Despite the presence of eight billion inhabitants on this planet, a handful of individuals, driven by power, self-interest, knowledge, virtues, and the force of authority, are controlling the entire world through governance, exploitation, and the rhetoric of democracy. They manipulate the masses worldwide, leading us into increasing dependence day by day.
In 1940, in the comedy film “The Great Dictator,” Charlie Chaplin brilliantly mocked Adolf Hitler with a speech. Even after 84 years, those words remain profoundly relevant. Although Hitler never uttered such words himself, they aptly summarize his ideology: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” Additionally, “Great liars are also great magicians.”
In this era of technology, I see echoes of new Hitlers around the globe, subtly leading people to follow in his footsteps. Did Hitler know that his ideology would endure for generations to come? Otherwise, why did he say, “Sooner will a camel pass through a needle’s eye than a great man be ‘discovered’ by an election”?
What did Charlie Chaplin emphasize in his speech?
“I’m sorry! I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone, if possible, Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world, there’s room for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.”
We’ve gained speed but lost our way. Technology has inundated us with abundance but left us impoverished within. It has heightened our despair and hardened our hearts. We think too much and feel too little. Despite the advancements, what we need more than ever is humanity. Beyond intelligence, we need compassion and dignity. Without these qualities, life will become harsh and meaningless.
Planes and radios have brought us closer together. They’ve declared the message of love, brotherhood, and unity to millions worldwide. Even now, my voice reaches millions around the globe, to those countless oppressed women, men, and children trapped in a system where one human inflicts suffering upon another. To those who hear me, I say, “Do not despair.”
The suffering we face today is nothing but the consequence of greed. Those who fear progress fear nothing but their own impending irrelevance. Their bitter hearts function without empathy, fueled only by their lust for power. However, the power they wield will return to the hands of ordinary people once they pass away. As long as humans exist, the flame of freedom will never extinguish.
Soldiers, do not surrender to slavery. Do not yield to those who have enslaved you, controlled your lives, dictated your actions, thoughts, and feelings. Do not succumb to those who treat you like livestock, counting you as mere expenses on their balance sheets. Do not surrender to the hands of those who lack humanity. Machines may be inhuman, but you are human. You possess love in your hearts for your fellow humans. Do not harbor hatred; only love can vanquish contempt. Love transcends artificial boundaries and divisions.
Soldiers, do not fight for slavery; fight for freedom. As it is written in the Gospel of St. Luke, “The Kingdom of God is within man.” It’s not just within one person or a select few; it resides within all of you, within your hearts. You possess the power to create, to innovate, to build a better world—a world where science and progress lead to a life of happiness.
Soldiers, let us fight for democracy: let us all unite as one!
84 years have passed, yet we seem blind to the lessons of history. We’re on the brink of democracy’s demise—a dictatorship of heroes where power rests in the hands of the few, guided by the direction of capitalists. Technology dominates and manipulates us, while our days revolve around a cycle of consume, obey, work, or perish.
Has technology brought us irrationality instead of rationality after all these years?
For many days, I have pondered over technology. I have many thoughts to share. I want to awaken questions in everyone’s minds, to stir the consciousness of society, to ignite a storm in everyone’s hearts like mine, and to bring forth a new horizon into the homes of all.
Rahman Mridha, Former director, Pfizer, Sweden. [email protected]
