Progeny of Cain

“Mankind is charged with slaughtering mankind. The entire blood-steeped earth is an altar where everything that lives must be endlessly immolated, without measure, until all evil is exterminated, until the death of death.” (Joseph al Maistre)

In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain’s offering is rejected by God. The account doesn’t state why God rejected Cain’s offering, but it can be inferred by Cain’s subsequent actions that Cain didn’t provide his offering with a heart of respect and honor. Most likely, God perceived Cain’s jealousy and anger toward his brother and Cain’s overwhelming need for his offering to be the best. He was attempting to usurp his brother’s position by aggression and over competitiveness exemplifying extreme self-centeredness. So much so that in a non-thinking rage he killed his brother with no consideration for the consequences of his actions.

In the present modern world countries are leaders who seek power and resources using their people as commodities and through aggression and violence promote the use of weaponized acceptable collateral damage against innocent civilians including women and children. Numerous genocides are being committed without constraint, especially the overt disregard for human life that is being demonstrated by the State of Israel against the Palestinians. There are constant threats of nuclear missile deployments by various nation’s leaders, with billions of dollars going towards creating more and more destructive weapons with the budgeting of funds away from education, infrastructure, and social service budgets.

“War monopolizes all scientific budgets, medicine, science, technology; all takes a second place to war.” Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

It appears civilization’s evolution is going backwards instead of forward. One would expect not only a progressive movement in technology, but in wisdom and spiritual understanding as well. It is like giving a young child a loaded gun to play with who doesn’t have the developmental understanding of a gun’s destructiveness. If we study civilization’s pattern of development we see the same dysfunctional patterns arising again and again. In this era of significant globalization why hasn’t there been progression towards collaboration between countries instead of aggression? What appears to be lacking?

Hannah Ahrendt (1906–1975), political theorist, writing about the danger of the development of destructive technology in The Human Condition:

“The reason why it may be wise to distrust the political judgment of scientists qua scientists is not primarily their lack of “character” — that they did not refuse to develop atomic weapons — or their naïveté — that they did not understand that once these weapons were developed they would be the last to be consulted about their use — but precisely the fact that they move in a world where speech has lost its power.” (p.270)

Arendt further explains that because humanity adheres to social milieus and due to its collective decisions, “…where apparently the survival of the species could be guaranteed on a world-wide scale, can at the same time threaten humanity with extinction.”

The significant danger according to Arendt is that “conformism…allows for only one interest and opinion.” (p.476)

Therefore, when world leaders make decisions without ascertaining any possible adverse consequences they lack wisdom. Because it is the government leaders who make political decisions and whom may have a large constituent base the risk increases when one person or a small group of people have power to make decisions regarding a nation’s trajectory — the outcome may not only be detrimental to the nation, but globally as well.

In the book, Why Nations Fail, authors Acemoglu and Robinson, describe the extreme danger of nations who have “extractive” economies and politics. These particular nations are ruled by an elite few who use the nation’s resources for their own benefit. Throughout history extractive nations, usually through revolutions, or what the authors term “critical junctures” may move into an “inclusive” economy and politics which uses the nation’s resources in a more just way thereby assuring a better standard of living for all residents. An extractive economy is characterized by the “vicious cycle” which reinforces the ongoing taking of resources and aggressive takeovers by other elites competing for the wealth and resources. These countries have poor economic development and significant conflict. Presently, many immigrants are leaving these countries and going to countries with inclusive economies, but which may overburden these country’s social services such that the immigrants will continue to experience extreme hardship.

Alternatively, some countries after transition from an extractive economy into an inclusive economy may have a protective factor from “virtuous cycles.” Virtuous cycles prevent the risk of extractive economies from negatively transforming inclusive economies because of constitutional laws which emphasize justice and ethics.

A good comparison between a contingent decision with two countries who had resource discoveries with subsequent wealth is Botswana and Saudia Arabia. Diamond lodes were discovered in Botswana so the leader of the country at the time made the decision that the wealth would be used for the nation as a whole. This led to a functional inclusive economy which is still active today. Alternatively, not too long before the discovery of diamonds in Botswana, oil was discovered in Saudia Arabia. The al Saud family made the decision that all benefits from the oil would go to the elite al Saud’s. This created an extractive economy such that the elite group are extremely wealthy, but the other residents of Saudia Arabia suffer with the lack of infrastructure, livable wages, and adequate education, especially for girls. One would have surmised that since this is an Islamic nation with strong religious influence that the virtuous cycle would have prevented the extractive economy from taking hold. However, the culture of the tribal mindset is difficult to eradicate, as well as the dopamine cycle in the brain which rewards power seeking and dominion over others.

What is evident is overt dualism; when individuals or economies seek resources only for themselves then the extractive institution is implemented which has the elevated risk of collapse and failure. However, when individuals and economies seek the welfare of others with the implementation of just laws then these economies will thrive. Historically this is evident in the history of the Israelites. The Egyptian Pharoahs were a perfect example of extractive economies with the vicious cycle. The Pharaohs obtained most of Egypt's resources and used its people (and the Hebrews) as slaves or as commodities to serve the Pharoah. Alternatively, when Prophets ruled the people of Israel a just system was created which made the economy inclusive. However, when the Israelites worshiped other gods, then God would cause suffering by not defending them against their enemies who were constantly pursuing excessive resources by the use of aggressive conflict. The dualistic tension is self-centeredness at the expense of others, and its opposing force is the use of resources for all people.

Religion should establish the virtuous cycle spinning into eternity, but unfortunately believers themselves can become enmeshed in the temporal world thereby not resisting the ego driven mindset of self-centeredness and lack of empathy for others. The Torah, Old Testament, and Qur’an all mention Gog and Magog. When Gog and Magog swarm over the earth will be the end of the world. Gog and Magog are a type or symbol for the unbalance of spiritual duality when there will no longer be believers to resist evil or to promote justice. In other words, there will be no constraints on behavior — the global community will have become like Sodom and Gomorrah, or Ad and Thamud (communities in the Qur’an which were destroyed by God for their extreme sin). All Scriptures describe a horrific end time when it will no longer be a specific community that is destroyed, but all of humanity. Abel has been murdered, and now Cain is in control.