Rethink our models of society
A large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done.
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This is the definition of society according to the Cambridge Dictionary. It’s perfectly understandable in theory; but when it comes to practice some important questions come up. How should this organization be? Who gets to do what in the “sharing of work”? Does everybody have a say in this puzzle or just a few people?
See?
It’s far from being that simple. Each person has an interpretation of right and wrong, justice, equality, peace… It’s difficult to imagine that that will ever be a model of society that pleases everyone. But when analyzing the way things work in the world now, some relevant people have strong opinions about where we are heading.
There are those who dare to say that women will dominate the world. A talk between father and son, around the year of 2031, about how women dominated the world:
– And this is how it all happened, my son…
They planned the whole thing discreetly so we wouldn’t notice. First they asked for gender equality. Men, the silly fools, didn’t give much attention to it in the occasion. It seemed like a joke.Little by little, they conquered strategic positions: financial director, CEO, chief of staff, manager of this and that.
– And then what, dad?
– Oh, men were so naive. While women talked for hours on the phone, men thought the subject of the conversation was soap opera. Sad mistake. Indeed, it was the rebellion expanding during the innocent commercial breaks. ’Hey, dear!’, for example, was the password that identified the leaders. ’Cellulites’ were the groups that formed the organization. When they wanted to talk about the husbands, they said ’the diet’.
– And you were all clueless?
– We were playing soccer at the club, unconcerned. And what’s worse: we continued to help them when they asked; carrying bags in the airport, fixing sinks, opening olive pots, giving away our turn in shipwrecks. All these man stuff.- And then came the world-wide coup?
– Yes, the coup. The apex was the Hillary-Monica episode. A trick. All set up to demoralize the most powerful man in the world. They got him in his weakness; poor guy. I have told you, right? The wife and the mistress that posed as rivals on TV were actually accomplices of a devious plot. Poor president…
– What was his name again?
– William, I guess. He had a nickname, but I forgot… Sorry, son, it’s been so long…
– It’s alright, dad. It doesn’t matter. Keep going…
– In that morning the White House appeared painted pink. It was the signal women from all over the world were waiting. The rebellion was victorious! So they took over power all over the planet. That tower with the watch in London used to be called Big-Ben, and not Big-Betty as now… Only men played in the soccer World Cup, did you know that? Fashion show day wasn’t a holiday. This Secretary-General of the United Nations was a mere singer. She then changed her name from Madonna to Mandona (which means ’bossy’ in English)…
– Tell me more, dad.
– Well, son… The rest you already know. They instituted the ’Tire changer’ robot as a mandatory equipment of all cars… The ’Home-Now’ law, forbidding men from having a beer after work… And, of course, the famous PMS week once a month…
– PMS???- Yes, PMS… Probable Missile Season. It’s when they get super irritated and the world is under great danger of nuclear confrontation.
– I get scared just thinking about it, dad.
– Schhhh! I heard the noise of a car coming. Act normal and continue to smash those potatoes.”
(Free translation Portuguese-English of the story/chronicle “Como as mulheres dominaram o mundo”, written by the brazilian author Luís Fernando Veríssimo)
Those who adopt a more serious view and say we are heading straight into a chaotic situation where science can explain most beliefs and lead us into a disbelief of human beings…
A theory that Auguste Comte, the guy who put the first building blocks for sociology, constructed – along with the law of the three stages. The idea was quite closed, as we are observing inhumanity, and extremism everywhere. As Comte thought we should practice a religion of humanity in order to keep ourselves away from that stage of chaotic, so we should think of some kind of religious or belief system in order to reshape the society.
This idea is kind of idiotic and plausible at the same time. We have developed into the stage where we already have the tool to solve our problems and conflicts, the only thing left is that whether we are ready to work together on them.
And those who think the future of the world relies on the young people to speak up and make themselves heard while refusing to be manipulated by the social media and those that want to control them…
In the HOMILY, which was read in St Peter’s Square at the 33rd World Youth Day, Sunday, 25 March 2018 HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS told the young people:
“And you, dear young people, the joy that Jesus awakens in you is a source of anger and even irritation to some, since a joyful young person is hard to manipulate. A joyful young person is hard to manipulate!
But today, a third kind of shouting is possible: “And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He replied, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out”” (Lk 19: 39-40).
The temptation to silence young people has always existed. The Pharisees themselves rebuke Jesus and ask him to silence them.
There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible. Many ways to anaesthetize them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. “Keep quiet, you!” There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive.
On this Palm Sunday, as we celebrate World Youth Day, we do well to hear Jesus’ answer to all those Pharisees past and present, even the ones of today: “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Lk 19:40).
Dear young people, you have it in you to shout. It is up to you to opt for Sunday’s “Hosanna!”, so as not to fall into Friday’s “Crucify him!”… It is up to you not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders – so often corrupt – keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”
So what is the future of our society going to be: female dictatorship, chaos, or peace led by the youth? It’s impossible to know, but one thing is for sure: it depends on the NOW! The future is merely a group of consequences of the acts we make in the present. Each one of us, let’s fight for what we believe and stand up for each other. For the animals, for the environment, for ourselves… It’s in our hands to think today how we want our society to be tomorrow and take action.
