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Manifesto of the Netocratic Society

  

 

 

II. Modern society

 

 

The Rise and the Fall of Capitalism

 

Any socio-economic system has two major sub-systems – economy and decision-making mechanism. Economy is mode of production, distribution and redistribution of wealth. Decision-making mechanism is mode of how social problems are solved, by one person (autocracy) or collectively in favour of majority (democracy). Transition from one socio-economic system to another means qualitative transformations in both sub-systems.

 

Evolution of capitalism

 

It is broadly accepted that merchants from 16^th to 18^th century created archetype of “free-market”, which is component of emerging capitalism, although dominated decision-making mechanism for the time is an autocratic. This is also a time of colonisation of Americas. Hence this period could be considered as prehistory of capitalism.    

 

The real capitalism emerge with invention of steam engine, which lead to First industrial revolution and transition from autocratic decision-making mechanism to democracy – constitutional monarchy or republics. Industrial Revolution occurred roughly around French Revolution and spread across Europe thereafter as a fragment of course of Social evolution. It transformed Agrarian society into Industrial and creates currently dominated socio-economic and political system – Capitalism.

 

The capitalism emerges on the crossroad between free-market (transition of money into capital) and democracy (transition of decision-making mechanism from autocracy to democracy). Compare with feudalism, which is hierarchical by definition, the capitalism has two clear heterarchical components – free-market economy and democracy as collective decision-making mechanism.

 

Evolution of capitalism is determinated by development of its basic components – economy and democracy as collective decision-making mechanism. The mode of production depends on level of technology; distributions of goods represent the core of economy and redistribution of wealth is mainly matter of adopted decision-making mechanism. 

 

Evolving capitalism has two levels of development: Productive capitalism & Speculative (Wall Street) capitalism and number of internal stages and phases.

 

Productive capitalism is a period of development between First industrial revolution and the end of WWII. During this stage production of goods has priority and determinate politics and decision-making process. Depending on development of technology, the productive capitalism has three stages of complexity: manufacturing, industrial and technological capitalism, respectively three phases of development of marketplace: colonialism, imperialism and monopolism. The productive capitalism has maintained colonial policy and free enterprise in economy. Decisions are made in favour of national economies and free-market, although “free-market” is not so “free” with transition from colonialism to imperialism and monopolism.

 

Speculative or Wall Street capitalism.  In 1913 US government privatise Federal Reserve with Enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. Unsurprisingly this political act is partly responsible for Great Depression, US foreign policy and emergence of speculative capitalism after the end of WWII.

 

Since 1945 "territorial colonialism" was gradually wiped out and replaced by “financial colonialism”. In former colonies have been established western types of “democracy” with corrupted puppet governments. During this stage monetary mechanism has priority and determinate politics and decision-making process. Distribution and redistribution of wealth prevails on production. Speculative (Wall Street) capitalism created truly global free-market and decisions are made in favour of international corporations.

 

Corporative capitalism is a stage emergence due to revolution in communications. Dominated philosophy in economics is Neo-liberalism, which acknowledge “free market” as a sacred cow and ultimate goal of capitalism. According to neo-libs the structure of the future society should resemble the structure of International Corporation i.e. clear hierarchical. This is Globalism, which very often and deliberately is confused with Globalisation as natural process of integration. 

 

Digital Revolution co-exists with emerged new stage of evolving capitalism during last few decades – Financial capitalism, which is very top and perhaps the last stage of capitalism at all. It proclaims a controversial idea of “Pax Americana” and New World Order as new model of social organisation. This is clear hierarchical structure very similar to feudal stricture with only one difference – on top of social pyramid are “self-created” money masters. Instead of “born to rule aristocrats”, society will be governed by “rob to rule” oligarchs. The power of money is new world’s religion and money masters are truly decision-makers.

 

In general terms evolving capitalism with time gradually destroy initially created heterarchical components of earlier capitalism – free-market and democracy, replacing them with dictatorship of money and plutocracy. It is obvious that evolving capitalism is in direct proportion with destruction of democracy. In fact the modern capitalism is incompatible with democracy. So-called "western democracy" is a product of carefully orchestrated propaganda. Perhaps the most dramatic changes for the last 200 years are mind-blowing development in technology, which create wealth and transformation of democracy to plutocracy due to redistribution of the wealth based on greediness and hypocrisy. Consequently the capitalism destroys the very fabric of society - morality.

 

No doubt the capitalism has succeeded to develop technology from steam engine to digital revolution and nanotechnology. It developed the forces of production to a degree inconceivable under any previous economic system. It has extraordinary achievements, especially generating wealth, but during last few decades start to degenerate due to destruction of already existed heterarchical components and creation of new type of hierarchy based on redistributed capital. In fact the modern capitalism generates wealth-destructing morality. Biological evolution and social evolution are two completely different matters. Society is not a jungle. Sustainability of society is based on morality, which is essential form of social consciousness.  (See Appendix 4 – Evolution of capitalism)

 

    Geopolitics, New World Order and War on terror

 

Since WWII and particularly since the end of Cold war, democracy was gradually shifted by corporatocracy and few multinational corporations become powerful enough to dominate macro-economy and determinate global policy or so-called geopolitics. The geopolitics is to put national interest or to be more precise interest of multinational corporations above those of Humanity as a whole. However in our globalise world we are in one boat. Humanity is a single living organism. Wars among countries are self-destruction of society. Geopolitics is suicidal reflex inherited from the past and doomed. It is preached and practiced by people with outdated vision and mindset from the 20^th century truly political dinosaurs.  

