State of the World

The continuation of The Myth and Legend of D'PTah, an original novel by Dan Sewell Ward.

INTERIM REPORT 2 -- ADVENT OF THE REGENCY

Segment 10

State of the World

Introduction to Interim Report 2

This is the second in a series of reports on the Myricon Archaeological Discoveries. It follows directly from the first report – and will in the course of time as translation and recovery efforts provide additional revelations -- be followed by one or more additional reports. For the purposes of reviewing the information herein, it is essential that Book I be reviewed, studied, and viewed as a prerequisite for the proper understanding of what will be disclosed herein.

In an effort to ensure the integrity of the earlier report, there has been and will continue to be no editing or revisions, despite any suggestions that previous conclusions may not survive the passage of time and additional discoveries. As Keynes [1] has stated, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you so, sir?” We may indeed change our conclusions, but we will also continue to stand by our original interpretations as a matter of intellectual honesty. Accordingly the researcher is advised that previous -- as well as current conclusions to the extent they are incorporated herein either by intent of inadvertently – may be said to be in a state of flux.

Overview

The response from so called scholars and academicians to the first of these reports was both disappointing and reluctantly expected. On the one hand was the trite and simplistic criticism that the report depended too heavily upon selected fragmentary evidence. What was not addressed by these scholars -- who incidentally used greater selectivity in deciding which small portion of the report they would consider as evidence for their hurried (and consequently, questionable) conclusions-- was the demonstrated and conclusive evidence that the entirety of Interim Report 1 was taken from a consistent and chronological set of documents which had clearly been collected and compiled into a single document by an ancient author or authors, the latter whom were apparently cooperating. Accordingly any selectivity of the narratives and material was theirs and theirs alone. While we might agree that such ancient selectivity can be viewed as challenging our sense of objective truth, we are nevertheless reporting on a series of narratives which have been confirmed and supported by previous and concurrent discoveries at other archaeological sites and by independent scholars. The sum content of the material is still grist for the millennium, as the saying goes.

In any case, we will not address herein the very questionable complaints by the expected and consistent naysayers in the halls of academia and several isolated, so-called think tanks. Instead we will seek to continue our efforts to set forth the results of our exhaustive investigations in as clear a manner as is possible, while attempting to avoid applying our cultural perspective on the actions and thoughts of these ancient ancestors.

The idea of “attempting” to do so must be laced with the level of surprise we encountered in the process of compiling this report. First reactions are notoriously two edged swords, conflicted in terms of either being accurate or just as often leading us astray. We can nonetheless report definitively on the reaction of these ancient people to what must be considered something of a “godsend” to their world. That may be more than a bit disappointing from a modern scholarly viewpoint. However, what our culture might have considered glorious news to the vast majority of the population in these barbaric times is treated instead by these peoples as both threatening and adversarial. Such a reaction includes not just the hesitancy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to fully commit themselves to their public oaths – which was addressed already in Interim Report 1 – but by various factions, commercial interests, and of course, the great and inexplicable diversity of religious and philosophical viewpoints.

Instead of welcoming the advent of the Regency, the views of the latter vested interests -- pragmatic, narrow minded, and based upon fanciful and wholly unwarranted assumptions of reality – were used to challenge the possibility of the dawning of a new age of prosperity and peace. All of the ingredients of a new and flourishing society, as long promoted by most if not all of the vested interests, were being laid at the feet of what should have been a grateful population. However, these promises and expectations entailed the acceptance of tolerance of other philosophies, equality among diverse cultures and peoples, and the necessity of making changes in the most basic of paradigms. Against these challenges the promises of a better life were apparently treated as wholly insufficient competition.

The most challenging of all aspects that the new Regency attempted to elicit from the peoples of the world was the willing acknowledgment and understanding that change was a fundamental reality within the universal space-time continuum. The fall back position of virtually every segment of the population which resisted the Regency seems to have been based on traditions, a rejection of change, antiquated understandings, a thorough lack of discrimination in accepting new and contradictory evidence, and a very narrowly focused degree of self interest.

