Excerpt from: Future of Humanity

I doubt if there still exist societies on this planet that have not yet submitted to the necessities of European civilization dominating the whole world. The modern world’s social, political and cultural institutions have been overwhelming modern individuals so they have no other picture of a “lifestyle” but the one that already exists. Children are born and brought up in families that have inevitably submitted to customs and conventions compatible with this one “lifestyle”. In fact all TV sets are linked to a central transmitter broadcasting a unique message in a most attractive way.
Kids grow up spending their time in front of televisions, go to daycare centers, kindergartens, schools and later on, to universities, while no other alternative to pedagogy and education exists than what is already offered. The mission of these institutions, from kindergartens to universities, is to train perfect and submitting citizens who will well suit the global village, and so they do. Finally, the youth, whether educated or not, having to earn their living, are forced to join one of the social institutions existing all over the world, which are being operated by a unique system to serve common purposes.
Western civilization has managed to show its culture in the form of instrumental objects and technological systems whose purpose is to reach the ultimate in automation and mathematical accuracy, and conquer the whole planet with its methods and complex automated instruments. It never allows individuals to experience other lifestyles, but the one they already know and are used to. That is why human beings are being suppressed. They don’t have the right to choose, so they are by no means free. Freedom is meaningful when there is freedom of choice, when free will exists, whereas the current situation does not allow people to live their own way. Even worse, people don’t even have the opportunity to learn about other lifestyles.

So considering the aforementioned, how can we talk of authority and freedom?
Why were none of revolutions of this part of the world able to return to their own independent culture, establish relevant institutions, but have in fact lost o western culture, having to accept all its criteria and measures? Today’s civilization is so universal that it makes it impossible to be different. In all revolutions, even those based on religious values like the Algerian Revolution, it was assumed that the integration of  local culture with attractive western programs of industrial development was possible, but was not in reality viable.
The more we reach the end of the 20th century, the more the contradictory aspects hidden in Western civilization are being revealed. It is, by its nature, filled with ambiguities, one of the most critical of which is the fact that civilized man, although living in Kafka’s world of “Trial”, and not authorized to choose, believes his surrounding world is open and free. Kafka was right to say: freedom is necessary for individuals to commit to their responsibilities. Today’s man is born in chains that push him unconsciously towards fulfilling the objectives of modern civilization. This contradiction is fully understood when we learn he believes his society is free and that he praises such a freedom. Whereas never ever in his life on this planet has he been more captive than he is today. Not only captive of his own self, but also prisoner of the culture that has imprisoned all human beings, from the cradle to the grave. Today’s world is the world Aldus Huxley described in “the New Brave World”, but what has prevented man from learning of the fact that he is abjectly captivated by his surrounding world, is the oppressive and cruel industrial system that has been oppressing his life by its absolute precision and yet abstract ways. Technology has a cultural nature; the more it moves towards automation, the more it takes on the form of instruments serving only western culture.
Democracy is another paradox. It is defined as the “majority rule”, whereas in reality, even in the most successful democratic governments, a nation’s right is nothing but a mask behind which the affluent hide themselves.
Schpenger notes: “If there weren’t influential individuals among supporters of democracy, the idea would remain in literature or in hearts forever…. For this influential group, the nation serves as a context to practice their power; beliefs and ideas are means of gaining control over that nation.”
Democracy has long existed as a paradox within the very nature of west; that much is being disclosed today. The concept, by itself is so attractive and appealing, but in reality, it can be defined as a small number of people taking control over others through hypocrisy and insincerity.

Schpengler states: “Like in the 19th century, when the royal crown and scepter were a means of hypocrisy, today it is being paraded before the masses as the ‘nation’s right’…. Money has the power to change the course of an election in favor of the affluent. Therefore an election is nothing other than a decision-making scene being represented in public.
Democracy cannot be considered an ideology, since it opposes its original concept when put in practice. In other words, when a democratic government is established, a phenomenon contradicting “majority rule” [or rule of the masses] appears, because the idea of “mass” takes on varying and sometimes paradoxical meanings in reality. In fact it ends up in a group of people taking over the rule and handing it to those of wealth and influence. All of those who have established democratic governments, with no exception, confirm what Schpigler described in 1920: “To seek power under the disguise of democracy is to do a splendid job; people wouldn’t realize they are being enslaved and oppressed. Instead they are deceived into believing they are free. For them, the tighter the chains, the bigger is the circle of their freedom.
There is no way for mankind to progress but through revolution; Opponents of this theory are those accustomed to their current situation. Man holds two desires, one pushing him to stay, and another persuading him to leave, and the latter is stronger. Man, by nature, habituates himself to be satisfied with what he already has, that is why only a revolution can make a historic evolution within him. Revolution is a sudden change demolishing all past habits. That is why it cannot be a constant.
“Permanent revolution” is a sweet dream that will never come true. The course of life requires some habits that force mankind towards stability, while revolution represents migration and relocation. The relocation of nomadic tribes, through which they take their habits wherever they go, is not a spiritual journey, but still they are forced little by little to stop moving, and now all, save for a few tribes, are plunging into the attractions of a sedentary lifestyle.
The more widespread the scope of the habits, the greater the revolution needed to set mankind free from their chains, and it will happen whether they want it or not. The more the habits are integrated with stability, the greater will people suffer in the revolution. Therefore one can see how much a passionate man will have to endure for universal revolution. There is no doubt that today’s man cannot avoid universal revolution, since contemporary civilization has unintentionally developed worldwide.
None of the past civilizations have continued to exist, since civilization encourages stillness and stability, while revolution and instability are the essence of human beings. Mankind’s stability is within his instability because he seeks “Darolqora” in a heaven beyond this universe. Earthly heavens, though they may fascinate him for a short while, are unable to stop him from this spiritual path. This is a metaphysical appeal that can never wear out, but may fluctuate, like the tide. The conflict between revolution and stability is in fact the conflict of civilization and culture.

Civilization is the culture that is envisaged following stability. But culture seeks revolution and civilization demands stability. So, the conflict of culture and civilization will probably end in serious opposition. What has happened to western civilization is the fact that culture has created methods and means. Meaning technology and methods are aspects of the same culture that western civilization has been established on, which is strange. In simple words, western contemporary civilization has no culture other than methods and means (this reminds me of the words of McLohan: “Media is the message”) and therefore, accepting western culture is the acceptance of its methodology and technology, or its methods and means. In fact it is only a hallucination if we claim we take western means and leave the culture.
Our era is the era of practicality and most people, whether deliberately or not,l are pragmatists, and some of the questions that come to their mind are: What is the practicality of this argument? Would its practical conclusion be that we reject the New World’s methodology and technology without question? The answer is No! But we should not take the selection and choice for granted. We have to understand the essence of this new civilization, and not only be fascinated by its material aspects! We should not lose ourselves to technology and methodology, like the relationship between today’s individuals and these two elements. To understand this essence we have to change, we will have to change this relationship. If not, the selection we are looking for is not possible.
Despite the importance of this issue and its necessity, I will dwell on it no further.

The anxiety manifested in people today is the sign of an imminent earthquake, one that will demolish the essence of western civilization and will change mankind’s relationship both with himself and the universe. As modern civilization is dominating the world, tomorrow’s revolution, being a universal event, will conquer it all.
Even if I had no other reason, the advent of Islamic Revolution, or better to say, the historic prophetic mission of a man like Imam Khomeini was enough for me to believe that the age of western civilization has reached its end, and the world’s so-called “nations” have no time left. We should look for the truth of faith in people who are God’s selected successors on Earth, not in conceptual worlds. The perfect human being is the one and the only solution!