 

Now the most influential economic school is Neo-liberalism. In short, the ideology of this school is “market is good, state regulation is bad”. However society is not simply economy it is also culture. If mass production creates mass culture, if economy destroys morality and generate over consumption, misery and social outcast, there should be something terribly wrong in society.

 

The Neo-conservatism, which intends to create Pax Americana and reshape society in unipolar New World Order or finance-based Imperialism, is the last and the worst political model of capitalism. The idea of New World Order as a word ruled by elite has long history, but as practice was implemented since WWII and especially after Cold war. It is based on liberal economy and ideology of Neo-conservatism. New World Order eroded democracy to plutocracy and free-market economy to corporatocracy. Both Neo-liberalism and Neo-conservatism ideology of production, distribution and redistribution of wealth are forms of economical fundamentalism; it is some sort of “absolute capitalism”. Now they turn the capitalism as we know it from constructive into destructive force, either in the form of weapons of unimaginable power through the destruction of the environment and finally and most importantly destruction of morality on which depends survival of humanity.

 

To cover up its destructive activity the power elite and the New World Order in particular employ special tools like propaganda, media manipulation and brainwashing. These tools are well known to society. The new element is unimaginable scale of deception. Entire industry has been crated for this particular purpose using scientifically sophisticated methods and techniques. PR agency, army of media experts, think-tanks and spin-doctors dedicate their effort to prove that black is white and vice versa. This is industry for deception and deliberate destruction of morality. Using these tools New World Order turned modern capitalism in Empire of lies, where truth is treason.

 

Society is a system, which process and verifies knowledge. Destruction of this process is suicidal reflex and will have terrible consequences for society. Perhaps in foreseeable future people will criminalise deliberately destruction and bending of information in favour of particular social group and will consider such attempts as crime against Humanity. Unfortunately at the present this is broadly accepted practice.

 

Society is a single living organism. The wars and even conflicts among nations are contra-productive for Humanity. Unipolar model of politico-economic system is not possible. However due to mindset, which dominate nowadays geopolitics is orientated to confrontations and defending of corporative interests. The consequences of this politics are emerged global problems, unsolvable by any single nation or even by unions of most developed countries.

 

Apparently the capitalism fail to deliverer promised better life for people and currently the power elites change their pledge from delivering “better life” to delivering of “security”. The new war against global terrorism just began. This is war, which supposes to continue at least one hundred years until New World Order suppose to be established.

 

It is vital to be distinguished two completely different types of security - "public security" and "security of the power elite", keeping in mind the power elite is concerned about its own security, and the rest is hypocrisy. This war is psychological and includes ruthless propaganda, relentless manipulations and rigours brainwashing. This is war, which leads to restriction of civil liberties and establishing of Big Brother type of society. In fact terrorism is neither the biggest global problem nor the biggest problem of Humanity. It is simply propaganda war with hidden agenda gradually restriction of civil liberties up to total digital control of society.

 

In fact two such ideological models of society are already history. The first one - communism has promised classless society and proclaimed “World revolution”; the second one -- fascism proclaimed – “New Order” ruled by Aryan race. Now the New World Order of neoconservatives is the same ideological attempt to reshape world according subjective visions of few profound megalomaniacs and sociopaths.

 

There are few similarities and differences among above mentioned three models: They are near identical as models, because all three are ideological i.e. subjective visions reflecting interest of one particular group of society.

 

The differences are symbolic – communism is pure partocracy. Hitler’s New Order is something more than partocracy. It is merge between political power and national corporations, therefore - national corporatocracy. New World Order is a new edition of Hitler’s New Order on international scale, because it is merging between political power and multinational corporations. It is truly corporatocracy. Communism comes into power with revolution, fascism – military force, New World Order – carefully planed strategy, step by step. Politicians backed by financial elite have leaded Hitler’s New Order. Now financial elite, backed by politicians, leads the New World Order. The only difference is tat the Fuehrers of the New World Order and their henchmen prefer to pull the strings behind curtain, because they are not ready or unwilling to take any risk and responsibilities for forthcoming disaster. Finally the price for all above mentioned social engendering experiments are paid by ordinary people and this price rise dramatically: The communism took 20m lives, WWII provoked by fascism triple to 60m, if triple again New World Order could take at least 180m lives.

 

All three models used same methods although techniques have evolved and become more sophisticate. For instance communist’s propaganda is ideological. For Hitler’s New Order the propaganda is already sophisticated institutional machine. For New World Order the propaganda is prime weapon. The “war on terror” is psychological war, which supposed to last up to establishment of this system. To secure and maintain its power communism created KGB, fascism – Gestapo, New World Order gradually implement digitally controlled society.

 

In fact the first Catholic Church invented such brutal system for self-defence. As history teach us - to some extend Saint Inquisition works very well. However after some point of social development it turned its power against Church itself. Nothing else has destroyed Christianity than Inquisition. Above-mentioned three security systems have same pattern of development. There is nothing new under the Sun.

 

The New World Order is not possible for implementation due to same reason, which turned down communism and fascism. As a system society is not only rational (ruled by mind), but self-regulating system as well. Periodically social evolution reorganise society to new structure and ruling elite. The collapse of plutocratic model of capitalism is inevitable, because it is against the course of social evolution. The social evolution doesn’t tolerate any speculative and ideological models in the favour of part of society, regardless of which one – working class, politicians, clerics or oligarchs.

