Thoughts from "Before the Dawn" and Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States from 1492-Present" (that being about 1980).
Some facts I can remember: In the history of man, it appears that humans split away from the ape about 1.5 million years ago. Several species evolved...Neanderthal, HomoErectus and one other. All were wiped out by ice ages and predator humans I believe. Around 50,000 years ago the first band of about 150 left Africa, spreading north to Europe, northeast into Asia and east into India and Australia. These few voyagers are our ancestors. All humans have evolved from those few. All humans developed race and language according to their climatic conditions and security/safety (language) needs. As security needs became less demanding, clans settled together and eventually developed agriculture in contrast to strictly hunting and gathering. It has also been explained that if various cultures/groups/races were a subspecies, that is, less intelligent or ambitious or whatever, it would not be that all humans can biologically procreate with each other without any mutations. We are indeed one human family. Five groups have been generally accepted by anthropologists, European, Asian, Americas Indian, African & Aborigine.
Very little history has been recorded as materials have deteriorated. However it has been determined that gene transformation appears to take about 5000 years. (or did previously. I don't recall if the pace has been accelerated for some reason.) The premise that we are consciously evolving seems to be logical and reasonable. We have had the information from enlightened masters such as Jesus and Buddha and others...to love one another, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, life is difficult because we are attached to persons, places and things, and we can become wiser through practice, meditation and learning. We are 2500-3000 years into this cycle.
We can and will evolve. What we will evolve into is another question. Will the chaos energy we have created, the global warming, unchecked population growth and nuclear warfare cause so much destruction that the evolution of man will have to begin again, or will we grasp conscious realization of the value of cooperation? Because we still have a lot to learn...
Moving on to Zinn's History:
As the area of Europe was settled hierarchies evolved. (This occurred everywhere, but my focus is currently on the development of the United States) Somewhere during the 50,000 egalitarian systems fell away as a separation occurred between the rich and the poor. This is not a new phenomenon, but is was apparently more prevalent in the European and Asian cultures than in the other three.
When explorers began to travel to the Americas they were in search of gold. The native populations were easily annihilated. Even though they had waring battles with neighboring bands they did not set out to conquer or enslave as did those who came from abroad to settle what is now our nation. The horrors of genocide of the natives of all the Americas, the capture and enslavement of the Africans who were slaughtered by the thousands simply transporting them to this continent and the abuse of white servants, children and women is a longstanding history of torture and death. Very little regard was given the human life that was not male, white and wealthy.
The colonies were settled by wealthy white men. At some points the poor and property less slave/servant/Indian population was greater than the white families. This of course was typical of Europe. It was the status qua. No women were given any status. (I do not know how some queens became so powerful, but it reflects the immense challenge they had, even tho I believe they were every bit as ruthless as male white rulers. What I know of women queens, they were not enlightened beings).
Our history has evolved from wealthy male white "revolutionaries" to wealthy male white "deciders", with a few women climbing the ranks. We have made considerable strides over the 225 years since the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, but "all men are created equal" was not written for anyone but wealthy, white men. The struggle over slavery, the genocide of the American Indian, equal rights for women and voting rights for every citizen of age has been painstakingly slow. If we consider however ,the evolution of mankind, the length of time necessary for genetic changes to occur, the length of time it takes for the brain to recognize consciousness, we will realize that the "fight" for Peace on Earth is not just a hundred year journey, but very possibly tens of centuries. Will we destroy ourselves before that? Will we run out of oil, and food and clean water? Will populate beyond the means of agriculture to support? Will we simply annihilate ourselves in warfare over power and greed?
I do not know. But what I do believe is that we have the responsibility to act on the consciousness that we have risen to. This consciousness is not better than someone else, but it is different. It is vital that we recognize such ego traits as Tolle describes in "A New Earth". We must work within the confines of what we know and feel is right, or positive, and what others feel is right. We must learn to create no enemies, to love one another, to know that we are indeed One Human Family..........and that War Does Not Work. It will not bring peace. It is not possible.
