THE PARADIGM EFFECT 14/06/19
Imagine that is natural for a growing paradigm to gradually overtake an aging paradigm. But what happens if the aging paradigm fights back? We are confronted with a dynamic complex.
If the worldview of the modern surrounds ideas of a clean environment, health, welfare and wellbeing and the conventional worldview is typical of cultural domination and social struggles, then it's not hard to 'know' the difference on the landscape.
The aging side of the plane involves struggles, conflicts and even wars that maintain the common tradition; the modern side of the plane is somewhat peaceful.
I have used the term 'know' to indicate perception, awareness, experience, understanding and knowledge. It is distinguished from 'remember' because an image or idea can be recalled from the memory and not necessary applying one's faculties to know.
Someone who is streetwise and hasn't had a Shakespearian education may remember popular images and can recall them without knowing the full background. On the other hand, someone who had a higher education may be able to recite Hamlet back to front but is not able to survive a day on the street.
To the point in question; the common methods and behaviour, that we have adopted to live by is referred to as conventional standards. And these traditions include economic maintenance and social struggles that benefit a dominant group over others. But we have come to know by awareness, experience and knowledge that this conventional tradition is destroying our world and threatening the survival of future generations.
We can recite images turning over in our memories; images of war, environmental pollution, illness, disease, famine and poverty! But we can also associate these images with shared experiences. Unlike the Shakespeareans abstract, which has a gap in the memory, the images can help trigger the experience that in turns raise emotions to reality.
For the Shakespearian scholar, he/she has to create something to fill the abstract gap lacking in experience and understanding of social struggles of the street.
So you see, the modern paradigm is stemmed from the conventional tradition. It is knowing the inequalities, the poor and sick, and violent imposition of conventional traditions that gave awareness and realisation to the health, welfare and wellbeing of future generations.
You can have all the knowledge in the world to know, but if you haven't lived through the social consequences of conventional traditions, then you cannot remember. And there is a gap in the traditional convention that they might be forgiven for.
However, the paradigm shift thus fills a human necessity that is missing in the mind of conventional traditionalists. It is helping the mongers to remember that we are all humans irrespective of difference.
So if conventional traditionalists have what it takes to know and understand the impact of economic and social struggles upon humanity would they listen and change their behaviour for the better?
So far, there is no evidence of such behaviour. In fact, the more we speak out and protest, the harder they deploy force to silence us. We have had experience of right wing terrorism; we have had experience of the private sector full force against CGT and Kiwibuild effect.
Clearly, we have a conflict of worldviews, between conventional traditions and the modern. Conventional traditions may have all the knowledge of economic domination and maintaining class struggles, but it is ignorant of equality, diversity, health, welfare and wellbeing for all citizens. Notice in particular that the natural paradigm is not based on race, culture, economic or social status.
A worldview is not some ideas dreamed up by some bored young person with time on his/her hands. For the young generation to be knowledgeable about the modern worldview means they have become aware, realised and understand through experience perceive a better world without environmental pollution, social struggles and wars.
This modern paradigm is therefore not a political creation but a natural phenomenon emerged from knowledge of living through struggles of conventional traditions.
It is also knowledge of the old way - conventional traditional, that something innocent and beautiful is a natural threat. This is realised in the rise of right wing activities and political tribal resurgence in the likes of Trump and Brexit.
The current state of political affairs is clearly displaying conflicts between this paradigm phenomenon and the human created opposition in their effort to hang on to conventional traditions.
I am saying that since the aging conventional traditionalists may not have experienced struggles for life in polluted areas among inequalities, they may be innocent to their violent stand. But at the same time, they continue to impose violent activities in opposition to the modern. That means they have no intention of change for the better.
The genuine factor in the natural paradigm is validated by its diverse membership. They are bound not by race or status but by awareness, realisation, experience and understanding of conventional traditions come together to influence a better future.
Obviously, not much is going to happen if they just stand in front of buildings with banners in protest. They are knowledgeable enough to use the democratic way or political representation to drive home their reality.
Will they deploy force to fright and threaten us to submission? Well, if you think about it, it doesn't really matter. If they don't change, the global crisis might mean disaster for the world; if they use force it could also enhance environmental crises and in turn the world.
So really, we have no choice. We have an urgency to do something practical, we now have to vote for the future.