I'm basically saying the same thing he so eloquently put. People were comfortable hence docile. Leaders didn't have to build big militaries to protect resources or maintain control.
What does this have to do with national identity BTW?
There is no identity without creation. And there is no creation without courage. Soach ko rasta dikhana is only possible by people who belong to an non-primitive culture. Here is the last and thrid pot hole which prevents innovation:
3) Rejection of egalitarianism – caste system
Further social order can be imposed if people are led to believe that they are not created equal. The Hindu religion divides humans into four castes (#1 Priests, #2 warriors and Merchants, #3 Laborer, #4 untouchables). In the Desi culture, lineage, clans, and family history plays an important role. This Darwinian, dog eat dog culture is a result of a disbelief in the equality of man. The rejection is not only projected via religion, the modern education system is based on this fallacy.
You love your creation. The higher the creation the greater the love. As the Human being is the Almighty's greatest creation, his love for this creation is easily seen through his unlimited mercy - People can even choose to deny his existence but they continue to breathe, eat, drink and live.
So if love is dependent on creation then one has to ask, can everyone create? Egalitarianism is the central pillar of all Abrahamic faiths. We are told by the Almighty that man is created equal. The prophet also said that after Adam all humans are created equal, like the teeth of a comb. Consequently, Man has the right to ask for proof here. After all, humans are tall/short/physically strong/weak/etc. What is the measuring stick or the standard used to determine this equality? There is a verse in the Qur’an where the Almighty is addressing the atheists and the agnostics, giving them examples of his creation. The creation of the universe is mentioned, the stars, the sun and moon and then it is said that Man is created, each with a unique voice. One has to wonder how the creation of the universe and giving man a unique voice can be equally great achievements.
The audible band in the wave spectrum consists of all frequencies that can be heard by the human. It is a narrow band with frequencies ranging from 3Hz to 3 KHz only - Yet every human's (from the beginning of time till the end) voice is unique. So you can identify each human by his/her voice (difference can be infinity large or infinitely small). This uniqueness extends to every aspect of the human body. The shape and size of the limbs, the shape of the brain, the genetic code, cornea, thumb and finger impression, etc. A machine that is unique in every way is able to produce something that is also unique in every way. An apple can do what and orange cannot do and vice-verse. So what makes man equal is not the stupidity that what one man can do another can also do, but the fact that every human being (from the beginning of time till the death of that human) can do something which no other human being can do.
This uniqueness can be seen in both the human physical and mental work. Just like no one can become a good poet – you either have it or you don't – similarly no one can play a sport exactly like a famous sports star (the size and shape of bones and muscles are different). A human being is thus like a unique ray of light from a sphere. As light fades it disperses and there is overlap. Similarly people acquire knowledge from others – so today's innovation becomes tomorrows knowledge.
If every human being has been created with an equal ability to create something unique, then why don't we see innovations every second? What stops the human being from using his or her unique gift?
Einstein said that for innovation, imagination is far more important than knowledge. It is possible to extend this by saying that courage is just as important for innovation as anything else. To stand on the frontiers of human knowledge and look into the abyss, devoting your time and resources to go where no one else has gone before – all this requires courage. The self-denial, effort and perseverance, often for a goal that has no material benefit, requires that one takes the road less taken. Finally, none of this (no innovation) is possible without mental freedom.
The uniqueness of the creative gift given to human beings means that a person can be given a gift of growing potatoes or cleaning something. The stigma that society attaches to certain tasks means that this person must possess courage and mental freedom to think for himself and pursue work in his field.
Freedom, whether it is physical or mental, can be compromised. When a human being enters this world, he/she may or may not have physical freedom. However, mental freedom is something every child is born with. It is something that no one can take away. Perhaps, this is the reason why people take it for granted. The only way to lose mental freedom is if the person surrenders it.
Mental freedom allows one to discover his creative gift and do the gift related work, ignoring completely what the world thinks or says. You can tackle this type of work gladly, without resentment or avoidance. The eternal gift related work is a value above a paycheck and above praise. It is the only avenue to independence, self-reliance, resourcefulness and most importantly, genuine self-respect. The uniqueness of the eternal gift guarantees that this type of work will lead to a unique outcome (i.e. creation).
It is not possible to measure a human being. It is not possible to measure the human will. It is not possible to measure the depths of a human soul. Egalitarianism dictates these facts. Doesn’t the uniqueness of every human body guarantee equality? Isn’t what they call genius something as common as dirt? Is there any difference between standardized examination/testing and organized crime?
To be able to love yourself you need to know yourself. If you know yourself, then you know your creative gift. As neither love nor mental freedom are tangibles, a person’s creation is the only physical manifestation of his thoughts – a form of his mental freedom and his love. You, your creation and your love are the same. You don’t cheat your work because you don’t cheat what you love.