While such a negative, resist-at-all-costs response of our distance ancestors is disheartening, it can be said that there was also a significant measure of hope and positive expectation.

Duenki paused, rereading his just composed draft report. He grimaced slightly, as he recalled Dimutri's reference to people living in the 20th/21st Centuries as Neo-Neanderthals. Dookie had not been about to accept such a designation, and without thinking had replied, his voice raised in some heat, “It's from whence we came! You might just as well hate us for our youth!”

There had been a notable silence as Dimutri's facial expression made it clear that his youth had been one of the most despicable of natures. Dookie had glanced toward Gil, who was smiling like a proud parent. Dookie was unaccountably relieved, and his temporary anger thereby supported... at least for the moment. Duenki would soon enough resort to far greater levels of denial.

In the interim, Gil ended up sick in bed. Dookie suspected he was faking it, but Gil did manage to display symptoms of metal poisoning – a very rare condition – but one which kept Dimutri away from his bedside, and by extension preventing Dimutri from directly communicating his fake concerns. Unfortunately, Gil's illness had the enormously undesirable effect – now that Dimutri was recovering from his dysentery and eating only food he had had sent especially for himself – the intruder had begun to see what a treasure trove the Myricon site offered.

Dimutri was openly dismayed at anything that might make the on-site team look good, or that what the team was doing could be worthy of a high priority with any one of the various Information Analysis and Grant Organizations (IAGO) [2]. These groups were ordinarily intended to prevent new life among scholars and academics, and in accordance with standard IAGO practices, the possibility of giving credit to truly important work was not to be tolerated. Gil had kept insisting that the team did not need any of the defrocked IAGOs; the team could always go independent.

And then, of course, buried in the mountain ranges of information overload. Dookie still kept the faith that the IAGOs were necessary, and that it was not that much trouble to throw them some bones. A degree of bargaining was tolerable if only because much greater exposure to their discovered truths could thus be had. If the IAGOs ultimately didn't like the stuff, the team could then go independent. It was not like they could shut the site down, Dookie assumed. At least he didn't think so. Gil, meanwhile decided that for the moment they would just feed them a bit more.

Accordingly, it was time to continue the writing, with the latest news from Margarite/Sally.

As justification for the above observations, an extended passage in the most recently translated documents deals with what might be termed the “State of the World” message by the Liaison (soon to be retitled “Regent”). This material is presented from the viewpoint of the Regent's personal scribe.

May the Truth in All of its Glory Continue to be Pursued

M. A. Duenki

01.30.4518APC

*********

It's always been my experience that one can never judge accurately the true impact of what certain clues or passing fancies might provide for profitable analysis later on. My first inclination at my new job was to be complete in recording everything – and letting the future historians judge what is relevant in the greater scheme of things... and what needs early deletion. At the same time, I suspect, I wanted to describe some personalities before they encountered the perils of gaining power prematurely and possibly changing irrevocably. Perhaps I would be the most changed of all of us, but everyone should have their selves known to the future readers. So much of life is profoundly changed by the most frivolous of human foibles. And our little Inner Circle definitely had its... unique characteristics.

Of all of the diverse personalities, I must of necessity mention Hormer Volkov. On one occasion when he had first spent some time with Daniel, and then encountered me, he had rather abruptly turned and left with a distinctive flourish, including a flying cape and cowl. He had been everything that Pete had told me, including being tall and quite substantial. Volkov (as he apparently preferred to be called) would be clearly classified as a heavyweight thug, except for his eyes. I might not have noticed, but he seemed to have taken special interest in me – after having completed whatever his duties had been for Daniel, and just prior to his leaving. It was only for a few seconds, but he had looked at me with an intensity reserved for a person for whom he might have been contemplating an immediate and murderous death. Not that he was threatening, per se. Merely stunning. Bewildering. And a whole range of emotions from the intensely sexual overtones to the apocalyptic.

Upon reflection of that moment, I began planning for my next meeting with Hormer Volkov. I was not going to miss the next opportunity to spend more time with such mystery. As I've mentioned, I love mystery, and this is one I wanted to experience in all of its potential glory. Somehow the man had the combination of an exotic alien wearing an ancient mask. It was tantalizing in its possibilities!

