Revolutions are easy. Revolutions are the exciting, marketable part of new societies. Everyone wants to be in the streets with their fellow man, tearing down systems of oppression. But if history has taught us anything, by way of the Russian Revolution of 1917 (from tsarism to totalitarianism and then Stalinism), the French Revolution of 1789 (from monarchy to terror and then dictatorship), and the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949, revolutions truly and dishearteningly do tend to be better understood as processes of revolving and recreating, rather than about restructuring and reimagining. It is fitting to see the non-political brand of science’s definition of a revolution, referring to an object’s orbit or path by which something revolves around another, like planets, or wheels.
The Arab Spring, the term used to describe a series of protests and uprisings throughout the autocracies of the Middle East from the end of 2010 to mid-2012, was an alarming reminder of the desperate urge towards complacency we tend to exhibit when the shackle-off-casting is over, we’ve all long since posted our battle cries on twitter, and finished choosing the right filters and hashtags for our fights for independence photo-ops. Even if our goals are not met, or our voices are not heard, we are so eager to return to normalcy and our obsession with individualism (concepts which, over the past decades, have been completely divorced from collectivism or political engagement of any meaningful capacity) that we will gladly accept significant levels of oppression, corruption, and forced servitude which would be otherwise intolerable, were we not placated by wondrous technological marvels, occasional periods of prosperity, and the illusion of choice and equal opportunity.
We are expected to believe that we live in the same world as the obscenely wealthy, as we are now able to tour the museums, castles, and palaces of old. The Palace of Versailles, built with the explicit intention of astonishing the senses and perceptions of the 18th Century peasants and gentry, is now on open display for the masses. But the elites of today have new palaces, and new artworks to fill them, which we will never gaze upon. This is not conspiratorial fervor, meant to stir up a witch hunt against our modern elites. This is merely the state of the world we live in, unchallenged and largely unchecked for centuries.
For no matter how far humanity progresses, in technological, societal, or philosophical realms, we are still now as we always have been divided along economic lines. To rage against such a machine or social order may gain popular favor with the always-larger underclasses, as was the case with the Occupy Movement, but to suggest or carry out any true solution or socio-economic restructuring seems to be the death of any interest for the common man in actual social revolution.
What Unism seeks to achieve is to affect a change amongst humanity towards collectivism, a mindset which accepts one’s fellow man and shares in his struggle. Not in the patronizing, forced and hollow spirit of Liberals who preach the necessity of multiculturalism from their lavish gated communities, but in a meaningful and practical manner which prioritizes the strength and integrity of small scale communities. What good is the prosperity of the others when your own needs are not met? Charity starts at home, yet our conceptions of both charity and home must accommodate our realities.
Unism aims to transform our world – it aims to finally realize the potential of our modern connectivity and global reach, in ways which address the true physical and personal needs of each person able to see themselves in the other, and thus follow the Golden Rule to the best of their abilities.
For this next year, look for little ways to engender a sense of community amongst those you care for, and for those around you. Understand the purpose and potential of your own unique life, and use your blessings to bless others.
See you in the circle,
The Unists 