(Life without evils of misuses of science and technology, capitalism & militarism)
Summary
A capitalist system is driven by private capitals, profits, luxuries, consumerism, and other market forces. At present (2025) U.S.A., P.R. of China, Germany, Japan, India, U.K., France, Italy, Brazil and Canada are the top most countries with high values of G.D.P. Oxfam reported that 'total wealth of 1% of the richest is equal to that of the other 99%'. It is a known fact that wealth accumulations and associated mechanisms to sustain the growth and pace of changes are fundamental to capitalism. A capitalist system is omnivorous and consumerist. Urbanisation, consumerism, population increase, decreasing natural resources, climate changes and other global changes and militarism and military blocks are leading nations in a suicidal path. At this juncture, governments with strong social and ideological commitments (e.g., eco-socialism) become a necessity to guide the different people and nations to safe havens.
It is common sense that science and technology is widely misused in many nations for profiteering, domineering, luxuries and consumerist ways of life. Wealth accumulations by individuals, companies and nations and their policies and programmes to sustain the economic and domineering powers, nationally and internationally, had caused various power blocks and military alliances among nations. Pollutions of many types are causing climate changes and are harming health of citizens. Widespread and out-of-control uses of computers, networks and internet enabled smart phones are driving citizens crazy or bad. Buoyant, layered, mixed-up and complexed ways of life are adding new psychological problems and diseases. All these are caused by misuses of science and technology for profiteering, domineering and consumerist life styles by capitalists and their supporters. At this juncture, is there a way out of this global disintegration? We have to find out ways to clean the capitalist and imperialist ways of life. The world has to be shown optimised, natural, clean, sustainable ways of science and technology, government and life. Thus we would be able to safeguard nature, natural resources, nations and different people.
At present we have mainly three types of lives: (1) natural life of tribals, rural agriculturists and similar people, (2) religious life of rural people and similar urbanites and (3) urban life of religious people and capitalists' life (mainly belonging to mass manufacturing, businesses, consumerism etc.) and scientific life of different urbanites. Minor groups of people do exist as migrants and others who belong to floating population. True religious life is communal with strong family values and traditions. So when the community is mixed up and mismanaged, the followers get mixed-up and error-prone. Presently the mixed-up situations prevail with weak family values and morals especially in urban areas. Capitalist life leads to an economic society driven by market forces depending on invested private capital, profits, luxuries etc. If the wealth generation and accumulation process is controlled by natural values (eco-ethics), national laws and social balances, the society would function smoothly and democratically. Since private capital, profits, luxuries and market forces are the primary drives in a capitalist system, as time passes the system would become profits centred, omnivorous and consumerist with loosely organised families with no/less values and morals. Currently in many nations these situations prevail.
In tribal and rural areas people are tuned to nature, agriculture and related trades and commerce. To start with, in urban life also human beings were nature based, moral, scientific and progressive. But now the situations have changed very much. Now urban societies have many industries for mass manufacturing and profiteering leading to luxuries, liberalism, consumerism and pollutions. Companies with thousands of employees start their own organisations for tours, luxuries and pleasures to boost businesses, buoyancy and consumption. This affects society as a whole and disintegration and ill-health are caused at different levels and sections. The bad side of this technological liberalism is that, governments which are supposed to govern and rein in these investors and companies are carried away, favouring these technologists and companies for their own partisan and sectorial advantages. Socially integrative and healthy changes and life can not be at breakneck speeds. Social changes are to be slow and steady, so that people remain centred around or anchored to fundamental values and laws. A valueless and anchorless society would be like a drifting boat in high seas, moved by winds, waves and currents. Presently many nations are gloating in lives of riches, luxuries and consumerism. According to Oxfam total wealth of 1% of the richest is equal to that of other 99%. The more humankind progressed away from green, healthy forests to modern cities, the more they became unbalanced with nature and destructive to environments and natural resources. Mass extinctions and destruction of human civilization is predicted by many scientists, futurologists and moralists. The sad truth is that these are caused by human beings through their liberal and super-fast life styles, social and governmental chaos, causing consumerism, urbanisation, waste of natural resources, pollutions and climate changes. Now there are semen banks, uterus hiring, same sex marriages, live-in couples and many diseases caused by crowded and mixed up societies and viruses. Urban environments and cultures have become virus cultures also.