It was also a bit disheartening when I realized that Hormer's near-constant companion was Lil, the woman who had driven Pete (and possibly) Daniel to distraction back on Paros. Of course, concerning the woman I was far less intrigued. She was merely despicable. End of discussion. And yes... It's probably a gender thing. I had, in fact, long ago decided that I would ignore her and concentrate on Hormer.

My first clue to Hormer Volkov' true purpose came sooner than perhaps I was prepared. I had originally assumed, as had Pete, that Hormer was primarily Lil's body guard – something in which he undoubtedly excelled. But then in the earliest meetings with Daniel in which I was present, it became clear that Hormer was the one with the hard, detailed intelligence, while Lil was the strategist who manipulated Hormer's data. It seemed like the two were always together, so that their combined talents were always put to good use. But there was also a clear distinction in their respective duties.

I was never truly privy to the full gamut of Daniel's intelligence sources – discounting the possibility that Daniel was semi-omniscience. Nevertheless, I have to believe that Hormer was a key figure in that regard. In our next near-meeting – during which he seem to flash in and out of existence with a sorcerer's aplomb – he had been providing some key intelligence to Daniel, while Lil in her own manner, had been putting everything into context. Shortly afterwards, Hormer took me aside and related at least part of the information that had been discussed in the three way, private meeting.

With a somber and very serious face, he took one of my arms and very confidentially whispered into my ear, “Sally, we think we've come up with a solution to eliminate completely the constant conflict in the Middle East [3] between Israel and the Muslim [tribes?].”

[3] The ancient's description of a region referred to as the "middle east" is clearly questionable in that logic would insist that something located in the east could not simultaneously be located in the "middle". But this descriptive term appears numerous times in this and other documents --thus suggesting perhaps that the term "middle" used in this manner may refer instead to a time era or period in which the inhabitants of the area were living (instead of a physical location). In this case, Tolkien's term of "middle earth" might also refer to a time period instead of a location.

Needlesstosay, I was astounded. But Hormer was clearly on a roll.

“What we're going to propose... and we think that all the parties will readily agree – is that all of the Jews in Israel will be relocated to the upper half of the state of Western Australia. The Muslim [tribes] will all contribute a year's worth of oil royalties to finance the move, and to purchase the land from the Australians. There are only about a hundred thousand Australians currently living in the area, such that they will be well compensated as well. Keep in mind that Australia's total population is only about 25 million, roughly equal to that of Tokyo. In any case, the Australians can use the infusion of cash that would accompany the Jewish [tribe] in its move, and the Jews could use a clean new canvas on which to work their magic in creating a country for themselves.

“In addition the Jews would also be allowed to take with them much of their religious architecture and artifacts and then set things up in Australia in much the same way that the statutes of Abu Simbel in Egypt had been when they had been relocated to avoid the rising waters of the Nile when it backed up behind the great dam at Aswan. The really good news, of course, is that there will be no real estate commission involved.”

I gave Hormer my very best withering stare, but he merely smiled. But then before I could build myself up to give him a stronger reply, he had – with a wide grin -- walked away, turned a corner, and was gone. He just sort of vanished. Which I must assume would be very useful in his intelligence gathering efforts... for that is what I had come to believe was his primary mission. I just hoped that any of his other pieces of intelligence would be superior to the latest information on the so-called “Middle East Solution”. Still... I had seen Hormer in an entirely new light. That was nice.

As to exactly how Hormer had managed to gather his intelligence was destined to remain a mystery to me – at least for the foreseeable future. The material was always fascinating, but how it was obtained... no one but Pete really wanted to ask.

Meanwhile, the “surrender” had in fact left the world, not to mention the JCS gang, in a state of bewildered shock. No one could have imagined anything of this magnitude. The most powerful tribe on earth had thrown in the towel after having only just stepped into the ring. The Joint Chiefs had apparently told the President he was history – and some bad history at that.

