On this Global Thing
By Cornelius Ewuoso OP
It seems to me that the end of this ‘global thing’ is not in view. First, it was the global climate change, the effect of which is still very much with us. Extremities of weather conditions, drastic change in the climate, total extinction or partial loss of certain animal species, extreme heat, weather unpredictability amongst others, then came the ‘global economic down-turn’ with its multi-faceted features: credit crunch, financial melt down, global recession and it continues. And the effects, massive job losses in the United States, China, Japan, Iceland, Korea, UK, premature folding of banks and big companies etc. Not too long ago, the British Prime Minister, Mr Brown, admitted that his country was in recession. The retirement of Mr Geir Haarde, the Prime Minister of Iceland because of his inability to manage the economic turmoil in his country, the worsening the food crisis in Kenya, financial strain in Zambia, the gas crisis in Europe and so on, are nothing but effects of this economic crisis.
This is not all, with major countries such as the United States, Japan, China and so on announcing that they will cut back drastically on the amount they spend on the importation of crude-oil and the assistances they offer poorer countries, major oil-producing countries such as Nigeria, Russia, Iran and the Arab countries, as well as countries such as Ghana, DR Congo, Kenya, Central Republic of Africa whose financial strength depends on what it gets from outside sources are in for an horrendous year.
The focus here is not to dwell on the effects of global economic crisis, but to consider the trends which both global climate change and global economic crisis offer us. I wonder how many of us have taken the time to ask the question, first, it was the global climate change then came global economic crisis then ‘global what’? What would be that next ‘global thing’ which, just like the previous globals, no one would be free from? The answer to these questions is not far removed from us. We can tell it by simply taking a critical look at the present state of things. We can be sure from our studies of the recent agitation for the legalization of same sex marriage, from the consideration of various wars being fought around the world which have claimed the lives of many, from restriction on the number of babies Chinese couples could have, the massive drive for the use contraceptives and pills, and more recently with President Obama’s determination to fund foreign programmes which provide services and information about abortion, we can be pretty sure from all of these that the next ‘global reality’ would be the ‘global scarcity of human beings’. This reality would appear under such names as ‘global shortage of humans’, ‘the human drain’, ‘the homo turn-down’, ‘the human Age’, to mention but a few.
This truth especially make me sympathize with all those who do not see anything wrong with President Obama’s decision to lift the ban on foreign programmes which provide services and information about abortion. You know, I share your passions, emotions and desires to have a Negro as President of the most influential country in the world. But what I question is your lack of critical outlook. I share your dreams, but I refuse to be subjective or look the other way when a friend errs. What makes others claim that ‘no man is an island unto himself’ is because they have recognized our mutual inter-dependability. This, in itself, makes it an imperative to admonish and encourage one another. Mistakes are largely responsible for our present foes-a friend errs and we look the other way. And right now that is exactly what we are doing by refusing to confront Obama and speak against his decision to lift the ban on foreign programmes which provide services and information about Abortion. But what would be the end result of this, ‘homo turn-down’.
To appreciate this truth, we only need to take a critical look at the US society itself, where giving birth these days is old-fashioned and hence, no longer a priority. Consequently, what do you see, women in their late 30s and early 40s without kids, and where there is an issue, you find that in one out of four American couples. The priority is no longer children but dogs, cats, pets, cars, money etc. The present financial crisis seems to be overshadowing this truth, but not for long. A time would come when the country will be in a serious human crisis; humanly short-staffed. In fact, it is experiencing it now. This is particularly evident from the recent move by the Defence ministry to recruit into the army, immigrants with only temporary permit rather than the initial requirement of a permanent permit. The reason again is that they are facing a human recession.
It is a similar situation in China and in addition to this, you will discover that there is a great inequality, succinctly expressed, a disparity between the number of older ones and the younger ones. There are more ‘older ones’ than the ‘younger ones’. Out of every13 Chinese, you stand a chance of getting six Chinese who are 60 years and above, three Chinese who are between 35 yrs and 60yrs, and the remaining four below 35yrs. The ratio is not evenly distributed, yet this has not deterred the Chinese government from encouraging the citizens to have abortions on a regular basis. In fact, in China, aborted foetuses are used to prepare special delicacies. There are restaurants dedicated for the preparation of these delicacies alone. This is pathetic and disheartening. The recent move by the government of this country to push the retirement age to about 68yrs and 70yrs has not provided enough lessons for both the citizens and government to review their world view. It has not forced them to ask the ultimate question, to probe the matter, to enquire the question, why? But of course, what would the answer be? They are humanly short-staffed. They are facing a Homo turn-down.
Over to Europe, now in Spain, unlike the Chinese government, the Spanish government is begging her citizens to see procreation as an obligation and a duty to the country. As if to show the enormity issue, the Spanish authorities have promised cash rewards to Spanish couples who would give birth to at least two children, discouraged sexual acts which directly inhibit procreation such as lesbianism and homoeroticism. Again, you may want to ask why? Human down-turn.
The effect is the same in Germany, Switzerland, France, England Holland, Denmark, Belgium and the worse hit Russia, where out of every six abortions, three end up taking the lives of both the mother and the unborn baby.
The evils which directly threaten our preservation and which have taken away many of our kinds in Africa may not be abortion, though this may be the case very soon, but war and enmity. There is war going on between governments and rebel leaders, between political parties, ethnic groups, religions and religious leaders and so on. The war in the DR Congo, Central Republic of Africa and Sudan, which has reduced these countries to shadows of themselves, the political tensions in countries such as Kenya, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe, the xenophobia in South Africa, the religious mayhem in Jos, Nigeria and just yesterday, in Bauchi, Nigeria, the Niger/Delta crisis equally in Nigeria all bear witnesses to the reality of war in Africa and its impacts on lives and properties.
Closely followed by these are the evils of greed and corruption. Countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Guinea, Chad, etc readily come to mind here. In Nigeria, for example, there is an unimaginable looting of public funds by the political elites, embezzlement, inappropriate use of state funds for personal gains etc. But what corruption does to a nation is that it inhibits the integral development of the nation and her citizens. When funds which should be used for the common good are whisked away by a powerful few, the result is that basic amenities would be lacking, water would be in short supply, electricity would become a nightmare, healthcare facilities would become unavailable or out of reach for the poor man, poverty would be created, qualitative education becomes stale news, food would be in short supply and in final analysis, death would become rampant causing human mortality, hence, effecting the ‘global human drain’. And we see all these happening in Nigeria.
Coupled with this situation in Nigeria is the case of ritual killings. Recently, a few people were arrested in Jankara market, Lagos State for having in their possessions, human parts which they got from human beings whom probably they must have killed. But what were they doing with human parts, you may ask? To sell them, of course. To sell them to interested buyers who would then use these items to make money. The case is the same in many of the African countries and the long term effect, human beings would be in short supply, finally creating this ‘global scarcity of human beings’.
Consequently, it behoves on everyone of us to see to it that this does not happen in Africa and the world over. And we can do this by discouraging abortion, homosexual eroticism, lesbianism, war, enmity, contraception, corruption and the various evils which may directly bear on our existence as human beings. The possibility of a homo turn-down is not a joke, it confronts us every where we turn. Hence, it is an imperative for us to make sure it does not become a reality like global climate change or global economic crisis, whose effects are daily becoming unbearable.
Cornelius Ewuoso OP
A commentator on national and international issues from Ibadan , Oyo State, Nigeria.
ewuosocornelius@yahoo.com
