Our Moment of Crisis and Opportunity

Responding to fascism, climate change, misogyny, racism, socioeconomic injustice, perpetual war, and more

To further address the situation in the US after this week’s election, I selected a few paragraphs from various sections of my book A Compassionate Civilization: The Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism. I hope that you find them helpful in this critical moment.

Our Time of Crisis and Opportunity

We are living in the most critical time in all of human history, a time to do what is needful or face the direst of consequences. Why do I say that? Never before in the past five thousand years have we faced such colossal dangers and such exhilarating possibilities. The very future of life on Earth is at stake. We face multiple, interlocking crises, any one of which could be decisive—climate chaos, misogyny, systemic poverty, oligarchy, prejudice, and a culture of violence. A whole system transformation is underway, and we are at the brink of either mass extinction or a whole new way of being human on planet Earth. Which it will be depends on what you and I do with our lives.

Oligarchy, Plutocracy, and Corporatocracy

The democratic experiment of more than three hundred years is faltering badly around the world. Oligarchy, plutocracy, and corporatocracy are masquerading as democratic regimes. Elites are manipulating democratic institutions to maintain control of political, economic, and military power. We are experiencing a deep crisis of governance. Democratic elections and representation around the world have been greatly weakened by a few powerful people. For example, only 158 families provided half of the money supporting presidential candidates for the 2016 US elections. When a few families control a country, it is called an oligarchy. When a few wealthy people control a country, it is called a plutocracy. In the United States and other nations, corporations are controlling elections, legislation, and the mass media as a way to control society. This is called corporatocracy. One of the problems with this trend is that the needs, voices, and wisdom of middle-class and poor people are being ignored, and they are suffering.

The Big Picture

Our current systems are not working for the human population or for other life-forms. Ours is a time of crisis that can wake us from this nightmare so that we can create a new way of being, a way of well-being for and on this Earth. Empathy has always been a deep part of the human psyche and is now being called by necessity, for survival’s sake, to emerge as the driving force for a new civilization of mutuality and care. Every day, it is proven again and again that people care about each other, including those who are far away and from different nations, cultures, religions, and races. Human beings are fundamentally empathic because we are deeply interconnected with one another and recognize ourselves in each other. We each want happiness and health. We feel each other’s suffering and joy. We are a big family of brothers and sisters, which includes other life-forms as well. More than eight billion human beings are present on this Earth today with our unique intelligence, creativity, compassion, and understanding to take us through this dangerous transition. This is the moment of citizens to the rescue.

The new civilization will be based on a social contract of the interdependence of people with each other and with natural systems. The renewable energy of sun, wind, and water will sustain our social and economic life. The protection of natural systems of soil, water, plants, and animals will be embodied in both collective law and individual behavior. Governance systems will be based on the needs and voice of all the people, not just the economic, political, and cultural elites. Accountability, transparency, and responsiveness will be present at all levels of government.

Fiscal systems will be designed to provide equity to all people. Global and local economies will be concerned about the rights and well-being of workers and the environment. Health care and education will be universal rights in policy and practice. Cultural diversity will flourish, and people will delight in their differences and enjoy learning from each other’s knowledge and wisdom. Consumption and production will be replaced as the highest good of society by mutual learning, care, artistic expression, and other forms of creativity.

This new civilization will be the flowering of the planetary and human project. Is this a vision of utopia? I would submit that we have a radical choice to make—to move toward either a sustainable and humanizing world or a world of endless dystopia of chaos and suffering.

How to Resuscitate Dead Democracy

American democracy is badly broken and may already be dead. What went wrong? How did it come to this sad state of affairs? Polarization and money are two of the mass murderers.

How can the vast array of views of 340 million people be reduced to only two—Democrat or Republican? This is indeed radical reductionism. The world then becomes bifurcated into black and white, red or blue, with good and bad being applied appropriately. But what are these two views/parties anyway? How do they so amazingly allow the country to be set into two warring camps? Republican views are often based on fear—fear of the other, fear of losing privilege—and are an amalgam of the wealthy and religious fundamentalists. Democratic views are often based on inclusion and a belief that everyone should have a fair chance. But is this the whole story?

The wizard behind the curtain is the oligarchy, the superrich. The political process becomes a charade of attack ads and big data while bankers, fossil fuel magnates, and other billionaires pull the levers. To get elected, candidates must have money to buy advertising. The money comes from the wealthy and goes to advertising and media firms owned by the wealthy—a win-win proposition. The wealthy then own the politicians. The wealthy then send their lobbyist to Washington to write the laws. And so we have a happy ending. The two opposing camps are really serving one master. All is well. Corporate bailouts will continue. Social programs will be cut. Infrastructure will collapse. Global warming will accelerate. Perpetual war will be waged. The global elite will remain happy and in control because capital is global and can always find places to make a profit. So, the two parties are really two faces of the one party of the superrich. Is there any hope?