By that time, the conversation on the White House lawn had made it clear that the President and Vice President were expendable individuals. The Vice President was now, according to all reports, scared shitless. There is perhaps nothing scarier than the possibility of someone meeting an inevitable justice – for who would know better about one's crimes than one's self? Chancellor Kurtz added just a touch of irony as she stepped back from her agent status in negotiating the future of, to her, a foreign tribe. The War Room was never quite the same after that, especially when the Joint Chiefs returned and without a clue as to how they could resist. Essentially the decision – the only viable decision available – was to do the full court press on finding out who, what, and where the NinGish were.

When that failed, it was back to square one. The President was still in an almost comatose state two days later – no longer really aware of anything. He meandered around the various offices as if on an election swing through rural Kansas where he led by 20 points in the polls. The Vice President, on the other hand and in the space of a few hours, had recovered his wits and had been doing everything imaginable to ingratiate himself with the new Regime, and so in that sense he was advocating surrender under any circumstances. He apparently made some brilliant arguments as to why surrender was the best option, but it was clear that he thought it was also the best option for him personally. In all respects the Vice President had changed into his survival mode, i.e., survival at any cost (albeit a cost to others).

It was the Joint Chiefs who clinched the deal. Reporting back to the President within the 48 hour time frame allowed by the Liaison, they told him the bad news. Succinctly, it came down to no defense, no offense, and the two minute warning had to all extents and purposes come to an end.

The effect on the average citizen had been stunning. The previous two days had been well spent in bringing the citizenry up to speed on the futility of resistance... just in case. Still, it was a shock to actually come to grips with the reality of yes, Virginia, we're unconditionally surrendering. We've never (officially) done it before, but we're definitely doing it this time.

What was even more astounding was the effect on foreign tribes. Following the surrender of the U.S. on the White House lawn, within minutes of the 48 hour deadline, and when the Liaison had returned dressed semi-formally – he had quickly invited the rest of the world to follow suit. Bhutan had their surrender in within minutes, making them the first foreign tribe to acknowledge imminent reality. Most of Europe and South America quickly followed suit, with Russia, China, India, and finally France, each in their own way dragging their heals and muttering under their breaths... but still succumbing in the end.

Not unexpectedly, the Middle East and north Africa were the best candidates for martyrdom. But the Liaison and the NinGish had been busy. First a well publicized flight over Mecca by a seemingly massive craft; possibly the largest craft ever seen flying the skies. That really got everyone's attention. This was followed by the same craft hovering lazily over the Great Pyramids of Giza for half a day, followed by an hour or so over Tehran. The combination seemed to rattle the cages of even the most belligerent of skeptics – not to mention the fanatics of most religious persuasions. Then just for equal air time, so to speak, the same craft was making blatant overflights of Jerusalem and Rome.

The demonstration had not been totally effective in that as the craft proceeded from Tehran to Jerusalem, certain Iranian officials decided it was all a Zionist Conspiracy, and followed the craft with their own attack aircraft. Ostensibly they were there to gain intelligence, and not to attack. The reality is that they fired missiles at the NinGish ship. The missiles themselves were euphemistically referred to as “IGMs”, i.e., “Intelligence Gathering Missiles.” The intelligence gathered by the missiles, of course, was that firing attack missiles at the NinGish would prove to be a very, very bad idea.

Evidence for this obvious fact consisted primarily of the missiles and the offending aircraft being quickly converted into fiery explosions and high tech debris falling in multiple lumps down upon the Jordanian desert. (Jordan, as it turns out, has always received a lot of fallout, beginning as early as Sodom and Gomorrah.) In addition to dismissing the theory that the missiles were fired in order to gain intelligence on the defenses of the NinGish forces, i.e., were not in any case an actual attack or act of aggression... we will also dismiss the analogy of their having merely fired a shot across the bow... the fact remains that they had homing devices in the missiles just in case. There was a hint of complicity on the part of the Vice-President, but his office – having long been fully staffed for issuing denials -- had their shock and horror statement on the news moments before the news came of the attack.

