Development Revisited: A Sociological and Managerial Analysis–Part 12

This is the final part of the series. In the previous eleven (11) parts, we dissected economic development as advanced by Western hegemony from two perspectives; namely, sociological and managerial. In this final part, we’ll look at what true economic development really is. But to begin with, since development is often associated with civilization, we want to see whether economic development as we have it today has really led to civilization.

What Civilization Means

The term civilization has varied meanings depending on the perspective from which it is looked at. And what makes a society civilized is open to debate and is often subjective. Thus there’s no single definition for the word. However, the following definition seems to capture what is generally thought of when we say civilization.

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, civilization is “An advanced stage or system of human social development.” Civilization is usually contrasted with barbarism which is “absence of culture and civilization; Extreme cruelty or brutality.”

“An Advanced Stage or System”

What does it mean to be advanced? ‘Advanced’ simply means complex. And that is opposed to the true nature of man as he was originally designed to live: “This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”—Ecclesiastes 7:29. (Good News Bible).

In a bid to make themselves more complex to the gratification of ethnicity, nation and race, some have sought to label other peoples as ‘cultureless’ and ‘barbaric’ in order to lend credence to their own barbaric actions styled liberation against those peoples. This has been true both religiously and politically.

Religiously, throughout history, some have sought to ‘civilize’ other peoples by imposing their unique religious beliefs on them. This normally involved using force of power which led to strives and wars that caused much suffering. If they succeeded the vanquished was subjugated and compelled to adopt most or all of the aspects of the victor’s culture as ‘ordained’ by ‘God’. That is because they were made to think that they either had no culture or that their culture was ‘primitive’ and ‘barbaric’.

In many instances, such religion-led subjugation made the converts adopt even the names of their religious masters, leading to the loss of their own identity over time.

Usually, political interests complimented the efforts of the religious zealots. These went aon to institute what they would term ‘superior’ political and social institutions; systems of legislature, judiciary, economics, finance, education and family life that were patterned after what was practiced back home. Eventually, the now ‘cultured’ people came to despise their own simple systems and looked up to their masters for ‘development’. And this trajectory continued even after independence,

Going thus cup-in-hand for aid and intellectual direction these become perpetually colonized ideologically, psychologically, economically and socially. Their goal then is to match the ‘development’ of their colonial masters. And since that is not their game and natural course, they can never do it better. Hence, they are classed as ‘uncivilized’, ‘under-developed’ and unsophisticated; and they accept it!

Economic development as is promoted today is thus all a farce. It’s a smoke-screen that is designed to alienate peoples, pitching one against another in brutal competition; creating a world of selfishness, lovelessness, hostility and greed. What then should true development be?

True Economic Development

True economic development is really opposed to the type that is promoted by the West and which almost every nation pursues—it is based on simplicity. Here is a story I read on the Web site www.brefigroup.co.uk which demonstrates this amply for us:

“An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

“The Mexican replied, ‘only a little while.’

“The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

“The American then asked: “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”

“The American scoffed, ‘I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.

“‘Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.’

“The Mexican fisherman asked, ‘but, how long will this all take?’ To which the American replied, ‘15-20 years.’

“‘But what then?’ The American laughed and said that’s the best part. ‘When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.’

” ‘Millions. Then what?’ The American said, ‘Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.’”

Whether this story is true or not, I can’t tell. Yet, what I know is that it is not far-fetched. Doesn’t it say it all? We work so hard in order to have a comfortable retirement. Usually, we envisage this in a serene country house with a backyard garden where we can grow a   few crops, rear some chickens and goats, appreciate nature and if there’s a river or lake nearby go fishing every now and then. If there’s a horse to ride that adds more colour —simple life.

We imagine how delightful it will be to have neighbours who genuinely care; and that care is based on shared spiritual and societal values that are based on sound principles and not hollow social statuses.

We can find and promote that life even today! But we are misled to go beating about the bush. After much strife, envy and jealousy for one another in contest for material gain, thus destroying neighbourly relationships; or after killing ourselves for the capital owner or shareholder; and after ruining greedily nature’s gift to us for wealth, we only retire to take care of ailments that could have been prevented and live lonely lives in a vice-filled society. And much of our money thus goes to pay for hospital bills till we go to our graves.

Contrasts

In a truly developed and civilized economy, the most important quality is spirituality. In contrast, in the falsely called civilized, economically advanced system, the most important quality is disregard of God and spirituality; or at best, paying lip-service to that.