 

To run corporation and “to run society” are two completely different matters. In fact nobody could “run society”. The collapse of sixteen almighty world’s empires is historical proof for that. Social creativity is crucial for quantitative enrichment of society, but qualitative leaps to new stages of social evolution are self-regulating process. Resistance to this self-regulating process just make transition to new stage bloody.  

 

No doubt the New World Order makes same mistake attempting to create hierarchical social stricture resembling Multinational Corporation. Any attempts to “export democracy”, (which actually is pure corporatocracy) around the world is same mistake, which Russians made decades ago exporting “world revolution”.

 

The last invention of New World Order is war on terror. The terrorism is as old as human history, but it never been a grave problem for mankind. According to TruthRing and experts analysing facts and evidences related to destruction of Manhattan's twin towers on 9/11 is internal operation. It seems to be orchestrated propaganda aiming to justify restriction of civil liberties.

 

In foreseeable future people probably will consider nowadays-global politics and New World Order in particular as dark ages of human history. Domination of political social consciousness is very similar to dark ages dominated by religion social consciousness.

 

To summarise -- the power elite concentrate generated wealth in the hands of very few, which create hierarchical social structure based on possession of financial capital. This hierarchical structure resembles a feudal hierarchy based on inherited ownership of land. The New World Order creates global money-based empire, resembling "land based" British Empire of nineteen century. No doubt such ideology and practice of geopolitics undermines effectiveness of political parties, democracy and trust in the capitalism itself.

 

However to survive its own ever-increasing complexity society needs heterarchical structure. So modern dilemma is - hierarchy or heterarchy, human nature or social evolution? – That is the question and key contradiction between course of social evolution and human nature nowadays.

 

Economic and political crisis

 

Ongoing financial crisis is an example of conflict between the mindset of power elite and society as a system. The power elite gradually transformed economy from formal science to religion or eclectic set of believes, most of tem false. Let explains this metamorphosis with simple metaphor. Imagine a flying bird experiencing resistance of air. The common sense is to decide that decreasing of resistance will speed the fly itself. Well to some degree this is true and possible, but there is an invisible threshold above which the flying is not possible at all. So, modern capitalism was gradually transformed from manufacturing to speculative machine. Federal Reserve creates money from thin air for very long time. The power elite controls more and more resources. It is tempting to decide that controlling all available resources (the ideology of the New World Order) will bring peace and prosperity for all. The true is: controlling all resources by small group of people society cannot function at all. This is not a matter of "equality"; this is a matter of objective laws.

 

The financial crisis is caused primary by power elite, which creating money from thin air simply has destroyed natural environment, hence made “flying” impossible. The measures proposed and taken to tackle and resolve economic crisis are based on same religion called free-market. This is unsurprising, because the people who make decisions are high-ranking priests of the same religious sect. No doubt resolution of crisis will follow natural social and economic laws.    

 

Financial crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. Truly crises are in economy and politics. This is crisis of inability of politicians and world's leaders to make adequate decisions to maintain sustainable environment and resolve global problems.

 

Modern society is in stage of permanent crisis. Ongoing financial crisis will be replaced by new one – in public health, educational, environmental, demographical and so on. Some authors already suggest we should be prepared and learn to live and cope with crises, although prevention of crises is a right solution. Unfortunately governing elite does not know how or lack of good will to do so.

 

The governing elite are people who made most important decisions for society. Transition from Agrarian to Industrial society separates political power and power of ownership on material resources forming two elites – politicians (elected officials) and self-made capitalists. However during the last few decades the redistribution of generated wealth overlap political power and financial capital gradually shifting democracy with corporatocracy and free-market economy with almighty international corporations, which influence political decision enormously. The governing elite as we know it from history was gradually transformed to "power elite". This is a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of wealth, privileges, and access to decision-making process on national and international level. The power elite occupier top roles in society’s top institutions comprising the military, political establishments, and the corporations. Therefore power elite are not simply as the owners of great wealth, or of the 'means of production'.

 

So, convergence of political power and financial capital is a key to understand evolution of capitalism from constructive private entrepreneurship where decent people working for themselves work for society, to global self-destructing Financial imperialism. In fact productive capitalism and speculative capitalism are two completely different socio-economic models. 

 

Today the social pyramid is almost completed and the mindset of newly born power elite is clear visible as process of development from pretty normal to absolutely bizarre and irrelevant to reality. To become rich to some extent and maintain comfortable, enjoyable and fulfilment life is normal, to become excessively rich just to use power of money to dominate above rest of the population is a pathological symptom.

 

In 2004 the World Bank estimated that over a trillion dollars is paid in bribes each year -- and this amount does not include embezzlement of public funds or theft of public assets. The bribes are simply baying decisions. The citizens in three out of four countries polled by Transparency International and Gallup International in 2003 and in 2004 singled out political parties as the institution they perceived as most corrupt. So, is there a room for democracy?

 

People elect politicians and political parties expecting them to act in the public interest giving them access to public resources and the power to take decisions that impact on people’s lives. Given this privileged position, politicians or parties acting out of greed or in the service of those who bankroll their ascent to power can inflict immense damage.

