We all know the old saying that "The history repeats itself." looking around the world, and while trying to stay calm and objective, the primary observation is that we haven't changed and are repeating the old disastrous courses again, and yet again. At the present course, a.very chaotic situation may arise even though it may not be as bad as the first half of the 20th century with two world wars which brought to the whole world unspeakable miseries and manmade disasters. Human greed, aggression, stupidity, misguided loyalty and passion, arrogance, hubris, ignorance, impulsiveness, selfishness/survival instinct, envy/anxiety, plus the historical PTSD/the great sense of victimhood remain the same as usual. Thus, the argument, that we are doomed to repeat our mistakes over and over again, makes, unfortunately, understandable sense.
There is another old saying, "Man learns only through agony." Agreed in both personal and collective level. Hollande's 'hereditay enemy reconciling,' is possible only after unimaginable agony, even though the hereditary competitiveness still/always remains. More important it is possible and sustainable for the time being because both of them were both victorious and defeated/perpetrator and victim. Simply put they are even, more or less, historically. They could go beyond 한 풀이 because 한 풀이 had run its course for them. They know it is mutually greatly destructive without any benefits. At the moment, in many parts of the world, 한 풀이 has only begun and they are creating more 한 while they clearly know that is not the way to go. The reality on the ground dictates more and deeper 한. The vision or goal becomes the victim of the fog of war.
The next question to ask is what have we learned or accumulated through history with advancements we have achieved. Granted we have the same basic ingredients as many- thousand-years-ago-humans in terms of breathing and living organism but along the way we have built/created civilization/infrastrucutre to live in more peaceful/civilized way.
We have achieved to a remarkable level. We have many toys and tools to play with. But I can't help feel that we are like dogs with many more toys. We haven't changed in our nature and never will as dogs with many toys will always stay as dogs. When we build our vision we'll have to work with our nature as it is. Our nature will keep us in the path to repeat our mistakes. Whatever new vision we may come up with, we have to start from the fact that our nature is very imperfect and prone/destined to make mistakes of our own making.
The new vision has to be based on the accumulated knowledges and wisdoms manifested in the form of civilized infrastructures and institutions/morals, ethics(soft civilization), government, educational institutions, financial structures, and fair/just court systems. For this to be a reality, peace and equitable distribution of resources are mandatory. At this time in human history, we have a long long way to go. Not only that but we'll always need the enforcers of the ideal of the ideal human community. Isn't this interesting that to have peace and prosperity we have to have a big fist to maintain it. But then, that is why coming up with the new vision is such an exciting project. After all somebody has to come up with it. Somebody has to hope it and will it. Why not us?