There is a notion spread by the left that money is something bad. This is not correct. Two individuals can say to each other, “you want to benefit from my gift? Then I want to benefit from your gift!” Money facilitates such a transaction between equal human beings. The one who creates can say, “You are going to pay me whatever I ask because I am the only one who can do this”. The uniqueness of the human body allows all human beings to say this. Therefore, the loss of mental freedom, which leads to the loss of creation, can affect what one achieves in life.
There are off-course cases where a human being can face a tribulation as a test from the Almighty. It is ones moral, religious and rational obligation to help people in need. However, for an able person to live his life extracting benefits from other people is simply reprehensible.
It is important to understand that Man was not created for the universe. Instead, the universe was created for Man. As far as Man is concerned, the second greatest strength in this world resides inside him. Those who sell their dignity or surrender their mind and its freedom, constantly reduce their own self-worth in the eyes of their conscious. When your success solely depends on the abilities of other people, then you sell your dignity every day. In such a society, everyone kisses someone else’s behind and no one has any dignity. It is no wonder that the majority of the citizens in the Desi land want to immigrate to some other country!
If creation nor love is possible without freedom then one needs to stay on guard against the sources which deprive people of their freedom. The oldest trick that is used by the few to make the many surrender their minds is to preach human inequality. This can be done via a religious doctrine like caste system or by enforcing social hierarchy like the European class system.
For all of his humane outlook, Mr. Gandhi was still a strong follower of his beliefs. This can be seen from his actions, like the letters of admiration he wrote to Hitler: “My friend, how grand are your thoughts!” This is hardly surprising though, because after all, what is the difference between the Hindu Caste system and Fascism? They both reject the equality of Man. At a dinner, my Indian friend and I were sitting next to a German diplomat. During the course of the meal, my Indian friend started expressing his admiration of Hitler. The German diplomat, who looked uncomfortable, immediately excused himself and left. Later on, when I apologized to the diplomat for my friend’s behavior, he told me that I should not worry. He said that it is odd that he hasn't become “used to” such incidents by now – considering the fact that so many Indians have expressed similar views to him on so many occasions. He added further that what these folks don't realize is that had Hitler conquered India, he would have killed most of the inhabitants, simply because of the color of their skin or the size of the head.
The man who created Pakistan was not a feudal lord. He was not a religious leader nor the leader of some tribe. In fact, he came from a fairly average family. The color of his skin was so dark that he would have made an excellent candidate for the untouchables club. As fate would have it, he was given the opportunity to polish whatever unique gift the Almighty had given him. The most astonishing part of Mr. Jinnah's story is that when he applied for admission to the law school, Lincoln's inn, his application was denied because he did not know Latin. Mr. Jinnah argued his case, in front of men whose job was to produce lawyers, and won. After polishing his gift, he used it to earn a very decent livelihood for himself and was successful. Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, called him an evil genius and a bastard – this coming from ones greatest foe is no small achievement!
So here you have a man who had neither the right caste association nor the religious backing nor the nobility to become a leader. All he had was his gift and he used it to attain physical freedom for his people. As is often the case, attaining mental freedom is much harder. A historian once asked a very important question that didn’t colonialism actually start once the colonialists left? He went on to explain that when he lived in Morocco during the French imperialism there was an independence movement active. The locals there, although without physical freedom, possessed mental freedom. When he visited Morocco after independence, he noticed that the locals now, although physically free, were mentally colonized. A famous cricketer elaborates further by saying that the worst thing about colonization is not that they take over your land, enslave your people, loot your wealth - these are all material things. The worst thing is that they put it in your heads that they are better than you are.
Mental colonization is the surest way to surrender one’s mental freedom – you enslave the minds, it is irrelevant what the body does. The colonizers culture, language, values and traditions are to be religiously followed. Why create when you have a perfect example? Just toe the line!
There is a lot of criticism thrown around these days against the United States. Some of it is justified, especially if you look at the American role in the genocide that is taking place in Palestine and the greater Middle East. What is often overlooked is how this nation ascended to the rank of number one and sole super power. Of particular importance is the role that was played by the generations which lived in the 18th and 19th century. This is because it was these generations which formed the foundation and base of the super power.
When, right after the second world war, the British Queen called upon the visiting American president at the American Embassy in London, he served her hot-dogs. The British press did not appreciate this and took offense. An article in an American newspaper commented on this by saying that it is clear to all that victories in the two world wars had passed a verdict against Fascism. What has not dawned upon these Europeans yet is that these victories have also passed a verdict against the European “estates of the realm” [European class system]. It concluded by giving an ominous message “let them complain, as long as they are afraid”.
It was these successful generations which could see the failings of the European social hierarchy and stayed clear of it. In the process they were able to create a system that provided equal opportunity to all their citizens so that each could polish their respective creative gifts.