All the problems faced by the urban people can be solved by adopting a truly scientific way of life. Here we infuse into society more values and principles to discipline citizens. In scientific life, society has to keep away from the evils of mass manufacturing, profiteering, luxuries, consumerism, pollutions and other related agencies and businesses. Scientific life has to be 'systematic and formulated' (as science is defined) taking into consideration nature, natural resources, family, society and other established and right social organisations. In scientific life and society, people are driven by natural energies (e.g., hydro-electric power), manufacturing, family values, national laws and parity. Hence the society is tuned to nature and natural resources, industrial productions and businesses. In scientific life nature, natural life, family, relevant social laws and clean industries (without pollutions) are basic things of social drives and management. The evils of capitalist and consumerist life do not find a place in scientific society. (See last two sentences in 'urban life').
The populations of different nations have a very important role in scientific life. Presently the populations in different nations are grouped into different political parties, religious communities, economic groups, and other small groups of different people. In urban areas population density is very high. For example, Bangalore has a population density of over 16,000/km². Population density would be much higher in metropolitan areas. Presently global population is over 8 billions. India is the most populated nation on the Earth. India and China together account for about 35% global population. Other countries with high populations are U.S.A., Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and Philippines. The main reasons for high populations are fertile lands, riverine eco-systems, populated urban areas with industries, businesses etc., and religious and state regulations limiting family size. In scientific way the population has to be managed taking into consideration level of industrialisation, urbanisation, availability of natural resources, per capita income and luxuries and state laws. Now more than 50% of the global population live in urban and semi-urban areas. This is an alarming situation. This is increasing fast due to industrialisation, luxuries, urbanisation and consumerism. Population increase is also related to natural resources and their uses.
For example, consider petrol and drinking water. Prices of petrol in India was Rs. 0.9/L in 1970. It was Rs. 4.2/L in 1990 and Rs. 105/L in 2025. (Over 100 times increase in 55 years). Drinking water now costs Rs. 20/L in India. In many European countries water costs above Rs. 100/L. In U.S.A. drinking water costs around Rs. 170/L. As uses of petrol and diesel increase, drinking water becomes scarce and costly. The stark reality is that about 25 years back drinking water was available at no cost. Urbanisation destroys all fresh water sources in an area. This is the present situation of two life sustaining 'fuels' of humankind. Other resources also face similar situations. What the situations are going to be in another 25 years is alarming to guess? (World population is projected to reach 9.8 billions in 2050, a 22.5% increase from 8 billions in 2024).
About 50% global population live in the tropical limits of 23.5° N and 23.5° S of Equator where the weathers and climates are almost naturally tolerable. This equatorial belt is where about 85 nations (including island nations) are situated and fertility rates are high. Global population has to be brought down to 4–5 billions (1987 level) from >8 billions (2024 level) for the benefits of humankind, animals, eco-systems and forests. This needs internationally co-ordinated movements, irrespective of military blocks and rich-poor considerations.
Population increase, urbanisation, consumerism, decreasing natural resources, climate changes and militarism and military blocks are interrelated and very complex. These complex situations give rise to knotty and unresolvable happenings in different nations. In this background, governments with strong social and ideological commitments become a necessity to integrate social values, social changes, growth and development. Without this society would disintegrate into wealth driven (capitalist) liberal ways of life as seen now in different regions, causing unhealthy changes and disintegration at national and international levels. (See last three sentences of Introduction.) Let us strive to be integratively scientific, natural and humane rather than scientific (for mass manufacturing and luxuries), profiteering and consumerism. The capitalist system can be changed to scientific type by injecting into society values of natural, familial life and national laws of true democracies instead values of profits, luxuries and consumerism (capitalist values). Let us take care of our environments by safeguarding nature and natural resources. Let us try to make green and healthy cities everywhere and a green Earth.