May 1, 2025 (EIRNS)—In tracing the history of the anti-entropic effect of the human mind on the geology of our planet, Russian-Ukrainian scientist Vladimir I. Vernadsky forecast in 1938, with absolute scientific certainty, the inevitable extinction of the system of empire, and the establishment of a social organization among peoples based on promoting creative, noetic activity:
“Now the Earth’s human population has reached the previously unprecedented figure of nearly 2 billion people, despite the losses incurred by wars, starvation and disease, which continuously afflict hundreds of millions of people, and which have seriously retarded the course of that process. It will require, however, only an insignificant amount of time in geological terms, barely more than a few hundred years, for such relics of barbarism to cease. This could of course be accomplished even now: the possibility lies already within Man’s grasp, and a will informed by reason will inevitably embark on this path, since it corresponds to the natural thrust of the geological process. This is even more the case as the opportunities for doing this are rapidly, almost spontaneously, increasing” [emphasis added].
Ending the age of barbarism lies before us is the great possibility of our age, but the question of the moment is whether humankind can muster the “will informed by reason” to act.
We currently face a fragile and very uncertain future. While steps in defusing the nuclear war danger between the U.S. and Russia continue, progress is not guaranteed; how the Russians will respond to the just-signed U.S.-Ukraine “minerals deal,” is not yet clear.
Ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations have paused in response to the knucklehead imposition by the U.S. of further sanctions on Iran and meatheaded statements by U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth, threatening Iran with U.S. military might.
The devastating situation in Gaza—which has seen zero food or medical aid enter in 61 days—continues to garner voices in protest of the genocide happening before our eyes, and yet that genocide’s enablers—the U.S. government, most notably—still block an end to the brutality.
The only path to solve any of these problems is not one of a local or regional approach; just as Russia is insisting in the case of the Ukraine war, we must solve the root cause of the crisis, and that is the “unipolar” system of geopolitics as a whole, which has dominated the world since the end of World War II.
Helga Zepp-LaRouche has called for a “modern Peace of Westphalia approach” by way of the creation of a new security and development architecture that will replace the system of geopolitics with one of cooperation, taking into account the needs and interests of all nations, as located within the interests of humanity as a whole. A similar call has been made in the recent period by Russian President Putin, and is beginning to be echoed by others.
Though the end of colonialism is part of the “natural thrust of the geological process,” as expressed by Vernadsky, such evolution of human beings is not automatic; it must occur via willful changes in social organization brought about through ideas and actions of courageous individuals. Such individuals will convene on Friday, May 2, for the 100th meeting of the International Peace Coalition, and on May 24-25 for the Schiller Institute conference, “A Beautiful Vision for Humanity in Times of Great Turbulence!” Join us.