 

The potential fallout of corrupt exchanges between parties and funders are a very serious problem: exposure of underhand dealings to obtain operational and campaign finance gives the impression – in some cases well-founded – that access to the democratic decision-making process can be bought, irrespective of what the public wants. As a result, people lose interest in the political process and lose trust in government. Also crucial is to tackle the abuse of state resources (such as state media, staff time or use of official telephones, vehicles and offices for campaigning) by incumbent parties.

 

Opportunities for purchasing influence in government are not confined to the electoral process. Lobbyists who stand between the public and private sectors are in an ideal position to broker corrupt transactions. It is perfectly legitimate for companies to expect access to politicians - as it is for NGOs or any other interest group. Where corruption comes into play is when an interest group or corporation gains privileged access or undue influence of policy makers, for example through offers of money or gifts.

 

One of the most blatant manifestations of political corruption is when politicians bribe voters directly. The practice - proscribed by most national legislations - is fuelled by money that is not properly accounted for at best, from criminal sources at worst. The combination of immunity from prosecution and unfettered personal power underpins many of the most infamous corruption cases involving politicians.

 

Unsurprisingly today all of the world’s political leaders are deeply unpopular at home, few offers any global leadership. The state of global cooperation is pitiful. The world needs global solutions for global problems. It is in deepening crisis. The leading economies are entering a recession. Global problems remain unsolvable and politicians clearly cannot provide such solutions. The United Nations, which is designed to implement global solutions in mind, is deprived of political backing and underfinanced. It is ineffective, perhaps useless, but it cannot be reformed due to lack of good will.

 

Creating hierarchical social structure the governing elite gradually destroys already existed heterarchy. In this case democracy is shifted to plutocracy; free-market economy - to corporatocracy and at the end of the day destroys morality. Perhaps turning point for a downfall of power elite is assassination of JF Kennedy on November 22, 1963, because presumably he had intended to revise US Federal Reserve Act. September 11, 2001, which according the official report is terrorist attack, but according independent experts – internal operation is the lowest point of downfall of the power elite so far.

 

The speculative model of capitalism has deepened the contradictions in society as never before. Some global problems like - growing energy demand and energy crisis; weapon of mass destruction; nuclear proliferation; global terrorism, security issues; organised crime; a widening gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots"; climate change and global warming among many others are simply unsolvable, because they are consequences of ongoing social practice and side-effect of the system itself.

 

Now the capitalism generates over consumption, social outcast, drug abuse, organised crime, premeditated ignorance of education for unprivileged children, consumerism, in short -- destroy morality. Corruption, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth, hypocrisy deceptions are landmarks of modern society. Currently is quite visible how nowadays financial elite corrupts politicians, degenerates democracy to corporatocracy and transforms free-market economy into corporative monopolies.

 

Today according to official reports, the cross-border flow of the global proceeds from criminal activities, corruption, and tax evasion is estimated at between $1 trillion and $1.6 trillion per year, which is at 2 to 5 percent of global GDP. Of this amount, some $500 billion a year comes out of developing and transitional economies into western coffers, fostering crime, facilitating terrorism, voiding trade and investment, dampening economic development, deepening poverty, supporting tax evasion, creating political instability, and, most fundamentally, abusing capitalism’s founding ideals of fair play.

 

Assets held offshore, beyond the reach of effective taxation, are equal to about a third of total global assets. The amount of funds held offshore by individuals is about $11.5 trillion – with a resulting annual loss of tax revenue on the income from these assets of about 250 billion dollars. It is estimated that 60 percent of all global trade is estimated to be routed through tax havens.

 

Developing countries lose revenues far greater than annual aid flows. Annually Developing countries have received $50bn of aid and $500bn of dirty money is returned back to donors, which is equivalent to 8% of their GDP. In short global financial system generates wealth depriving vast majority of population creating misery on unimaginable scale.

 

The development of the modern capitalism, continue to deepen the gap between the rich and the poor. Nowadays the resources are separated by Grand Canyon between rich and poor. On the other side of the Grand Canyon the richest 20% of the world’s people have access to 86% of the collective Gross World Product (GWP). Finally about 0.13% of the world’s population controlled 25% of the world’s assets in 2004.

 

From the other hand the poorer half of the world dispose barely 1% of the world wealth. On the one side according UN and World Bank statistics, across the world about 2.8 billion people – some 45 percent of the world’s total population – live on the equivalent of two US dollars a day or less. Some 1.2 billion of those people live on one dollar a day or less. Half the world -- nearly three billion people -- lives on less than two dollars a day; 1.3 billion have no access to clean water; 3 billion have no access to sanitation; 2 billion have no access to electricity. Worldwide, the poorest 20% have access to only 1% of the total (GWP).

 

The Gross Domestic Product of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined. Nearly a billion people entered the 21^st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

 

The gap between poor and rich generates over consumption and social outcast that squander valuable material resources. Terrorist attacks; illegal immigration, and “economic refugees” are just a few examples of the reactions of the poor to their plight. Perhaps the most significant consequence of growing gap between rich and poor is fuelled two different cultures, which are two different subtypes of society or - social consciousness. Unfortunately our age is not already age of reason; it is an age of cynical hypocrisy. Don't be mistaken, accumulated knowledge is mainly technological, but moral is crumbling due to disproportional redistribution of created wealth.