Meanwhile the sane foreign tribes were debating the issue with the imposition of a deadline of another 48 hours (sounds like a sequel). Then the Liaison initiated the first action intended to calm the worldwide fears. He went on television. When in doubt, give a pep talk. It was time to squelch many of the wild rumors, and at the same time, give a face to the new regime.

*********

The introduction was by a well known journalist who in the midst of everything actually forgot his own byline. “Good morning,” he began... whoever he was. “Today, for the first time, everyone within the sound of my voice – whether live or recorded – is about to meet the man who is both Liaison and agent acting on behalf of the alien forces who are currently residing on our planet. It is these same alien forces who have so dramatically demonstrated their technologically-superior presence by several recent, phenomenal events. The pictures you are now seeing speak for themselves. First, from the Great Wall of China... a displaced section of this astounding achievement of man, and now an example of the handiwork of technological forces far in advance of what we might have ever imagined!

“Bear in mind that these photographs are very real. These are not Hollywood special effects. Nor is this next photograph, that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. It has been reliably reported that the structural integrity of this classic monument to human engineering has not been compromised. If anything, it is perhaps enhanced. There are even some Parisians who find it a preferred artistic rendering. And of course, as in all things artistic, there are those who don't like it at all – and quite possibly for many different reasons.

“This next photo shows the Washington Monument in the very heart of Washington, D.C. The monument has been inverted, literally stood on its head. This I have seen myself. I can assure you that it's very, very real. Again it is apparently structurally stable in its new configuration. The engineers who have examined it are awestruck at both its efficiency and the manner in which it was done as if in child's play. I am sure that such awe is true of most anyone who sees any of these amazing sights.

“In Jerusalem, we have something a bit different: An enigma of symbolism whose presence is all the more astounding because of its sudden arrival in the form of what might have been a missile, but which did not result in the scramble of a single interceptor aircraft or the launching of a single anti-missile. The latter is quite fortunate in that if interceptor missiles had been fired, they might have followed the object into one of the most sacred areas of Jerusalem.

“And in Peru, a thoroughly strange state of affairs where many of the massive stones of the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuaman have apparently been removed from the foundations of numerous Catholic churches and returned to the Sacsayhuaman site, apparently preparatory to rebuilding the ancient archaeological site. Now, without these same stones in place, many of these churches no longer have a complete foundation and are in imminent danger of collapse.

“It is important to realize that these giant stones, which were used in the construction of the churches, had originally been obtained from the Sacsayhuaman temple during the time of the initial Spanish occupation of the Incan lands. A massive effort by the local populace is now in progress to rescue the many artifacts from these churches before the structural integrity disintegrates and the buildings simply collapse. Already one church just outside Cuzco has already begun to crumble with the removal of many of the foundation stones. Others at Sacsayhuaman are now apparently intent upon using the stones to rebuild the ancient temple. Such planning efforts are already being reported.

“More recently in the Middle East, a massive craft has visited Mecca and shortly thereafter began hovering over the Giza pyramids in Egypt and the city of Tehran, Iran. Within hours the same overflight scenario had been witnessed in the skies over both Jerusalem and Rome. This footage shows the craft, with no apparent means of support or propulsion simply placing one of man's greatest achievements literally in the shade. Attempts – foolhardy or otherwise – to gain a closer look at the craft, ostensibly for intelligence purposes have met with a firm if not devastating resistance. At least seven jet aircraft have been lost, although unconfirmed reports indicated all or some of the pilots may have ejected in time.

“What are we to make of these events? Hopefully, we will soon know. The world is clearly in a state of turmoil. What will be heard in the next moments will hopefully provide the answers that so many of us are seeking. We now go live to where the Liaison is preparing to address the world.”

*********

The Liaison was sitting in a leather executive chair in front of a blue backdrop of curtains. No flags or other items gave any hint as to his location. Only a clean brown walnut table in front of him served as a prop. The Liaison had both eyes closed, his fingertips touching their opposite mates in something resembling a meditative or prayer mode. Then a barely audible sound and he opened his eyes, lowering his hands to the desk. For a moment he sat there with an almost expressionless face. Then slowly it became a smile. Cue Music: Mannheim Steamroller's Earthrise [4].