In a truly developed society, the family comes first. The system is thus designed to promote family well-being; making spouses have time for each other and for parents to spend quality time with their children while instructing them. Whereas in falsely advanced economies, family values are despised. The system is designed to separate family members as much as possible in pursuit of a mirage they call happiness in wealth.

In a truly developed economy, everyone is everybody’s keeper. In falsely developed economies, it’s “each one for himself; God for us all”.

While morality and decency are cherished as the best way of life in a truly developed economy, it is despised in today’s economically ‘advanced’ systems: Sexual promiscuity is not sin; rather it is ‘fun’. Homosexuality is not perverse; it is an ‘alternative lifestyle’. Vulgar speech, cursing and verbal abuse are not coarseness; they are a part of ‘freedom of speech’; violent and immoral entertainment is not depravity; it is ‘enlightenment’.

We have come to the stage where we hate nature, so we have destroyed the natural jungles since they are ‘primitive’ and replaced them with concrete jungles of mortar and brick edifices. Today, we are paying for the consequences and are now considering reforestation.

Out of greed, we have depleted earth’s resources and polluted ourselves in its wake to the point of extinction. No wonder new diseases are emerging every day without a cure. And if we do find the cure, we call it ‘development’, ‘civilization!’

Indeed, there is a continuum of drawing farther away from the things that matter most in life as a nation ‘develops’—from spirituality and morality to hypocrisy, godlessness and permissiveness; from family values held high to the pursuit of wealth; from altruism to individualism; from preservation to exploitation and the list goes on and on….!

The Blind Leads the Blind

Certainly in terms of true economic development and civilization, there is no country on earth today that is truly developed and civilized. The world is replete with weapons of mass destruction in a mutually assured destruction (MAD) mode. Greed is on the ascendency, leading to crimes that the law enforcement agencies and the prisons are not able to curtail, let alone eradicate.

Many humans have become wilder than wild animals in the jungle. Yes, humans have become savages in the concrete jungles they have created. We thus find ourselves in what Bob Marley describes in his track Concrete Jungle:  

“No sun will shine in my day today; The high yellow moon won’t come out to play: I said darkness has covered my light; And has changed my day into night, yeah. Where is the love to be found? Won’t someone tell me? ‘Cause life must be somewhere to be found; Instead of concrete jungle Where the living is harder. Concrete jungle: Man you got to do your best.
“No chains around my feet, But I’m not free, oh-ooh! I know I am bound here in captivity; now, I’ve never known happiness; I’ve never known what sweet caress is -Still, I’ll be always laughing like a clown; Won’t someone help me? ‘Cause I-I’ve got to pick myself from off the ground, In this concrete jungle; I said, what do you got for me now, o-oh! Won’t you let me be now? I said that life – it must be somewhere to be found; Oh, instead of concrete jungle – illusion, confusion, Eh!”

What has been the cause? It is simple:

All men are blind. When a man thus leads his fellow blind man where are they headed to? Destruction of course! And that is where the world is headed.

The social and political upheavals, the economic woes and the falling educational standards all point to just one thing—ruin. What is the way out?

Well, some leaders claim to be visionary and spiritual. Yet where do they lead their peoples? To the same abyss that those that are otherwise lead their people! The only way out is to think reverse and act reverse to the blind leadership in false economic development.

Following after society’s matter-of-course is dangerous. There’s nothing worse than a blind horde! And for a person’s or a people’s sight to be restored is to go back to the basics—return to the simple way of life.

That sounds ridiculous to you, maybe. But before you scorn at it stop and ask: “Where are the world’s political, economic and religious leaders leading people to? Do they know their destination? And how is that destination like?” If you find the answers to these questions and decide to follow them, all the best! Otherwise, look in the opposite direction. For then will you go back to the basics—search out true spirituality and bask in the enlightenment, inner joy, peace and above all love that come out of it. And all that for FREE!

The author Jules Nartey-Tokoli is Founder and Group CEO at Groupe Soleil Vision, comprising Soleil Consults, LLC, NubianBiz dot Com and Soleil Publications. He has lived and worked in both Ghana and the United States, having extensive experience in Strategy, Management, Entrepreneurship, Premium Audit Advisory and Web consulting. He has also published several articles on Strategy and Management among others.