 

The question is – where is the measure separating wealth as good for society and wealth as risk for society? It seems that the measure is the borderline, which marks using wealth not for economically, but for political purposes or baying decisions. Uncontrolled power transforms existing democracy to corporatocracy, cleptocracy and plutocracy. Mass media instead of instrument for social education is used as brainwashing machine. This is deadly dangers game and put Humanity at risk, because by definition society is a system proceeding verified of positive knowledge. Any such use of wealth bending democracy, corrupt politicians and destroy society. In short the modern capitalism is form of collective insanity.

 

At the end of the day, compare with transition from Agrarian to Industrial society the governing elite degenerates from "born to rule aristocrats" to "rob to rule plutocrats". Not a big deal indeed. For about two hundred years the capitalism has created power elite of "rob to rule plutocrats", which is very depressing achievement indeed. Only difference is that modern plutocrats are more greedy, arrogant, unmoral, sociopathic, and hypocritical. If the old fashion aristocrats had believed their power is gift from the God itself, the modern robber barons simply play God, which is gravely danger for Humanity.

 

 The Basic Contradiction of Modern Society

         

        Contradiction between the social nature of production and its private appropriation

 

The basic contradiction of society is the one, which in a whole set of contradictions plays the decisive role in social development. According to K. Marx the basic contradiction of capitalism is between the social nature of production and its private appropriation. This contradiction leads to a permanent capitalist crisis and is solved with transition of means of production into social ownership. In an attempt to resolve this contradiction Humanity has invested enormous effort and sacrifices to create classless society – communism, which recently has collapsed.

 

Contradiction between increased concentration of financial capital and destruction of morality

 

However society is not simply economy; the society is a rational and self-regulating system, which include two equally important sub-systems -- economy and culture. From this point of view the basic contradiction of modern society is between increased concentration of financial capital and destruction of morality. Redistributing created resources to very few people creates hierarchy, which put under control decision-making process, destroy democracy and replace free-market economy with corporatocracy. At the end of the day this process destroys morality. The moral is unwritten laws of social integrity and sustainability. 

 

The emerged situation is very similar to the situation, which lead to transition from Agrarian to Industrial society. The basic contradiction of Feudal society has been between existed inheritance law and political power. Inherited power creates hierarchical social structure up to Absolute monarchy. At certain point of social development emerging problems become unsolvable by existed decision-making mechanism and society needs new more sophisticated and adequate such mechanism. Resolution of this contradiction was in transition from Absolute to Constitutional monarchy or Republic i.e. separation of inheritance and power. This transition is a qualitative leap from autocracy to democracy or from individual to collective decision-making mechanism. This is objective necessity due to emerged social problems, which are unsolvable by single decision-maker.

 

Very similar today unlawful marriage between power of money and political power create plutocracy and corporatocracy, which is form of “absolute capitalism”, which undermine democracy and destroy very fabric of society –morality. All global problems today are consequences of this marriage. Those problems are unsolvable of existing political elite because the problems are side-effect of politico-economical system itself.

 

Contradiction between exponential development of high technologies and increasing of vulnerability of humanity

 

From point of view of modern society as Technological Civilisation the basic contradiction has new dimension. Technologies of 21-century (robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology) provide opportunity knowledge alone without significant material resources to destroy humanity. No doubt accelerating increase of knowledge increases the vulnerability of the society and could destroy the world. This possibility has been realized with invention of atomic bomb and become more obvious with developing of chemical and biological weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Emergence of 21-century high technologies, make destruction of humanity almost inevitable.

 

As a matter of fact during the last few decades science and technology tend to expand exponentially. Unfortunately to make things worst any significant scientific discovery and technological achievement could be applied as a weapon more easily and cheaply rather than in constructive way. If resources needed to create nuclear weapons are on national level; the resources for Knowledge enable mass destruction (KMD) are accessible for small group of people.

 

As a result Technological civilisation face one terrible dilemma – with accumulation of knowledge society become simultaneously - more powerful and more vulnerable. This point of social evolution is unique and humanity should take it into account from now on. Therefore exponential development of high technologies and increasing of vulnerability of humanity could be considered as a basic contradiction of advanced Technological civilization.

 

Dilemma of the modern society - destruction of society or fundamental changes in the social structure 

 

Above mentioned three contradictions are actually three aspects of one evolving contradiction: economic, cultural (social consciousness & moral) and civilisational. The first economic aspect - the contradiction pointed out by K. Marks between productive forces and the social relations of production, explain why existed mechanism of production & distribution of goods and redistribution of wealth create new type of hierarchy based on redistributed capital and how hierarchically structured social system degenerate democracy to corporatocracy putting under control political decision-makers. The second cultural aspect – contradiction between redistributed capital and destruction of morality, explain how global problems emerge and why these problems are unsolvable by people who create them. Finally, third civilisational aspect of contradiction - between increased knowledge and vulnerability of society explain why forthcoming transitions from money-driven to knowledge-based society; from democracy to netocracy and from society dominated by politics to society dominated by moral principles are inevitable.    

 

Apparently the basic contradiction between exponential rising knowledge and increased vulnerability of humanity create one terrible dilemma of modern society – excessive wealth or surviving of Humanity. This contradiction include thousands other contradictions and global problems facing modern world, because resolving this particular contradiction is a matter of life and death for mankind. Not part of it, but humanity as a whole.

