from
> http://www.worldofkenwilber.com)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The Global Great Divide
>
> An Integral Initiative
>
> Don Beck
>
>      "What if a malignant version of some fear-laced "-ism" -- this
> Truth is the only Truth and will prevail at any cost" -- suddenly
> rears its head for conquest and domination? Can the glass fiber
> infrastructure of the global village withstand terrorists fighting
> holy wars or self-righteous crusades?"
>
>      "Ancient ethnic sores are belching fire while transnational
> companies linked by satellites conduct their business oblivious to
> the feudal past below."
>
>      -- Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change
> by      Don Edward Beck and Christopher C. Cowan. Blackwell
> Publishers,      Ltd. Oxford, UK, 1996
>
> If, indeed, we are about to launch the first war of the 21st Century,
> where are the battle lines? The half century spent in fighting the Cold
> War pitted two quite similar social/ economic systems in mortal combat.
> Yet, they were simply alternative versions of modernity, with similar
> military strategies and mutual destruction capabilities. When the Berlin
> Wall fell only to be replaced by the Berlin Mall, that issue was
> resolved.
>
> But the end of the Cold War and the meltdown of the bipolar ice sheet
> that covered the planet, revealed the hot ethnic cores, seething rage,
> and deep tributaries of violence and revenge that had been suppressed.
> The unspeakable horror from barbarism in the Balkans reminded us at the
> time we may have won the war but not the lasting peace.
>
> And now the fuse that has been simmering for centuries in the Middle
> East flared in full view on the morning of September 11, revealing yet
> another Global Great Divide. Today we all sit on this huge fault line,
> one that 20th Century Dogs of War or Doves of Peace are unable to handle
> on their own. Heretofore acts of violence were like bacteria. We could
> locate the source of the infection and inject antibodies in the form of
> the Marines, or even smart bombs launched from on high. Terrorism is
> more like a virus that metastasizes, mutates, lies dormant until
> triggered, and flourishes when our immune systems are weak or
> preoccupied.
>
> If neither Dogs nor Doves can close the great Global Divide, who can? It
> will require men and women with deep insights, 21st Century views, and
> brave hearts. Call them Visionaries. They appear in times of great
> crisis and seem to possess wisdom far beyond their official positions or
> list of professional credentials. They should be heard.
>
> To understand this new Global Divide we will need to engage Visionary
> thinking that sees beyond the stereotypes of religion, culture and
> nationality and focus on the deeper codes and belief structures that cut
> across them all. These codes, like cultural "DNA" scripts, drive human
> emergence through layers and levels. Conflicts occur between layers
> (tribes vs. tribes, empires vs. empires, holy-ism vs. holy-ism, etc.) or
> between levels and layers, such as the ancients vs. the moderns or
> Thomas Friedman's Lexus vs. the Olive Tree. These themes exist in all
> social systems but in different ratios, and can be either healthy or
> unhealthy in their expressions.
>
> On one side of the Great Divide are the ancients feudal empires,
> zealotry, fanaticism, "My Truth is the only Truth" self-flagellation,
> chosen-people exclusiveness, jihad-like militant movements, often
> turbo-charged by the conviction that death in the name of the cause
> guarantees a ticket to Paradise. Wars are fought to protect holy sites,
> sacred places, the purity of genetic lineage, or the spoils from
> predatory empires. Not all ancients generate terrorism but here is the
> breeding ground for this malignancy.
>
> The archenemy of the ancients are the moderns - the Great Satan -
> secular, materialistic, pragmatic, technology-rich, economically-
> sophisticated, win:win oriented, industrial and consumer-based with a
> stress on personal freedom. Moderns foster nation-states, multinational
> corporations, fast food restaurants, and participate in global financial
> arrangements. Postmoderns add explorations into personal feelings, high
> levels of permissiveness, and strong rejections of authoritarian
> religions, all of which are offensive to fanatical ancients. These
> sensitive and caring souls are often the first in line to get their
> throats cut in revolutionary times. If you don't believe what I'm
> saying, you are a tad naïve.
