By Dr. Dencio S. Acop
With everything that’s happening in the world now, I miss the old order! I belong to the Baby Boomer generation and back when I was growing up, life seemed simpler and peaceful. There was no chaos like we see today. It was also understandable as the world had just gone through the Second World War. It must also be said that from the ashes of that global suffering came the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1950. It is to the UN’s credit that much of the later operationalization of critical human infrastructures advancing universal human interests came about. Foremost of these foundational infrastructures is the institutionalization of human rights. The universal declaration of human rights led to all sorts of initiatives committed to protecting human values that are worth fighting for. These values include freedom which resulted to the independence of many former colonies from their colonial masters. They also inspired the fostering of human rights and their derivatives in individual countries and societies. But I must also emphasize that the post-war era was an era ripe for the moral order. After witnessing the widespread carnage and destruction wrought by man’s inhumanity to man, the world was just hungry for peace and order.
Fast forward to 2025 and today seems like a time lost relative to that order. While technology has always had its benefits to mankind, it is also now endangering all the values the world has tried to nurture. Suddenly, there is disorder. It is dangerously incredible how putting just a smart phone in the hands of every person on earth could threaten the world’s existence. The phenomenon now challenges every bit of learning humankind has accumulated over the centuries. It has put so much power in the hands of every individual. While this seems like a good thing, it actually isn’t. The internet phone has its many uses but it is also now the most potent tool for disorder in the world. Not every person is equipped for the power provided by the gadget. Going back to the logic behind the establishment of the United Nations, there is a universal order that must be observed by every nation and individual on earth if peace and order is to be the continuing order of the day. While the freedoms brought about by the liberal order benefited individuals in untold ways, it cannot be argued that hierarchy has also lost its usefulness. For in the face of it all, it is only hierarchy that organizes and structures individuals in a way that accomplishes institutional good.
Nonetheless, having said that, it still does not mean that every hierarchy is good too. For the way organizations and institutions turn out still depends upon the kind of value leadership that drives these entities. At this juncture, it is impossible to argue my point without calling a spade a spade. Not to sound simplistic, but today the world finds itself dangerously divided by a clash of civilizations as once predicted. For instance, there is the clash between the moral order and amoral order. This clash is best exemplified by the United States on the one hand and China on the other. Whole lists of allies line up behind these two powerful leaders. There is also the clash between western European democracies and an eastern authoritarian Russia. Then there is the worsening clash between competing religious orders in the Middle East between Judaic Israel and its Islamic neighbors especially Iran. This one is spiraling out of control as we write. Israel has just attacked Iran in ways it hasn’t before. Justifying its move as a preemptive strike for its survival, Israel appears intent on destroying Iran’s nuclear program. Israel has a history of launching preemptive strikes to win battles against its Arab neighbors. While Israel’s audacity may be lauded by the Jewish people, it is a very dangerous move which could escalate the conflict beyond just Israel and Iran. Already, the US is reported to be supporting Israel’s attack. Such an alliance can quickly bring on support for Iran from the Arab League nations and even China. If not handled well, a regional conflict could further escalate into a global conflict potentially sparkling World War III. How quickly things have turned around. All because of the prevailing lack of a global order.
As a final note, the order and disorder I write about have interior dimensions too. While I have just described the prevailing disorders that once again divide and threaten nations, these disorders do originate from the interior dispositions of men and women before they manifest outwardly. What is it within individual hearts that prompt such actions? If we go back to the previous point about the empowerment of individuals by internet smart phones, it seems easier to visualize what is at stake. The contents in social media are such influencers that algorithms can sway millions of people one way or another. Here, I am not talking about the good content. I am talking about the dark web, false narratives, pornography, streaming hate videos, etc. Like it or not, people in such great numbers are vulnerable. A lot of people are not ready to handle all the information that are put out to them through the internet. This brings us back to the moral order that I miss. The hierarchy through good organizations and institutions led and managed by leaders of character could not but inspire future followers through their correct teaching and good example. These institutions carefully put together appropriate curricula relevant to the absorptive capacity of knowledge learners. The educational hierarchies of K-12, high school, and college curricula are not in place without logical reason. Contrast this with the internet smart phone that now threatens to supplant this moral order at the individual level. It can be said that the internet smart phone has levelled the playing field over the hierarchical moral order in ways that truly is – not at all smart.