 

Resolving above-mentioned basic contradiction is imperative, which make transition to new social structure without alternative.  It seems that scientific and technological development is endless and unstoppable. So, how society could survive or how humanity could resolve this basic contradiction; which is the next step of Social evolution? ^[1]  

 

Resolution of the Basic Contradiction in Society and Transition to New Social Structure

 

The future of society always has been hot topic for discussions. Since Plato’s “Republic” up to yesterday’s fascism & communism and nowadays New World Order, there are about 50 projects offering solutions for better social organisation. No one was implemented in social practice and reason is simple. History teaches us that society cannot be pre-designed by human’s mind, even by such thinkers as Plato and Marx. All such projects are defined as Utopias. It is great temptation to describe future society in more details, but it is not possible.

 

As was mentioned above the social evolution has two components – objective and subjective. Social structure (skeleton of society) is a result of objective laws; “the flesh” on the “skeleton” is a human’s creation. For instance in 18^th century nobody has clear understanding how emerging capitalism will look like. It just emerged and evolved throughout years following its own objective logic of free-market economy. Division of estates into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary is a man-made solution, which give birth to democracy. Both objective and subjective components create social-economic system called “capitalism” as we know it. For our further analysis is very important to distinguish these two components as clearly as possible, because most of the existed projects are simply pre-designed projects, therefore should be considered as Utopias.      

 

Theoretical models for future society

 

Theoretically there are three basic models of future society: Ideological, Technocratic and Humanitarian. Any one of them has two theoretically possible solutions:

        - Ideological model and solutions

                    Religion - World's Caliphate

                    Politics - New World Order

          - Technocratic model and solutions

                     Artificial Intellect

                     Hybrid Intellect

         - Humanitarian model and solutions

                     Personal development

                     Evolution of society

 

        Ideological model and solutions

 

The ideologies today (religion and politics) offer two diametrically opposed solutions: World's Caliphate and so called New World Order.

 

The world's Caliphate is a solution of future society pitched by Muslim fundamentalists based on Islamic religious law - Sharia. Actually theocracy flourished between IX and XIII century and still rules few Muslim countries, but it is absolutely impossible Caliphate to be implemented globally in XXI century. This concept is interesting theoretically only as an opposition to political solution – the New World Order.

 

Political solution of emerged global problems is the New World Order. Since the end of Cold war, political life is in complete mess. Emerging Global problems are so great and far beyond capacity of power elite to resolve them. Moreover as time going by political and economic crises will be intensified, because of two reasons:

 

Firstly, Global problems are in fact side-effects or consequences of current politico-economic system. So, controlling decision-making process, financial capital in “sake of strong economy” creates unsolvable problems for society. Traditional collective decision-making mechanism based on political parties, international agreements and international institutions like the UN, World Bank, IMF, WTO and so on, apparently are unable to resolve emerged global problems. Degeneration of democracy to plutocracy and corporatocracy make global problems truly unsolvable. Dominated geopolitics prioritises national interests above those of Humanity as a whole. No doubt current geopolitics is most destructive for mankind force on Earth. Secondly, the mindset of power elite or decision-makers is obsolete and irrelevant to current situation. As lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely". ^[2] Due to this corruption creating hierarchy the power elite of all times are moving from relatively adequate to reality thinking to irrelevant. Once at the top of social pyramid, the mindset of rulers becomes bizarre and very often pathological. This is the price to pay for exercising power.

 

During polytheistic times, rulers have firmly believed that they are living gods. If this is quite understandable for Egyptian pharaohs and Roman Emperors, who have proclaimed himself as gods is already extraordinary extravagance with clear psychopathic and sociopathic symptoms. The rulers from monotheistic times have relatively modest perceptions. They have believed that are appointed to rule on behalf of God and their power is simply divine. From nowadays view this is bizarre if not schizophrenic delusion.

 

For rulers from secular societies dominated by politics the mindset is even more interesting. For first time rulers are elected and creation of hierarchy is more visible. For instance the communist's leaders have been worshiped as gods and even mummified as pharaohs. Hitler and Mussolini have been accepted as supermen. Both Stalin and Hitler have clear sociopathic symptoms.

 

In many of nowadays power elite, symptoms like: lack of empathy, megalomania, excessive greediness and hypocrisy are common. In fact all empire-builders who exercise their power to rule and dominate above others are socio- or psychopaths, doesn’t mater of used weapons – military or financial.   

 

Unsurprisingly solution to global problems suggested by power elite presented by knights of Bilderberg club and neoconservatives is New World Order - one government, one economy, one religion, one billion population; world organised and ruled like international corporation with a board of directors; further concentration of material resources in the hands of the board itself and restriction of civil liberties up to creation of Big Brother type of society. This is two classes society of overclass super rich and digitally controlled under class. New World Order is form of inverted totalitarianism, nothing more than digital slivery; Roman Empire of 21^st century. Apparently this is pure ideological and speculative socio-economic model near identical as communism and fascism except power elite and used tactics. The consequences of implementation of this social experiment are predictable. Political solution as New World Order long-term project is a depressing model elaborated by greedy, egocentric and arrogant sociopaths.

 

Society designed as pyramid, divided by classes is truly hierarchical and need tough security system. Solution is technological - maintaining database of personal bio-characteristics, communications, implanted chips, surveillance, more or less Big-brother society. Could such society exist? According to one-dimensional logic of power elite the obvious answer is "yes". According objective course of social evolution such system is theoretically impossible. Society is an extremely complex living organism. Any single cell at certain threshold of tolerance could start to degenerate and cause cancer with lethal consequences.

