An APPRECIATION of Dr. Glen Martin’s latest book – ONE WORLD

RENAISSANCE.

By E. P. Menon, July, 2015

The moment I finished reading this fascinating book – ONE WORLD RENAISSANCE – a significant statement made by a former US army field commander in North Africa and Europe during WORLD WAR TWO , Omar N.Bradley, came to my mind. He had rightly observed: ” The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom; power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.”

Probably Glen Martin must have arrived at the same conclusion after the four decades of his teaching philosophy, relentless academic research, study of history and struggle for building a better world for ALL HUMANS to live in peace and prosperity. Therefore, his realistic narrative of

the present world predicament must be seriously considered by all right-thinking people on earth. He writes:

“Perhaps most people have experienced life as a nightmare of scarcity of resources, or the dehumanization of oppression of one form or another. History records experiences of domination, slavery, exploitation, war, hate and fear, clinging to a precarious and uncertain existence in the face of horrible possibilities of disease, suffering, death and destruction. We may want to preserve some values, insights and wisdom from the past, or an understanding of sacred scriptures, or some ideal of culture, but these preserved remembrances are invariably in the name of a better future, a future transformed in the direction of peace, justice, truth, love, community and freedom”.

Is there a way out of the present horrible global predicament? Certainly there is, argues Glen. It requires, as a prerequisite, the abolition of the fragmented and confrontational culture and nature of the present nation-states. Then a peaceful FEDERATION OF EARTH could be constructed which will be administered by enlightened WORLD CITIZENS. In other words, a WORLD GOVERNMENT is inevitable if humanity is to survive. “The key pivotal point for moving from the world’s war system to a world peace system is ratification of the CONSTITUTION FOR THE FEDERATION OF EARTH”, stresses Dr. Martin with conviction.

20th century could be considered as most violent in human history, so far. No wonder, another great philosopher, BERTRAND RUSSELL, had asked a simple question to the power-mongers in the 1960s. “Has man a future?” And when he began exploring a proper answer to that simple question from the streets of London, the power-structure around him felt threatened and he was imprisoned !

Being a political thinker, philosopher, social activist, peace crusader and above all a good and compassionate human being, the focal point of Dr. Martin’s writing has been the urgent need for promoting the GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY. The prevailing ‘military-industrial-complex ‘

all over the world stands as the hardest stumbling block on the path of this vital possibility.

Therefore, a fresh and deeper thinking and concerted action is essential if we want to see the twenty first century less violent. This process should start with a simple question: “Who gives INDIVIDUAL HUMANS the exclusive right to own and control the GIFTS OF NATURE ?” All theories of defense under the militarized nation-state

systems are cunningly invented and maintained to satisfy the unjust privileges by the few against the many.

Unrestrained capitalistic greed has perpetually fueled military revolutions culminating in the greatest tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After that there was some hope that some refreshed thinking would emerge. But the sudden recent Japanese decision of remilitarization (July 2015) will topple the apple cart of “day-dreamers” around the world.

Will humanity be prepared to gird up its loins and confront the disastrous new challenges? In this context Dr. Martin’s warning carries more weight when he forecasts: “We continue to live with the obvious possibility of a major war using chemical, biological, geodynamic, or nuclear weapons of mass destruction so devastating as to wipe out the human race or at least destroy the planetary environment to the extent that the human race is thrown back into a primitive and brutal Hobbesian struggle for existence in a poisoned world of mutants, unstoppable diseases and global wreckage.”

The EARTH CONSTITUTION has carefully provided solutions to several crucial issues that have been haunting law-makers for centuries. It can also serve as an INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TOOL for the coming generations, as well as serve as an inspiring guide for those who are sincerely attempting to alter the destructive social and economic structures that have created rivers of blood in human history, and replace them with constructive edifices which will shelter and encourage ALL CONCERNED HUMANS to play their responsible and equitable roles in the future UNIVERSAL PLAYGROUND CALLED LIFE.

**********************

E.P.MENON

Director, India Development Foundation

SNS Manor, 2 Brunton road,

BANGALORE. 560001, INDIA.