The rise of civilization to the sophistication of the 21st century has occurred through the implantation and exchange of various civil structures, beliefs and technologies. While these aspects may vary in degrees of authority, they are all influential to the society’s contemporary setting. Culture is valuable insight into the world’s foundations and across the globe there are countless interpretations of how to live, yet during the second half of the last millennia one “refined“ culture went about conquering the planet. Colonialism made use of novel technology to spread the European essence over the earth. Apart from uprooting untold numbers of local traditions the residual structure left in most locations was democracy.
With the world taking a notably European shape, similar personalities have found their way to the top of the hierarchical system and, with the help of loyal media outlets, been able to present a narrative to the people to sustain power. In examining the configuration of modern society we can explore the motives and players who have concocted our current condition as we move into an unrivalled technological age.
A Common Sight
Aligning Europe with its history of regality, a common arrangement still in the region sees a King or Queen front a nation, however the power currently vested in monarchs sees those involved acting more as figureheads and ambassadors than rulers. At home and abroad royal heirs go about representing their people even though their lives are vastly different to those they intend to symbolize.
Sitting below the out-dated pageantry though ruling administratively is a democratic leader, rising to power on backs of the populous’ vote. The governing elite typically portray an image determined to improve the prosperity for all citizens, but stop short at those funding their campaigns. With re-election becoming the prominent motive inhabitants feel the positive and negative effects of self-interest. (A notable exclusion: former Uruguayan President Jose Muijca).
Holding the wrists of leaders whilst they endow their campaigns with cash, a major percentage of a nation’s wealth is held by economical elites and corporations. Using the state as an instrument for their advancement they direct a country’s interests to correspond with their benefit.
An essential element to most societies is freedom, or at least the façade of it. Acting out the wishes of the wealthy, the proletarian take up tools to ensure the requests from above are kept and their families are supported. The working class bolster the structure of a society yet they often neglect inquiring into why they act as they do. Abiding by a system they were born into, the stories they have been fed content them in working hard because it is exactly how their lives should be spent.
Enabling this narrative the media are prime messages of the ruling class. Dumbing down the masses with asinine or frightful news, the private ownership of media outlets engender an endeavour to increase capital, repeatedly through deceptive methods. With intention to attract an audience to sell advertising to them, the mass media machine sets about discrediting opinions contrary to their agenda, protracting the ever-increasing split in community cohesion. By pressing the tribalistic instinct media outlets create a following, through nurturing bias they construct an illusion of integrity and peddle filth to the public.
Power and Technology
With weaponry, fear and sub-ordinance enabling their might, monarchs have historically been able to hold their throne atop a societal hierarchy through the cultivation of power and control. These active agents have been prime motivators for individuals to commit atrocities in the hope of cementing a position of authority. The desire to be revered and wealthy is as still palpable today as in ancient times, albeit with less bloodshed.
Throughout history we observe the continual innovation of destructive artillery in the hope of conquering and retaining land. The development of advanced arsenals has assisted many rulers in harbouring hegemony, the ingenuity of a state recurrently reflected in its battlefield outcomes. In Ancient Macedonia one can see the terrifying effect the Phalanx had over enemies, Alexander reaping claim to the known world via the use of novel technology. The introduction of firearms devastated many native cultures and made colonization a cake-walk. Hiroshima gave insight into why Oppenheimer channeled the Bhagavad Gita in stating “I become death, the destroyer of worlds”. As the experiment of civilization continues the potency machine has for destruction and supremacy keeps surging.
Modern equipment is not isolated to artillery but invested in creating a more personalized world, one which people can find their place in society by establishing it online. Technology has consistently been the major component ushering humanity along its evolutionary track. Incessant innovation has engendered an ever-connected world, yet in doing so has also made community life increasingly distant.
While the Internet’s ubiquitousness isn’t comparable to any previous generation the importance of knowledge is and always will be salient. The works of great thinkers have eternally been beacons for those wanting to extend their mental aptitude. The enduring aphorism Knowledge is Power still resonates with veracity as information has never been so widely available. The contemporary human has to decide whether they’ll use this technology for extending their intellect or contracting it with frivolity.
Reoccurring Cycle
The past is full with examples of how to approach forthcoming events. Although we are moving into an unknown area of technological revolution, it’s propitious to cast eyes back to see where life may echo itself. Examining history one can witness how occurrences have a curious cycle of repetition. While never an exact parallel, its difficult to ignore cross-cultural similarities of imperialism, genocide, and war.
It cannot be denied there has been some incredibly powerful rulers, but what makes this era interesting is the access a handful of leaders have to machines of mass destruction. With an impetuous push of a button civilization can implode.
The creation of an enemy has been frequently a strategy for rulers to spark patriotism, redirect anger and justify military conflict. By manifesting an enemy all undesirable aspects of a society can be said to be the work of outside forces invoking both animosity and fear, prime tools for the manipulation of the masses. In recent times the web of misconception has been unwound and false flag operations have come under scrutiny, the internet’s ever expanding database amplifying the freedom people have to piece credible material together.
For thousands of years the earth has had a cycle of warming and cooling, contemporarily however, the extent of variation has been striking in its uniqueness and signs show pernicious abnormalities. With demand for what’s new and modern production lines have never been as full. Currently the world produces approx. 3 times more carbon than the beginning of the 40’s industrial revolution, since 1880 global temperature has risen 1 ° Celsius with two-thirds of the change occurring post 1975.
One cannot deny the human aptitude for innovation and prevention. There is great potential within humanity to develop a miraculous cure for the adverse effects of climate change. Without action today, however, the idled time will make some damage irreversible. While the earth itself will regenerate there is no panacea for a planet inhospitable to humans. Implementing strategies now is like insurance for our descendants to know an earth of life-giving beauty and magnificence.
The world we live in is distinct 21st century, yet the characteristics that have shaped and moulded civilization are still attached and many are renouncing the actions of previous eras. Like any age there are going to be challenges, however with a combination of overpopulation, rising sea levels, re-ignited war, a global economy and the Internet, we are living in a time of rapid change.
Orwell wrote, “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it”. While this assessment may be just, the irony is that while we like to believe we are unique in our era all that alters us from our ancestors is the cast (different people playing the same roles), content (what is occupying the community zeitgeist) and technology.
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The Contemporary Human 
