Man and his history...  

      By ANWAR ABDULRAHMAN ,

British historian and philosopher Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889-1975) probably stands higher than any of his predecessors or contemporaries in documenting the 'History of Man'. In this monumental 12-volume work, A Study of History, the best-known opus of his many works, Toynbee observes that breakdown of a civilisation or civil order occurs when its creative members fail to respond to challenges. They instead give way to dominant ruling classes exerting force over the masses, turning them into helpless peasants or proletariat. He contended that even sophisticated Western blocs would not escape this fate. Subsequent events during the last 10 years of the former USSR, as well as Eastern Europe, proved how right Toynbee's prophecy was. No civilisation or nation is fated to decline or break down, but when social justice is ignored, thinking classes considered persona non grata and wealth is distributed unfairly, creative inspiration invariably retreats and ultimately slows down. At this point self-satisfaction and self-admiration become the ruling classes' mantra. Farmers, craftsmen, traders, intellectuals and clergymen form the backbone of any community, yet these elements alone cannot sustain progress for long without the existence of a sixth segment, power... that is to say 'control' or the emergence of a ruling class - irrespective of whether it is elected or imposed. If these 'guardians' are fair, everything will be fine. If not, challenges will appear. Social changes differ from one society to another - some as reforms, others as revolutions leaving a legacy of bitterness. But the minute revolutionaries attain power, they themselves become a thorn in society's throat. The Bolshevik revolution is a good example. The first three decades of the last century witnessed many regime upheavals in Europe, none able to deliver on promises to their peoples. But what about the Arab World after independence? Politicians and military juntas had their dreams, but from their very first days in power, ordinary people's aspirations and affairs sunk from bad to worse. During the last 60 years, Arab nations, with few exceptions, have had to live with their self-styled 'immortal' leaders - most of whom brought nothing but mischief, misery and misfortune. What Europe faced in the last century's first three decades has already begun to be repeated in the Arab World during the first decade of this century! A disaffected Iraq, the annexation of Sudan, the limbo of Lebanon, the Algerian outbreak, Tunisian turmoil, an unsettled Yemen, Syria's successions and, last but not least, Egypt's Coptic Christian separation question, which is now shaping into a demand. WHY? Because of the indispensability complex of these 'immortals' and cronies wielding power (with the exception of Lebanon), who deprive their people of even the basic right to elect their own governments. How long can a nation cope without hope? For when that dies Man prefers also to die, and he who is about to do so creates the smouldering base of a volcano, which sooner or later will erupt violently! How right Toynbee was when he said: "Mankind should learn from history, but never does."