Mahatma Gandhi correctly identified seven blunders of the world: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle.”

Thoughts at 3 AM

Compiled by Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD

We face unprecedented challenges that require unprecedented human
responses.Here are some now well characterized challenges that require not
so-well discussed solutions: 1) human population shooting up from 7 billion
to 10 billion soon, 2) consumption of non-renewable resources at an all
time high, 3) climate change accelerating thanks to human activities, 4)
water shortage in most of the planet, 5) politicians and other greedy
individuals pushing wars and arms-deals that ends-up in  genocides like
what is happening in Gaza and Yemen. We witness the mass of refugees
walking north towards the US border or those refugees in Gaza being shot at
the border as they try to return to their homes and lands taken from them
by force in Palestine in 1948. These and others resulted from a combination
of these factors (though mostly politics driven factors) but they are only
a harbinger of much worse things to come. Estimates range from 100 to 500
million "climate refugees" in the next two decades. The violent/repressive
response of those in political power will only exacerbate the problems.
Borders, racism, and repressive politics as usual will no longer contain
hundreds of millions (nay billions) of people who have no or scarce access
to clean water, food, healthcare or education.

How do we address this? First we must understand what faces us honesty.
Killing and dismembering one journalist or using white phosphorous ion
civilian populations of Yemen and Gaza are symptoms of something far deeper
and far more troubling.  Second we must rebel against the status quo while
in parallel work to create innovative alternatives. Each of us can and must
start to address these challenges. It is hard work and it is not easy.
Burying our head in the proverbial sand will no longer be feasible, We
can't be neutral on a moving train. The work we are doing locally (e.g. at
palestinenature.org) needs to go to a much higher level and far more
urgently than most people think. We must at least start a more serious
conversation and apply more serious work towards solutions. It is perhaps
the last test of our humanity. The choices are stark. We can continue down
this unsustainable path that could destroy us and our planet. Or we can
push hard to get our act together quickly as fellow human beings to care
for each other and for this planet. The stakes were never more stark.

Mahatma Gandhi correctly identified seven blunders of the world: wealth
without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character,
commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without
sacrifice, politics without principle."

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“One difference between South Africa and Israel is that Israel is stronger,
more sophisticated and better connected to the world. And it has done a
better job obscuring its apartheid. It’s big, strong and nondemocratic.
Israel oppresses the Palestinians through various means with one result:
There isn’t a single free Palestinian in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. Their
fate is determined by the Israeli government in Jerusalem and the Defense
Ministry in Tel Aviv, and they have no rights at either one. Is this not
apartheid? Is it democracy?” Gideon Levy, Haaretz.