Reflecting on the Pain Inflicted on Humanity and the Earth
Kim’s Dream Orlan Ravanera
“Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” This poetic truth reminds us that dreaming is essential to human existence. To dream for oneself is good; to dream for one’s people, for humanity, and for the Earth is far greater. Yet before we can dream responsibly, we must first learn to pause, reflect, and confront the suffering that human beings inflict upon one another and upon the natural world. Reflection is not an act of despair; it is an act of awakening. It allows truth to rise above illusion and compassion to replace indifference.
During a three-month period of reflection in the United States, through reading critical histories and listening to lived narratives, I was confronted by the devastating consequences of modern-day imperialism, particularly American imperialism. These reflections revealed how power, cloaked in the language of democracy, freedom, and even religion, has conquered vast portions of the world’s resources while accelerating environmental destruction. Such realizations compel us to liberate ourselves from the fallacies of false prosperity, distorted belief systems, and ego-driven nationalism. As ancient wisdom teaches, truth alone can set us free from the prison of the ego and free us to live a life grounded in compassion, love, and service. These values, rather than dogma or domination, should be the very essence of all religions.
This realization became even more vivid after listening to a profound lecture titled “The Myth of American Exceptionalism,” delivered by the late Dr. Howard Zinn who was a distinguished historian and professor. Dr. Zinn carefully traced how American imperial expansion has historically justified conquest by invoking democracy, liberty, and even divine mandate. He reminded his audience that empires often disguise their true motives, economic control, military dominance, and corporate expansion behind moral rhetoric.
One painful example he cited was the American invasion of the Philippines in 1898. This act was framed as a mission to liberate Filipinos from Spanish colonial rule, inspired by the so-called benevolent dream of U.S. President William McKinley. Yet the historical reality reveals a far darker truth. According to Dr. Zinn and other critical historians, American soldiers committed widespread atrocities, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 600,000 Filipinos. This tragic chapter demands honest re-examination. Philippine historiography must be courageous enough to confront these realities rather than sanitize them in the name of gratitude or alliance.
The Philippine experience was not an isolated event. Before this, the United States waged war against Mexico, killing tens of thousands and annexing territories such as California and Texas. This pattern of expansion continued across the globe in Korea, where millions perished; in Vietnam, where war devastated an entire nation; and in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Indonesia, where political violence and mass killings unfolded with foreign support or indifference. In many of these cases, authoritarian regimes were propped up in the name of stability and anti-communism, while democratic aspirations were crushed.
Nowhere has imperial ambition been more destructive than in the Middle East. In pursuit of strategic control over oil and geopolitical influence, powerful states have fueled endless conflict. In alliance with militarized interests, entire populations have been displaced, civilian lives lost, and ecosystems poisoned. Ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, and the militarization of religion have become grim realities. Renowned intellectuals like Dr. Noam Chomsky have long warned that the concentration of nuclear power and unchecked militarism among a few dominant states places humanity on the brink of annihilation.
Dr. Zinn himself expressed deep puzzlement about the Philippine situation in contemporary times. He observed that despite overwhelming evidence of continued foreign control through military bases, economic dependency, and corporate dominance, public dissent remained dangerously muted. He pointed out that American transnational corporations and global financial institutions, working hand in hand with local elites, exert immense control over the Philippine economy. Political sovereignty becomes an illusion when economic policies, military decisions, and development priorities are dictated from outside.
Why, then, is resistance so limited? The answer lies partly in fear. Those who dare to challenge imperial power are often branded as enemies of the state, subjected to surveillance, harassment, or red-tagging. Silence becomes a survival strategy. Yet silence, too, is a form of surrender. Amid this global crisis of conscience, a people-powered response has emerged. The Occupy Movement, which began in New York City in September 2011, represents one of the most significant challenges to decades of class warfare. It exposed a stark reality: a tiny fraction of corporations, the so-called one percent, function as the real architects of public policy, shaping governments to serve profit rather than people. Protesters around the world raised a collective voice, demanding peace, equality, dignity, and a just society free from war, imperialism, and exploitative capitalism.
Despite mass arrests, surveillance, and repression, the spirit of this movement continues to spread not only across cities but within the human conscience. Its message is simple yet revolutionary: democracy cannot survive when power is monopolized by wealth. When war becomes the engine of economic growth, human life and the environment are reduced to expendable resources. The consequences are now undeniable. Extreme poverty and obscene inequality have reached unprecedented levels. In some parts of the world, desperation has driven people to sell their own organs to survive. Meanwhile, climate change driven by extractive and profit-obsessed systems threatens the very foundations of life on Earth. Nuclear arsenals remain poised, capable of erasing civilization in an instant. Humanity stands at the edge of self-inflicted extinction.
Yet even in this darkness, a new dream is emerging. Across cultures and borders, people are rediscovering an ancient truth: “The world is one country, and humankind its citizens.” No empire has the moral right to dominate, exploit, or destroy in a shared planetary home. We have one Earth, one fragile life system, and a shared responsibility to protect it.
This vision of oneness is not new. It was proclaimed centuries ago by Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who called for the unity of humanity, the harmony of religions, and the protection of the natural world. His message, revolutionary for its time, was met with persecution and martyrdom. Today, history has proven his warning painfully accurate: without spiritual and moral awakening, humanity risks collapse. Human suffering on such a massive scale reveals a deeper crisis rooted in ego, greed, and collective moral confusion. When leaders invoke God to justify killing, domination, and plunder, they betray the very essence of spirituality. Every authentic religious tradition teaches reverence for life, compassion for the vulnerable, and restraint in the use of power. To kill in God’s name is the ultimate blasphemy. An ancient inscription from the West captures this sacred worldview:
“Heaven is my father, and Earth is my mother. All people are my brothers and sisters, and all things are my companions. One who destroys humanity is a robber; one who violates the harmony of Heaven and Earth lacks moral capacity.” This wisdom reminds us that humanity is inseparable from nature. To wound the Earth is to wound ourselves. To restore balance, we must reclaim our ancient bond with the natural world and with one another. Peace, love, and compassion must no longer remain abstract ideals. They must become living practices expressed through courageous action. Let us dream, yes, but let us also reflect deeply, act collectively, and connect spiritually. Beyond the body and the ego lies a greater truth: the vast stillness and shared consciousness that unites all life.
May we awaken as enlightened spirits, Esperitus Luminus capable of transcending ego, fear, and narrow nationalism. Let us act as one global moral force to end war, injustice, and ecological destruction. Only then can our dreams take flight, carrying humanity toward a future worthy of its highest potential. For the Philippines, and for all nations long subjected to empire, this awakening is not optional; it is essential. Genuine sovereignty will only emerge when people reclaim their voice, defend life in all its forms, and place human dignity and ecological integrity above profit, power, and militarism. This is our sacred task in this decisive moment of history. All for God’s greater glory.
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