“First of all, take a deep breath... and breathe. That's it. Keep breathing. Now, just for a moment, try to relax. Take a really deep breath.” He demonstrated this with his own breathing. “Let it out. Try smiling. In fact, a grin would be entirely justified. Feel free to hold someone's hand. Even that of a total yet willing stranger. Okay? Now. Know very clearly that there is nothing to fear. There will be significant changes in our world, certainly -- changes that will be happening at a rapid pace. But this is good. These coming changes will always be intended to improve things for the better. The only pain that might be suffered will be due to resistance... unnecessary and counter-productive resistance.

“We're not asking anyone to roll over and play dead. We're simply asking for you to let our actions speak louder than our words. We're asking for time to demonstrate the rightness of those changes which will begin... have in fact already begun... happening in the world.

“Why should you bide your time? Consider the evidence. What you have just seen – these photos and eyewitness accounts – are the results of a massive demonstration to capture the attention of the world. This, obviously, it has done. But note very importantly that none of these actions has resulted in any loss of life. No one has been killed; no one has been injured. There was in fact considerable effort expended to ensure that everything could be accomplished without any injury to innocent bystanders. In fact, at least one demonstration was canceled due to the fact that unexpectedly there were far too many people in precarious positions. The decision was made that it would be far better to show restraint in this case than in creating another event which might have unintended and unfortunate consequences.

“With the foregoing in mind, let us focus for the moment on what the world can expect. Is this the end of humanity or its sovereignty over the planet? No. If it had been the end, or even the beginning of the end, it would already be over. The fact you're still breathing implies you will likely continue to breathe – and interestingly enough you may even have a longer lifeline than you might have previously anticipated. In fact, you should expect to see a much improved lifestyle for the vast majority of humanity.

“This much improved condition for all of us will come about, not because it will be handed to us on a silver platter by those with superior technology, wisdom, and intentions, but because each of us as part of humanity will create... with the help of all of our friends... as well as newly discovered friends... a better life through all of our collective best efforts. The key difference between now and the past is that now the obstacles which have prevented so many from achieving their potential will have been removed. This, more than anything else, will be the future: It will be the removal of obstacles to the growth of individuals and to the species of man as a whole.

“These obstacles of limitation, greed, guilt, and self-denial will be eliminated – at least to the extent we as a people can achieve our goals. There is in fact more than enough to go around. We can feed everyone, we can cloth them, we can even substantially increase the quality of life for everyone. But not if we stay on the same road to perdition we've been on. We don't need to preserve our histories of famine, poverty, disease, slavery, and senseless wars. We can instead begin the great journey to raise ourselves up by our bootstraps into a whole new world of possibilities.

“One traditional obstacle from the dawn of civilization as been the imposition of governmental authority. Such an imposition will of necessity continue for a time, if only to allow the stability necessary for growth. As Liaison to the NinGish, I will therefore be assuming the role of Regent, a temporary imposition with which to control the government until the heir apparents of such rule -- sovereign individuals throughout the population – come of age. More on that later.

“A moment ago I said that the only pain that is likely to be inflicted upon anyone will be due to their own choice to somehow resist what is, quite frankly, inevitable. Resistance is not only futile, it is also very likely to be painful. Enormously painful, including the possibility of death. But such pain or death will clearly be self-imposed. Whether through the simple desire to preserve at all costs previous beliefs which are now being challenged by recent events, or to actively attempt to try to impose or continue by force an antiquated, unsustainable paradigm, the results are likely to be the same.

“Yesterday, the USA chose to avoid unnecessary and pointless pain by agreeing to hand over to this Liaison... now the Regency... total and complete authority over all governmental and related societal functions. The members of their [?] forces have begun the process of either choosing to resign from the military services, or to continue to serve the people they represent, but which are now under new leadership. These actions were done by those in the positions of authority who through democratic processes had been given the authority to make such decisions. The actions were done in recognition that an unconditional conveyance of power was the preferred choice if widespread death and destruction were to be avoided.