Yes, we the people must speak, write, organize, vote, purchase, donate, invest, and act in a million ways each day. The key to a healthy democracy is citizen participation. How you and I participate in society is crucial. We can repair the social contract with our every word and deed. We can manifest our care for those in need. We can help give voice to the voiceless. We can acknowledge our current state of affairs and foster dialogue and action among people from the grassroots to the national and global levels.

We must call the superrich to give up greed for generosity. We must invite religious fundamentalists to return to their traditions’ teachings of compassion and care for the vulnerable. We must show the gun lobby that arming a society promotes ever-more danger and death. We must awaken the fossil fuel industry to pivot to green energy. We must entreat the military-industrial complex to use its vast power to create peace and development.

Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does. But don’t stop at voting. We must heal the body politic in a million ways. The future of life on Earth is at stake, and we each can make a critical difference.

Political Grieving, Self-Care, Learning, and Gratitude

When we experience loss, whether it is the death of a loved one or the loss of an election, grieving includes disbelief and anger in addition to sadness and a sense of abandonment. To move on, we must let grief take its natural course. Then, we must let go and get on with living in a new reality.

We must also take care of our wounded heart. We should get sufficient rest and nourishment, take time for ourselves in reading and reflection, and stay in touch with family and friends. Furthermore, we should engage in soul-searching and analysis so that we learn as much as possible from the situation for the sake of future engagements. We then should apply our lessons by modifying our behavior and actions in future situations and relationships.

Finally, we should take comfort by experiencing deep gratitude for the gift of life itself and for our unique life as it unfolds in mystery and perfection.

In the case of recent US elections, some of us, me included, are grieving. I can’t believe that the rout was so bad. I am angry that certain personalities now have even more power. I am sad that millions of people could be harmed by new policies, especially women, the elderly, students, the poor, the middle class, gays, and immigrants. I feel a strange sense of forlornness. What are your emotions?

How am I to take care of my wounded heart in this situation? I will make sure that I get enough rest and eat healthy food. I will do some reading related to my work and spiritual life. I will have conversations with my spouse about what is going on. She has already sent me an article from the New Yorker that cheered me up. How will you care for yourself?

In terms of soul-searching and analysis, I am reading about the election and what we may face over the next two years. I am deciding how I will be more engaged as a citizen from the local to national levels. I will write blog posts and articles, contact my representatives regarding issues, sign petitions, donate to candidates and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), speak with my students and colleagues, and engage in dialogue with people of other points of view. I will focus especially on supporting climate chaos mitigation and women’s empowerment but also on promoting socioeconomic justice, cultural and religious tolerance, and participatory governance. How will you go about your soul-searching?

Finally, I am comforted by deep gratitude for life itself: for my life; for family, friends, and colleagues; for opportunities for engagement and service; for health; and for my spiritual practice. Please consider making a list of what you are grateful for.

May everyone everywhere realize the great happiness that embraces both the ups and the downs of living by saying yes!

My Broken Heart

I cried in Grand Central on Saturday evening. I was standing in line to order a smoothie and panini after teaching all day at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Someone behind me spoke, and I turned around. It was a young man, and he said that he was a disabled veteran and was hungry.

He asked me for some money and showed me his veteran documents. I asked him how he was going to improve his situation. He said that he was on a waiting list to get into some housing for disabled veterans. I looked in my wallet, and it was empty of cash. I looked in my briefcase and found eight dollars.

I asked him if he would rather I buy him a sandwich and drink because I could use a credit card. He said that he would rather buy a ninety-nine-cent sandwich at Burger King. I gave him the eight dollars and looked into his eyes. My eyes filled with tears, and in a choked voice, I said that I hoped that he would be all right.

He hugged me and thanked me from the bottom of his heart. I turned and ordered my smoothie of blueberries and yogurt. He walked away. I don’t know if his story was true or not. I think that it was, but what if he needed drugs or was homeless for another reason? In any case, he was a person in need.

Of course there are millions of people who need help, who need food, who need housing, and who need a break. I think of the millions of Filipinos who are suffering tonight after the recent typhoon. How can we help? Yes, we should make a donation, but it is so little when the suffering is so vast and deep.

I know that we need to reinvent our societies so that they work for everyone and that everyone has opportunity, education, income, and a meaningful life. We need to stop burning fossil fuels that cause the formation of mega-storms. We need to do so much, and meanwhile, people are suffering.

My heart is broken again and again, moment by moment. And yet I go on and do what I can to help others through my teaching, consulting, writing, speaking, and loving my family and friends. It is so little, but it is my gift given. May my heart remain broken. May compassion spill out in comfort and service to others.