The Total Revolution

• A revolution that doesn't have the human being as its main focus and concern, and is not totalizing in scope is just another lost opportunity. All these so-called revolutions are merely historical anecdotes, and are just postponing the real one.

• They are good - in and of themselves - but, we cannot believe that they will transform the world.

• It is like donating money or volunteering to feed the hungry, which is a worthy cause. The hungry gets to eat, and people feel good for doing their part. But, it does not, and will not end poverty and hunger in the world.

• I'm not saying that people should stop doing these things, and I'm not saying that these actions are bad; in reality, they are good and worthwhile endeavors. But, in the end, they do not transform anything.

• It is the same with politics. You can support this candidate, or that party - because, they are less evil, or because you like their slogans; but, in the end, the results are the same, and the system is again given a life extension of another thousand years.

• Every time we participate in the games of the system, we postpone the real change, the real transformation. If we play their game, they win - and by extension - we lose.

• So, when will the system fall?

• It will fall and collapse from within - only if and when we stop participating and playing their game.

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• What the world needs now are not baby steps, but one big giant leap.

• What the world needs is a totalizing revolution, a revolution that is social, cultural, and psychic. It needs real transformation, not reformation. It means not only external transformation, but also, as important, internal transformation.

• External transformation means a total collapse of the system and its concomitant transformation.

• Internal transformation means that each of us have rid ourselves of our internal frustrations, contradiction, revenge and violence; it means that we are reconciled with our past, and have active nonviolence integrated as our daily mode of action.

• A world transformed means a new civilization where nonviolence and compassion prevails.

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Definition of Violence

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What is Violence?

Depending on where in the political spectrum one is, it’s either it’s Hamas or Israel’s fault that the Gaza Strip is once again flaring up. But, it’s clear that the majority of people agree that Israel’s reaction - the target bombing of Gaza - is disproportionate to the rockets from the Hamas.

I’m not going to play the blaming game here, but it seems clear to me that the root of this conflict just cannot be found anymore - it is just too way deep for anyone to see anything. What people are seeing are just the fruits of those thousands of years old conflict in the Middle East.

Definition of Violence

What is really clear to me is that people just do not know the real definition of violence. The headlines say “Death Toll of Children Rise to 34 as Israel Plummets Gaza”. And the whole world is suddenly awake and angry. 34 children dead from an all-out bombing campaign from Israel. This is the wake up call. I’m not saying that Israel should continue this assault on innocents; but at this very moment, there are 85,000 children dying from hunger every single day and no one is angry.

Children killed by bombs is violence, while children dying of hunger is natural? So, therefore it’s not violence?

There are many forms of violence; and these are physical, racial, religious, sexual, psychological, and economic violence. When 34 children are killed from bombing campaigns, this is physical violence. When 85,000 children die of hunger every single day, this is economic violence. When a mother is fearful of the next bomb killing her only child, that’s psychological violence. When a mother is fearful of her child dying from lack of nutrition, that’s psychological violence.

We should condemn Israel for its disproportionate bombing of Gaza; but we should also condemn Hamas from firing rockets to Israel. These are examples of physical violence. But, we should not forget the other forms of violence that are prevalent in the whole world, and in all levels of society.

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