“Now... The 'unconditional conveyance of power' sounds a lot like 'giving up'. In fact, it is precisely that. But what precisely is being given up? That's really the critical question. What is being lost? By the same token, what is being gained? When one thinks of resisting or protecting the status quo, consider first what the status quo is... consider the state of our world.

“Today, we are beset with widespread famine -- where there is not enough food at any price in many parts of the world. There is poverty in every society; poverty which is simply pointless. There is no value to anyone to have millions of people living in poverty. The old adage that the best way to fight poverty is to avoid joining them and adding to their numbers, can no longer be enough. Poverty is nothing but a drag on society. Economic slavery is senseless and unacceptable.

“There are diseases of every stripe and type. Even plagues, and the threat of deadly pandemics. None of this is inevitable or desirable. It is a matter of removing the obstacles which have traditionally prevented health from being available for all. There is still much work and research to be done, but the availability of all we do know must be provided to ever increasing numbers of people.

“The world today is also besieged by war and conflict.” For a moment, a smile crossed Daniel's face. “There is a wonderful song of many years back entitled, “A Merry Little Minuet” [5]. A portion of it goes something like this: 'The whole world is festering with unhappy souls; The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles; Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch; And I don't like anybody very much.' Doesn't that just about sum up the gist of feelings in our world today?

“It doesn't have to be that way. The advances in near instant communications have provided people in all parts of the world the opportunity to converse with others everywhere, to learn how they think, even to understand their experiences and expectations. It's very hard to wage war on a friend, and as we learn more and more about others, we become their friends. Instead of demonizing the enemy – as countless governments have done throughout history – we find ourselves knowing the people of other cultures and traditions, and consequently we find themselves to be very much like us. 'We have met the enemy and they are us.' But because they are us, they need no longer be our enemy.

“This is true even when others may be competing with us for limited resources. For example, society runs on energy. The good news is that there is enough energy to go around as well. There are technologies that can provide us with all the energy we need, consistent with maintaining and improving the environment, and in fact improving the natural state of our surroundings. This will not be a problem.

“Perhaps the greatest obstacle we face is the lack of education, including intentional deceit and misinformation, and the withholding of knowledge and wisdom that is our greatest inalienable right. To educate is 'to bring forth'. To educate is to encourage and support every individual in achieving their highest and wisest potential. It is to bring out the benefits of diversity, creativity, and just plain delights. Learning is that for which humans are best equipped.

“Our commitment to education shares no equal. Education is the primary reason for this first appearance before you. This event, in turn, will be followed soon by a meeting with selected journalists from around the world, where the questions that most concern each of you can be asked and hopefully answered. It is our intent to be open and forthcoming. Together, we can better create a world in which we can all live.

“Together, we can turn swords into plowshares, share the harvests, and rebuild our lives. We can enjoy the benefits of Common Law, the Golden Rule, and a societal contract that allows for the greatest amount of freedom consistent only with the recognition of the equal rights of others. We can by working both individually and cooperatively, eliminate the perils of inherited power, the ownership of children, spouses, and others, those clan and tribal customs better suited for a barbaric world, and all the unfortunate traditions that have resisted change purely on the basis of no longer viable ideologies.

“The challenges we face in the future are many. But with the perseverance and persistence of the whole of humanity, we will meet, overcome, and supersede such obstacles. There are no limits to our achievements as a community of souls with a breathtaking diversity of dreams, aspirations, and hopes for the future. This is an incredibly exciting time. We are embarking on the Great Journey as a species, such that even the sky is no longer the limit. There are, in fact, no limits, including none of the manner in which we enjoy our progress along life's path, delight in our journeys, and find constant amusement in our antics along the way. We look forward to seeing you on this great trek. It's going to be a wonderful odyssey. We will meet again soon. Thanks for listening.”

______________________

[1] John Maynard Keynes,” as quoted in The Atlantic Monthly, October 2007, page 47.

[2] IAGO is celebrated in literature, i.e.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iago

[4] http://www.amazon.com/Earthrise/dp/B001F6LHM8

[5] http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiRIOTAFR.html Recorded by The Kingston Trio.

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