Throughout history, there has always been a divide between nations, rich and poor, technological advancement and so on. It would appear that as a race we are going to be plagued by social issues, corporate greed, and the difference in cultural, political and ideological points of view. In an ideal world, there is global peace, and the divide among people is far less apparent, but will that ever be possible? Also, is this unity a way for us to realize our full potential as a species?
Technology and capitalism
Humans are vastly different than any other species when it comes to cognitive capacity and complexity. We were able to grow, adapt and improve through technology. In fact, genetic science is working on programs that could reduce or remove the side effects of aging and also alter our genetic makeup to the point that we are no longer susceptible to cancer and that can choose how we are going to look.
Although these ideas sound great on paper, it’s not like the world will become a paradise even after we make a breakthrough. We all know that research needs funding, and whoever funds the research is a stakeholder that has a say in how it is distributed. In other words, it’s not something that will be available to the masses, and that is why people blame the divide on capitalism. If money is power and allows people to dictate where the world goes, those who lack funds will always feel oppressed.
Even though it looks like capitalism is this ideology that perpetuates evil and divides the other side makes a compelling argument as well. If you did not invest or fought for something why should you just get it?
It seems that this sense of entitlement is misplaced and that you don’t appreciate the effort if you expect things to come easy. There are those who managed to create a fortune out of nothing through hard work and perseverance and have every right to do with that as they please.
Can we come together
Even though there are many differences between the nations, having a world where we all collectively tackle the problems would build a better future. Unfortunately, the requirement for building that world might be too high. No matter how you look at it there needs to be a governing body, and whether we like it or not those more powerful will not comply with the rules if they don’t have to. In other words, if we are to be under the same government we need to accept that the most dominant culture will have a say in how things will unfold.
Moreover, there is a lot of history and bad blood between the nations, and national pride is another barrier. If history has taught us anything it is that many would rather die than be subjugated to another ideology. As things are at the moment, it really seems that global annihilation is more likely to occur than world peace, because there are many opposing agendas.
Would we advance if we were all united
There is also no guarantee that we would move forward if we all stand united and come up with a system that everyone likes. It was never done before. On the contrary, the most significant developments in technology happened during wars and crises. It is this need to adapt and overcome obstacles that drive the endeavor, not peace.
