Can The World Change?

Sometimes books attempt to explore really deep issues in an attempt to come away with a theory as to why the world is the way it is. I came across such a book recently, though it falls far short.

Man’s Greatest Fear: The Final Phase of Human Evolution won an International Book Award. It proposes that man’s domination of women is “actually motivated by an intense, and subconscious, fear of her.” The author, Thomas M. Liste, Ed. D., concludes that man is destructive and that the solution to creating a more powerful world is to include women and feminist thinking in major decision-making processes and institutions.

The author points out: “Whether through physical violence, social mores or customs, laws that he’s legislated, or the subtle subjugation through his man-made, male-dominated religions, man’s domination of women is obvious, severe, and universal.”

The book is certainly controversial and thought-provocative but I am not sure one can clearly show that most men want to keep women down nor can one clearly show the world would be better with women dominating positions of power. I think the world is just messed up – aside from sex-related leadership issues – and it will need a major overhaul for it to become the one we try to construct for our kids.

I have two young children and I fear the days that I have to see their innocence shattered and explain how the world really works. It concerns me that just in trying to explain the facts I will already corrupt them, for the facts reflect a world filled with rampant corruption, violence, dishonesty, hate, and ignorance.

What is the solution? Let’s examine some options:

1.      Create a fresh start: Kill everyone who is evil and purge the planet of the crazies? Where would you begin and where do you draw the line? Does this make the executioner part of the problem?

2.      Annex the world: Somehow separate the world into groups and keep them away from one another? Impossible. We cannot build walls to divide territories and peoples so evenly. Besides, we like mixing with people different from ourselves.

3.      Run off to Mars – One day we will find another planet to inhabit. Is the solution to Earth’s problems going to be that the good people just abandon the planet?

4.      Work together – This is the most challenging option but it is the one that most needs to work.

The world is like a poorly planned shopping center. You ever notice how old malls seem to have not been planned as well as newer ones, in terms of layout, security, parking, crowd control, etc.? That is the world today – an old mall that has outlived its usefulness. We need a major restructuring. The current setup of 200 or so nations yields wars, poverty, and disease, in part because of a negative history, unfair distribution or resources, and a disagreement in politics, and religion on how to live our lives. We need to find some type of equitable balance, amongst our needs, desires, beliefs, histories, and opportunities.

Or we can go on accepting the world as it is broken, and filled with so much pain, anger, fear, and struggle. The rich have an obligation to help others; the poor have an obligation to minimize their burden on society and to become self-sufficient. The world now operates under an official formula of haves and have-nots, whether one benefits form a military position, a financial one, or some other means. Look around you. Some have things, some don’t, and there is a connection between the two.

I would love to see more books that explore solutions as to have the world, overall, can improve, on all fronts – peace, wealth, health, safety, education, happiness, etc. We cannot solve one problem and ignore another. We have to look at the world from a larger perspective than the plight of one nation or one group. We should find a way to make things better for everyone. Maybe other books will show us how.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©