 

As history teach us all man-created Utopias failed. More sophisticated socio-engineering models like communism and fascism also failed. The New World Order is just the last such doomed model. High-tech surveillance and control of society is misinterpretation and confusion of technological development and social evolution.

 

At the present The World's Caliphate and emerging New World Order are in clash. Some people believe this is forthcoming clash of Civilisations. In fact this is not a clash of Civilisations; this is a clash between two cultures or to be more precise – between two already out-of-date ideologies – religion and politics; clash between religious fundamentalism and political extremism. The outcome of this clash is predictable – both ideologies gradually will fade away in forthcoming few decades, and eventually will be replaced by rational and scientifically based concepts.       

       

        Technocratic model and solutions

 

Technocrats offer two solutions for future society - Artificial Intellect and Hybrid Intellect  

 

Artificial Intellect. The biggest problem of modern society is exponentially increased knowledge and decreased moral standards. Technocrats suggest that solution is in creation of Artificial Intellect (AI). There are lot of speculations around regarding how future society will interact with such Artificial intelligence. Some believe that AI will do a lot of routine work, but final decisions or creativity will be keep as privilege for humans. AI is not emotional and un-aggressive, which suposed to be huge advantage in making decisions. However we still don’t know and can’t predict how AI might behave. Hence possibility human race to be at the mercy of the machines become obvious. 

 

Some believe at crucial times people simply could switch off the machines, but this seem to be very naïve, because humanity could be so dependent of machines that taking such action will be suicidal as well. Perhaps tiny elite of people will be in a position to control AI and rest of the population. Such hierarchical model is very close as vision to the concept of the New World Order. The logic of technocrats seems sound, but it is inadequate to social evolution.

 

From this point of view the idea of technology (AI) as decision-making mechanism is wrong. The machines, which would control government and industry is a myth uncritically accepted by many technocrats. Yes, machines are unemotional and unaggressive, but this is not only advantage, this is disadvantage as well. Unemotional AI is pure logic or model of left hemisphere only, which make machines fast and accurate, but very stupid indeed. If Mother Nature discovered emotions and evolved them throughout ages mean they are very important for human evolution. Emotions emerged on very earlier stages of evolution biological evolution and are key component of the instinct of self-preservation.  The emotions make human thinking “unreliable”, but morally sound and creative. Above all AI can’t make responsible decision, because it has not moral values. AI could solve “diagnostical” type of problems, but not social problem. Social problems are morally based, responsible and future oriented. For this purpose is needed the power of "right hemisphere". Perhaps technologically is possible to create such "spiritual machines", although in this case AI will become vulnerable to common errors as human mind. In short – the possibility to create AI is a technological problem and answer is – yes it is possible. To be created or not such machines and used as decision-makers (“to be or not to be”) is a philosophical question and answer is – definitely not. Not because it is not possible, but because it is not necessary. Perhaps the last generation of such technology will be neo-genesis of human being; technology already invented by Mother Nature millions years ago and accessible to everyone. No doubt Philosophy is complicated science and not for amateurs. Jumping from technological problems to philosophical conclusions is misunderstanding and very funny mistake indeed.

 

Hybrid Intellect. Some believe the right solution is creation of hybrid intellect, which will combine advantages of both parties – machines and humans. Wearable computers implanted in the human body, perhaps in the brain itself will improve intellectual capacity of human beings and will solve emerging social problems. This is more sophisticated, but less developed concept. Processing of information is important, but the real problem for society is moral standards. Wisdom is not simply intelligence; it is an amalgam of intellect and moral values. Apparently neither AI nor HI could contribute to this particular problem. Some technocrats turned technology into modern religion offering solution for all problems. Social evolution and technological developments are two very different lines to convergent in foreseeable future.

       

        Humanitarian model and solutions

 

The Humanitarian model offer also two solutions for society, based on personal development and evolution of society itself.

 

Personal development – Some people believe that future society is a function of personal development of any individual. They are followers of so called New Age Movement, New Age spirituality or Cosmic Humanism. New Age Movement is very eclectic as a concept combining contradicting philosophical, teleological, theosophical, scientific, moral and religious ideas. It is practiced by diverse individuals around the globe aiming to achieve higher, cosmic consciousness or enlightenment. The future society will be final result of ongoing Spiritual evolution. The Spiritual evolution is pre-determinated and complemented by the idea of a creative impulse in human beings, known as epigenesis or creative intelligence. The New Age Movement, Spiritual evolution or cosmic consciousness refer to new level of human evolution – from “homo sapience” to “homo sapientissimus” or some sort of super human being or super-consciousness. Of course if such level of human evolution is achievable at all. Therefore New Age Movement has noting in common with forthcoming new socio-economic system. It is still modern ideology rather than science or social movement.   

 

Evolution of society - The biggest problem of modern society is unsustainable development due to increased knowledge and decreased moral standards. The main reason for this situation is using money as political tools. Nowadays money is like worldwide spread religious cult simultaneously creating over consumption, misery and social outcast. The solution is in restricting the role of money to pure economic sphere. It seems near impossible to do that, but it is inevitable course of action to create equitable social system and sustainable environment.

