Science driven Industrialization model of development in wider reference, may be seen as something to which (in parts)– the cultural historian used to call ‘the West’, a political scientist today can call ‘US-lead world order’ (that was previously ‘British empire lead European power’s dominance’); a philosopher may see it an ‘age’ of science, an economist can call it an era of globalization and convergence and a scientist may like to call this age a pinnacle of technological advancement, so on and so forth.
It is important however that there is no some type of universal narrative that is shared by all. There exists many ‘Other’ differing terms of reference or perspectives about industrialization. For example many Islamic thinkers perceive it as an order of domination lead by Christendom; a person from dharmic tradition of course easily identifies this with ‘Kaliyuga’, an age dominated by darkness and sin.
This industrialization is not only ‘not-owned’ by all, but people ‘owning’ it owns it for varying degrees and proportions; espousing it together with differing perspectives and different reasons. There are people who are desperately waiting for an avatar, messiah, or prophetic ‘Day of Judgment’. Yet more troubled is that set of persons which is deeply in to this scientific industrialization and is getting wary of it. The Promised Land that science claimed some steps ahead is nowhere visible in horizon and instead there is growing debris of destruction-plunder; pollution and population.
This is the reason science driven Industrialization model of development is under threat today. The not so striking fact is that it is crumbling under its own edifice. Along with this is declining – ethics and morals, art and aesthetic, demographics and socio-political order, all that once supported it; something to which we are so intimately addicted to is also showing marks of decay.
Those who are not into this mainstream (by mainstream I mean, English literature, academics, popular art and media etc.) are in comparison living in a state of bliss. They are not inheritors of guilt. And among these also people with ancient cultural traditions and philosophical thoughts (Chinese, Japanese, Iranians, and Indians etc.) with these alternative perspectives are better placed to understand the malady. They have rich repository of experiences and variety of standpoints to compare, analyze and understand the scene and at least some signs are there of the triumph of cyclical nature.
The effects of Industrialization are now making themselves felt. Despite sincere effects to hide, if possible, to correct them are on; there is also complacency perhaps arising out of a simplistic logic that poor masses of Africa, Asia and South America would be first and perhaps sufficient to satiate the hunger of climatic changes including the global warming.
In this model of Industrialization, power is generated and enhanced through surplus/ accumulation and this power is becoming more intangible. Currency and monitory instruments that used to be repository of value of an economy has moved into a notional value regime. This is maintained and determined by complex multilateral agreements by nations. Nations trying to ensure maintain the benefits of lead taken in initial stages of industrialization and subsequent scientific and technological advancements. Some other countries attempting to enter into this power club and so on.
Systematization of scientific advancement along with multilateral institutions, political and military management has stabilized monitory system that stands for the power of accumulation and surplus. (In time prior to industrialization the barbarian and brute people/tribes had almost a divine right to destabilize the stable civilized world and ensure equitable distribution of resources. Religions played divinely sanctioned role in such enterprises. Nature ensured equilibrium through its judicious mechanism)
Science lead Industrialization takes accumulation to its extreme. It gives no safety valves for the divergent elements. It negates them and in process strengthens forces that are set out to weaken it. As accumulated surplus that has monitory system as its base with arbitrary narrow conception of ‘value’, the scientific industrialization model is wasteful.
It cannot be anything else. We just have to see at the wasteful food (should we include overeating also in it!), clothing and whole lifestyle of an average American or a European. It celebrates insane accumulation, consumption and productivity. No matter if the produce is wasted and thrown in Sea. The distortion is to be maintained at any cost. Such exponential accumulation of money is not possible in sectors that are crucial for human beings like agriculture or allied sector. The ‘real’ money lies in creating wasteful wants on one side and controlling the scarce resources on other. This of course also means growing market, increasing population that requires sympathetic ethics and moral values that translates in medical and pharmaceutical policies.
The ‘wealth’ generated in sustainable economic model, through predominance of agriculture and tertiary sector is existential. The life cycle of human beings and host of living beings is embedded in a cyclical natural order. The traditional economics is based on the surpluses out of the natural productivity. The nature has various loops and cycles of climate variables affecting the surpluses. This order has place for other species of living beings. Man, animals and nature coexist in a cycle of give and take. Can a farmer’s son waste edibles that have sweat of his family? a crop that they sow, fend and reap?
Industrialized farming, fishing, farming etc. has distorted the fragile ecological order. The accumulative greed has lead to wasteful exploitation on resources. Values in such a milieu are inconceivable and are rightly used as a part of diplomatic and strategic purpose.
The scientific Industrial model is interventionist and seeks to create an order based on ‘human reason’, science and Judgment. So a farm is a factory. Animals are to be replaced with more efficient machines. Animal energy is to be replaced by fossil energy. And wherever animals are required they are just means of production. Economics condone all abuse and maltreating till it makes economic sense. It allows genetically tempering of flora and fauna. This is the grand ethics of utilitarianism of the reverend JS Mill. We should remember that sense of hollowness and ennui felt by the rich today is not without reason; it is not that innocent either. Perhaps the only thing worse than this ‘sense of hollowness’ is working to fulfill it.
Industrialization had had an environmental cost. This had been hidden beneath the surface by corporate world and governments. Even today the CSRs and social activities of many corporate and many a governmental social schemes targeting a particular region /population or legislative measures to ensure spending certain percentage of revenues of development are half-hearted attempts in this direction. Interest of an industry polluting a fresh water stream is in collusion of interest of farmers, fishermen and people dependent on the stream for water for use. The sheer capacity of self deception and delusion among human beings is amazing. But the problem is that with growing population this is not easy.
Developed societies have already reaped the economic dividends of population growth. Population is market wherein rests the economic and trade power. This is now favoring countries like China, India and Brazil etc. And there is no dearth of Money. Inflation driven economic policies has ‘empowered’ nations around the globe for more consumption. The grips of governments are weakening in developed world. US subprime crisis is just one example. The ownership of capital becoming transnational is leading to a veritable policy cacophony. It is democratic and it is also dangerous. The social freebies are no more feasible even for the developed nations. The capital is gone gaseous from liquid as it has now freed itself from the narrow space-time (nation-state) limitation. In fact the monies are not in the present it is in predicting, tapping if designing the future. This is where the real danger lies. This world is getting more erratic.
The way corporate lead capitalism is allowed to run the show, the pusillanimity of governments to rein them in is creating a chasm in democracies. In absence of values and sense of Justice the foundation of this order is collapsing. The greed that is always myopic, assisted by fickle monitory instruments is the cause of real threat. Today monitory system holds the key for it ensures order that has political and military power supporting it. But it is this nature of monitory order that is greatest threat to the order than anything else. And weakening of this would give rise to a host of problems.
Problems are many. But we can rest assured with the power of Time. The pace of events takes away sting from the greatest of outrages and then are we not people with limited attention span and pretty short time conception today?
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