Post at George Soros' Open Society Discussion Forum:

Philip Henika - 08:52pm Aug 22, 2000 (87.)

'Richard [Richard van Fleet] -

I would like to recommend that the participants in this forum read and discuss together Thomas Friedman's "Understanding Globalization: The Lexus and the Olive Tree". One clearly stated theme of the book is that globalization, as a replacement of the Cold War, is progressing in more dimensions that just global economies. George Soros, in his book, "The Crisis of Global Capitalism: Open Society Endangered" implies that unregulated, global economies constitute the major extent of globalization: that unregulated, global economies are HAPPENING whether or not we apply polarized descriptors such as good or evil. Let me ask if you agree with a different approach. Let's simply improve ourselves as observers of what is HAPPENING in the context of globalization; of what is the possible significance of what is HAPPENING in the context of globalization; and what can be done to find a Truth (however partial) about the meaning of globalization to the lives of ALL people on Earth. The latter approach sets polarized descriptors aside but I need to briefly return to them: my simple definition of evil is that which seperates; my simple definition of good is that which unifies. Unification draws, for me, a simple paradigm that directed human violence is premediated behaviour which merely excerbates the fact that we are dying beings in an expanding Universe. IMO, life is a precious illusion. However, 'peacebuilding' and a 'peacebuilding industry' can be premeditated as well. A Renaissance which melds science and spirituality without a good or evil judgment is my working hypothesis justified by attempted observations toward the human understanding (albeit partial) of globalization. If we are serious about understanding globalization, that which has replaced the Cold War (or so the experts say), then the significance to globalization of a Russian sailor who died in the Kursk tragedy is important to evaluate NOW; a tree cut down in a rain forest in Brazil and its impact on global warming is important to evaluate, NOW; recent new pressures on the economy in Thailand and its impact on globalization is important to evaluate, NOW; the influence of the "Bilderberg" is important (IMO) to evaluate NOW and etc., etc, etc... Two captured idealogies come to mind: dimensionality (possibly, depth of feeling in a poet's world) and holism (possibly, further applications of the butterfly effect if hope is involved). IMO - love is attentiveness, romance is simple consideration, soul is the continuation of life and veracity is the work of soul. As you say, Richard, there is no Ultimate Truth but do we stop trying or do we try to approach globalization via the paths we chose to follow in our own lives? Now, as Soros' points out, 'the path to hell can be paved with good intentions' but this does not deny that 'the path to Heaven can be paved with good intentions' as well. IMO - the world needs to come together on globalization as a matter of expediancy.'

Philip "Rick" Henika