 

As was mentioned above, transition from Agrarian to Industrial society has introduced two clear heterarchical components - free-market economy and democracy as collective decision-making mechanism. Transition from Industrial to "Post-industrial" society will bring two similar fundamental changes - knowledge based economy and netocracy (higher and qualitative different form of democracy) as collaborative decision making mechanism. Therefore transition from Industrial to "Post-industrial" society is not simply political or technological solution, it is truly humanitarian solution.

 

Humanitarian solution is heterarchical by definition, because insist creation of several balanced sub-systems. In dawn of modern democracy the state has been divided into branches or estates, each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility. The normal division of estates is into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary. This principle of separation of powers should be applied again regarding decision-making process and implementations of decisions. In principle power of money should be separated from political power and should not interfere decisions. The problems will be solved by experts and implemented by governments. This means all machinery of ideology: political parties, leaders, elections etc. to be shifted out as 18^th century religion orders and create new non-political system of decision-making mechanism.

 

Complexity of modern society is comparable with complexity of human brain. The human brain is heterarchicaly-organised structure; there is no "power elite" of privileged brain cells, no "voting system" in making decisions. The human brain associate related to any particular situation cells and made decisions in form of verifiable solutions, which are tested in real practice and further elaborated accordingly. In general terms human brain should be a model for organisation of the future society. Therefore transition from Industrial to "Post-industrial" society is in fact transition from nowadays socio-economic system to new one resembling the structure and functions of human brain.  

 

Biological evolution has needed perhaps three billion years to perfect emerging nerve sells to human brain. To survive modern society simply should use this marvellous structure as a blueprint to organise itself and survive in foreseeable future. Mother Nature gives us blueprint of organisation for complicated system verified by three billion years of evolution – human brain and mind. It is a matter of wisdom to follow this model in our attempt to create sustainable society.

 

In that case the first expected transition is from hierarchical to heterarchical social structure. This is transition in economy from free-market to knowledge-based or from capitalism to epistemism. The purpose of economy is to produce and deliver resources to any living "cell", without redistribution of wealth to power elite. The second dramatic change is in decision-making mechanism - from collective to collaborative or from orchestrated democracy to netocracy. Decision-makers could be accepted as elite in sense of "intellectual elite" or "brain cells", but they definitely are not "power elite", because they do not stay above anybody else, there is no hierarchy at all and they cannot redistribute resources to themselves. Humanitarian solution is only possible solution, because it is part of social evolution.

 

Resolution of basic contradiction in fact is transition of society from Industrial to "Post industrial" stage of evolution. This transition is very similar to transition from Agrarian to Industrial society, which give birth to free-market economy and democracy as collective decision-making mechanism, establishing Industrial society. The new transition from Industrial to "Post industrial" society probably will follow same pattern of development due to same objective laws. In practice this means reorganisation of economy from profit making to new one, adequate to emerging realities and transition from existed collective decision-making mechanism to new more adequate to increased complexity of society. ^[3]

 

*    *    *

 

Modern society is gravely sick. It suffers from “cancer of morality”. This illness is caused by unfair redistribution of wealth to the pockets of very few in the first place and followed influence of the money in decision-making process. Symptoms of the disease are: misery, social outcast, drug abuse, greed, deception, hypocrisy, and media manipulation in unimaginable scale. This syndrome undermines democracy and eventually destroys very fabric of society - morality. The cure is simple: separation of power of money from decision-making mechanism. Unfortunately this is very unlikely to happen without strike of major disaster.

 

 

Notes

 

1. Human being and society are rational systems and they both passes through times of perils. If under some circumstances people go mad and destroy themselves, in principle similar destiny could face the humanity as well. The reason and consciousness are very fragile components. Nowadays there are around twenties doomsday scenarios available for discussions from cosmic cataclysms to men-made disasters. Theoretically doomsday scenario is possible, but less probable, because the instinct for self-preservation is very strong. For that reason such a scenario is out of scope now.

 

2. Let me explain this with an example. When Isaac Newton had faced the problem to describe and explain gravity the mathematics was not on sufficient level of development to meet such task. So Newton spent a great amount of time and effort to elaborate “calculus”, which today is known as high mathematics. Then he was in a position to calculate the planetary orbits. This mean the instrument and the method should be adequate to complexity of the problem itself. Fortunately to describe and explain Social evolution we do not need to discover “high mathematics” in social science. The “high mathematics” in social science is dialectics and G. Hegel and K. Marx elaborated it in a 19^th century. Perhaps this is the greatest intellectual achievement together with Theory of evolution. Dialectics and Dialectical logic do not “shift out” formal logic. It includes it in its system as particular case, exactly as Einstein's physic include Newton's physic and Riemannian and Lobachevsky's non-Euclidean geometries do not shift out Euclidian geometry. So formal logic is sound and applicable for static situations of everyday live. However to describe and explain dynamics and controversial events occurring in Social evolution are needed more sophisticated instruments and method as Dialectical laws and categories in general and Dialectical logic in particular. Today not only technocrats make such a common mistake, the proponents of the New World Order, spin-doctors and social scientists talk about “end of history” or “hegemony is as old as mankind” and so forth. Sound logical from point of view of formal logic, but nothing could be far from the truth according to dialectical logic. 

 

3. Dalberg-Acton, John Emerich Edward, Essays on Freedom and Power, Boston: The Becon Press, (1949), p. 364

 

 

Artistic Expressions of Modern Capitalism

 

Copyright ©  D. Tchurovsky 2006-2010

Last updated - January, 2010