Same Old Story

The following statement was written about sixty years ago; but I think most thoughtful readers will agree that it could have been written an hour ago:

“ It must be recognized that the cause of all world unrest, of the world wars which have wrecked humanity, and the widespread misery upon our planet, can be largely be attributed to a selfish group with materialistic purposes, who have for centuries exploited the masses and used the labour of mankind for their selfish ends… This group of capitalists has cornered the world’s resources and the staples required for civilized living; they have been able to do this because they have owned and controlled the world’s wealth through their interlocking directorates, and have retained it in their hands. They have made possible the vast differences existing between the very rich and the very poor; they love money and the power which money gives; they have stood behind governments and politicians; they have controlled the electorate; they have made possible the narrow nationalistic aims of selfish politics; they have financed the world businesses and controlled oil, coal, power, light and transportation; they control publicly or sub rosa the world’s banking accounts.

The responsibility for the widespread misery to be found today in every country in the world, lies predominantly at the door of certain major interrelated groups of business men, bankers, executives of international cartels, monopolies, trusts and organizations, and directors of huge corporations, who work for corporate or personal gain…

It is evidenced by the disastrous economic situation, and by the greed of the prominent men in every country. The world… has awakened to the fact of materialistic exploitation, to the lack of real freedom and to the rights, as yet unclaimed, of the individual. Man’s ability to resist slavery has become apparent everywhere. That the strugglers towards freedom are employing wrong methods, and are endeavoring oft to fight evil with evil, is entirely true, but this indicates only transitional techniques and a temporary phase; it is temporary… though possibly long… but it need not be necessarily be long today…

Men deal with effects and not with causes; for instance, mankind is concerned with war, and with horrified preparations for more war, and is not primarily occupied with that which causes war and which, if rightly handled, would prevent war.”

( from Bailey, A. Ponder on This. New York: Lucis Publishing, 1971 )