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" <mher...@globalchicago.net> To: <osl...@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 > drb...@attglobal.net > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html