>
> In the 21st Century the ancients and moderns are intermingled like never
> before. Globalization, new immigration patterns, open borders, demands
> for human rights and equality, and access to the Internet and CNN have
> illuminated all gaps and asymmetrics. While we live at the same time, we
> exist in different historic, ultural epochs. The clash of cultures is,
> actually, the conflict in these deeply held codes and worldviews. Lines
> are being drawn for a cultural Battle of Armageddon. Everybody is doing
> what is right in their own eyes.
>
> In spite of all our information gathering and intelligence capacities we
> have been missing the most important dynamic that is shaping these
> dangerous times. A militant, pervasive, wrathful, virulent strain of
> Arab/Islamic nationalism is rising and is blowing through archaic
> tribal/kingdom structures and even traditional nation-states. Israel and
> the United States are its archenemies; it is fueled by ancient myths of
> superiority and oppression and empowered by the images of a holy crusade
> that must kill Western infidels in the name of Allah. Just as the ugly,
> black clouds of poison cascaded through the caverns in New York City,
> this blast from the Medieval past endangers civilization as we know it.
>
> We had clear evidence this toxic tide was on the rise. The continual
> attack on Israel by Palestine kids throwing stones, the anti-Israel
> efforts at the recent UN race conference in Durban, and the creation of
> a series of propaganda campuses that are instilling hatred in the minds
> of Muslim youth, indicate such a pattern. These actions are fueled by
> anger and irrational xenophobia. We've seen this before in human history
> and such legitimate movements can be either malignant or benign.
>
> The complex Israeli culture was formed and is sustained by a similar
> nationalistic movement, with radical Zionist elements on the cutting
> edge. What we are witnessing on the Arab side is but a historical
> re-enactment of what they now perceived to be the primary obstacle to
> their own emergence. These are sensitive issues for many, but the safest
> place in any crisis is always the hard truth.
>
> What options are open to us now? For a start, consider the following:
>
> First, block the polarizing stereotypes by redefining the issues in
> terms of these underlying value systems. Respect the differences among
> extremists and fanatics and healthy versions of Islam. Regard "Arab" as
> being a rich spectrum of experiences. Brand the Bin Laden/Taliban
> version of both as a virulent distortion. Assist the Arab countries in
> the tilt toward moderns and away from ancients. Search for ways to
> direct this emerging spirit of nationalism into constructive and
> positive channels.
>
> The moderns in these Arab cultures will need resources and encouragement
> to fend off attacks from ancients within their own midst. Bin Laden
> exploits the tools of the moderns to promote the agenda of the ancients.
> He and his cadres are very skillful in moving into modern contexts to
> sow seeds of turmoil and fear.
>
> The very best people to detect and snuff out this virus are the moderns
> who embrace Islam, live within the Arab societies, and are constantly
> threatened by some ancients who are driven for a multitude of reasons to
> attack Western society. Arab societies and Islamic believers now face an
> existential moment of truth. They will not be able to straddle the fence
> on this matter. While it seems like the real conflict is between Osama
> bin Laden and his bands of terrorists and the United States, a critical
> skirmish in this global battle will be fought between the radicals and
> moderates, the ancients and moderns, within Arab communities.
>
> This suggests we should "wage war" in the religious, cultural,
> humanitarian, and psychological domains while using our military power
> and threats as a foreboding checkmate. We should consider sending in
> food and medical supplies into many of the deprived areas instead of
> first launching cruise missiles. Consider also a series of emergency
> summit meetings at The Hague to "smoke out" these issues in more depth
> and detail. The late 20th Century models of "peace," "democracy," and
> "cultural pluralism" are no longer relevant to a world endangered by
> more primitive elements born of the feudal age.
>
> We should declare Osama bin Laden an international criminal, a mortal
> enemy of Islam, and brand the 9/11 attack on innocent citizens as a
> "crime against humanity." People from at least 40 different countries
> lost their lives in the towers, indicating the assault was not just on
> Americans, it was on the whole planet. While one can always blame the
> United States for the sins of its past, it makes little sense to carry
> the "system vs. struggle" polarity into such a complex world.
>
> In short, we must drive a wedge between the ancients and the moderns to
> enable Arab/Islam and their countries to fend off the counter-attack
> from their ultra-conservative elements. This is a time for creativity,
> imagination, unexpected moves, defusing strokes, and a host of
> strategies all designed to deal with the deeper dynamics that produce
> terrorists acts as symbols of tectonic-like cultural shifts.
>
> Second, mobilize local and global resources to close the developmental
> gaps, thus releasing millions of people who are trapped in abject
> poverty, restrictive governmental structures, and puritanical,
> repressive religions. These are the menacing breeding grounds for the
> dangerous viruses that are spilling out into First World environments.
> Enlist the cooperative efforts from foundations, think tanks, NGOs,
> business, religion and other sectors to focus their resources like
> laser-beams to clean out these cesspools, and find new ways to mesh
> divergent cultures who must learn to live together.
>
> The Israeli and Palestine feud has gone on long enough and there is
> guilt enough to go around for the dangerous impasse. Again, it is time
> for fresh approaches, since what we have been doing is not working. If
> this means constructing a 10-year wall of separation between the
> combatants, combined with massive development efforts to raise levels of
> complexity and affluence in the "Third World" sectors in Palestine, than
> so be it. There might be other options to consider as well. This global
> sore has got to heal, one way or another. Both the Oslo Accord and Camp
> David initiatives were compromised by the rapidly expanding Pan-
> Arabian-"ism."
>
> Third, identify the hot cells of violence, take them out if necessary,
> isolate them when possible, and carefully monitor the growing threats
> from biological warfare and other forms of mass murder. Use whatever
> means necessary to both interdict and disrupt these forms of hideous
> terrorism. The entire global community must rise in unison to purge this
> element out of our mainstream. Life on this planet is at peril.
> Everybody must be vigilant; everybody must be proactive; everybody must
> take responsibility.
>
> I have no doubt but that military interventions will be required to
> clean out some of the dangerous seed-beds and supportive
> infrastructures. These actions must be part of the broader 'hearts and
> minds" initiatives that can shrink the size of "the evil," drain the
> swamps, reduce "blowbacks," and redirect emerging Arab/Islam
> cohesiveness onto a different track. The move out of ancients toward
> modernity is going to happen, one way or another. Millions of youths are
> desperate to escape the control by the mullahs, which means they are
> vulnerable to voices that offer them a quick trip to a meaningful
> existence, the good life, and access to the global mainstream. They need
> new options.
>
> These new and turbulent times will require new thinking, innovative and
> integral strategies, and a host of new projects all designed to address
> the deeper cultural dynamics that are now erupting in surface-level
> violence and terrorism. No single ethnic group, nation, government,
> religion, or any other social grouping can prevent terrorism and close
> this huge global gap on their own. We can get it done with integral
> wisdom and renewed resolve, but it will take time, patience, and
> perseverance.
>
> Make no mistake about it. What looms on the horizon are threats from
> biological and chemical warfare, if not nuclear attacks. No one in the
> 21st Century wants to hear this, but it is a reality. We have no time to
> lose. Finger pointing and blame-fixing aren't useful. This is a global
> problem, requiring a global solution.
>
> While the Dogs and Doves will be necessary, let's also summon the
> Visionaries. This time of maximum danger is also resplendent with rare
> opportunities. The whole world system must be set right before we can
> conquer this horrible virus. This is our real challenge.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Don Edward Beck, Ph. D. Institute for Values and Culture.
> Tel. 940.383.1209. P.O. Box 797, Denton, Texas 76201
> DrBeck at attglobal.net
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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