The karmic effects of the Energy and Arms industries on civilization

By David E. Hopper

“…the perpetuation of unlimited national sovereignty is a threat to the freedom of all humanity, illustrating the abuse by the part of the welfare of the whole. But we are rapidly learning that all humanity is a unit, that we are in fact one family, and that the welfare of all transcends the privilege of any nation to do as it pleases.”
Reflections(Foster Bailey), p. 82

For centuries, capitalists have exerted tremendous economic and political influence over civilization through numerous and diverse economic ventures. Although there are many other corporate influences that impact the world daily, the arms industry that creates the implements of war and the energy corporations, which comprise oil, coal, nuclear and natural gas are highly significant.

These industries have for hundreds of years in the Americas, Europe and Asia, maintained a relationship with governments that often perpetuate an often aggressive foreign and domestic policy to maintain power through control of much of the world’s resources. Looking forward, if we are to peacefully make the transition to the Golden Age, stop the destruction on all the kingdoms in nature and the continual wars, the juggernaut of materialism, which thrives on the these two industries, must be checked.

Energy Corporations
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the energy giants, literally keep our civilization going 24/7. For without the energies they generate, the world’s transportation system for example, which largely operates on petroleum products, would not function. Most industries could not create the myriad of products they currently manufacture and consumers use. It is safe to say that the vast majority of humanity derives some benefit from the service or products generated by the energy corporations. However, there is a dark side to their operations.

Huge corporations threaten freedom if they do not accept responsibility for public welfare (healthcare, livable wage, stewardship to environment) as an essential business policy. Reflections(Foster Bailey), p. 83

For the protection of the public and the environment, most of the energy corporations globally are under some type of regulation or control. This is necessary to prevent companies from overcharging their customers and controlling the waste and pollution they generate. Some of the greatest polluters are the coal, gas and electricity plants that spew toxic chemicals, such as carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from their stacks during the processing of raw materials. The pollution from these industries has been going on for decades. Governments are reluctant to interfere as energy is necessary for the economy to expand and prosper. Its only after the destruction to the environment and people’s health, that these factories are forced to have pollution control equipment installed. Recently, the US government has weakened or relaxed existing laws that regulate pollution for energy-producing industries to the point of making the laws virtually meaningless. With the onset of global climate change, this lack of understanding by the US keeps it from providing any substantive international leadership for curbing greenhouse emissions that these industries generate.

For over a century, the oil companies have provided a source of energy for the US and countries around the world. As their economic and political clout developed, their influence began to be felt in the political sphere, especially in the second half of the 20th century. This influence has effected foreign policies of the US, Europe, Japan, Russia, China, and India as their economies are almost completely tied towards maintaining a continual flow of oil from oil rich regions such as the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

With these nation’s economies tied to oil continually flowing from the Middle East and other countries, this has major implications for world peace and security. As a result, there are three significant consequences: first it makes securing a continual oil flow, in the “national interest” of the nation and raises tensions when threats of oil stoppage arises, second, investment in alternative energies has been strongly downplayed (until very recently) as these new energies would cut into the profits of the oil giants. Third, this has resulted over time with an environment that has degraded the health of billions due to the effects of poor pollution control devices on cars, trucks, airplanes and factory equipment.

Nuclear Energy
The nuclear power industry provides a great deal of power for cities around the world. Besides energy generation, nuclear power is also used for medical, scientific and military applications. Next to the oil, gas, coal and electricity producing industries, the next greatest polluter is the nuclear power industry, which generates a great deal of toxic chemical waste. These chemicals are so toxic that they can only be stored in certain locations away from population centers. When the waste has to be transported to a permanent storage facility, this upsets many residents of local communities that trains or trucks have to pass through. Due to past mistakes, the possibility for extreme damage to the environment and effecting people’s health if these chemicals were released, the nuclear power industry is heavily regulated.

Although the nuclear power plants provide considerable power for cities around the world, there are other threats from this technology mainly from Iran and North Korea. Both of these countries have created nuclear power plants for allegedly “peaceful energy use”. However, there’s evidence from the international community that these nuclear reactors are not just for peacetime use but for creating nuclear weapons. This issue is beyond the scope of this discussion but suffice it to say, the containment and spread of nuclear weapons to developing nations is a grave threat to long term peace for the planet.

Clean Energy Alternatives
The problems around the “clean” energies, regardless of type, for the benefit and not to the determent of humanity is a key issue to be resolved by all nations. Through peaceful and harmonious coexistence with the environment as a basic understanding, we can make the transition into the Aquarian Age free of the corporate mentality that there must be a control of the world’s resources and not care about the pollution they cause. The challenge is great because the control of the oil, for example, is currently tied to the foreign policy of many nations. Petroleum is not only a major source of fuel but securing it provides nations a justification for war if anybody tries to disrupt its flow or prevent its sale. At this point, its really necessary to make a rapid transition from fossil fuels to clean, inexpensive energies as a means for powering the world’s industries and transportation before further damage to the environment forces the issue. There are already many indications that we are already at that point where the global climate is reacting to humanity’s polluting tendencies. Undoubtedly, corporations and governments that demand these fuels will be eventually forced to realize that there is responsibility towards providing for the public’s welfare - globally.

There are many positive developments for alternative energy in the "public" sphere, such as the development of hybrid vehicles that run on energies other than oil and gasoline. Although research and development of alternative energies has been grossly under-funded and poorly endorsed by governments overall, R & D has not been completely silent. There are experimental vehicles using hydrogen cells being studied; numerous fleets of public buses and cars in different cities in the US are running on batteries daily. Hybrid vehicles using an admixture of propane and gasoline and bio-fuels are already on the road, but their numbers are still few and the future is precarious due to investment or budgetary issues. There are other industries that provide alternative energy, such as wind power. Environmentalists such as former Vice-President Al Gore made an Academy Award winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth". In this film, Mr. Gore details the science and politics of global warming and he offers solutions. Prince Charles in Great Britain has funded projects that support the stewardship of his properties towards sustainability as a teaching on how to cooperate with the environment. In the political sphere, the Green Party in the EU provides choices for protecting the environment in governments throughout Europe. In the US, China and India – chief among the world’s polluters, the political lobbies support shifts to alternative energy are not significant political players yet. With the clock ticking, the larger responsibility for governments and industry (capitalists) will be for developing “clean” energy and equipment for the sustainability of humanity and the environment well into the future.

In the case of the United States, most legislation for funding investment in alternative sources of energy in the last 35 years was thwarted by the “oil lobby”. One can only speculate as to what effects would be on the environment and certainly on our foreign policy had laws been passed to force industry to convert from fossil fuels to alternative energy? Here in the 21st century, oil companies are still spending tens of billions of dollars yearly on oil production and exploration and very little money by comparison spent on alternative energies that could replace oil. From a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense for the oil companies not to advocate investment in alternative energy, especially when their power and influence is so great at this time. Alternatively, they certainly do not encourage the public to buy fuel efficient vehicles and discontinue the manufacture of SUVs, trucks and other fuel-inefficient vehicles.

In the interest of the public’s health, there must be more of a clamor to compel the auto makers to build hybrid vehicles using non-petroleum fuel and invest in alternative energies. Further, it is the public itself that also needs to intelligently make the choice between a “clean energy” car vs. a gas guzzling SUV. With gas prices rising, the public is definitely considering alternative vehicles.


The glamour and karma of the Defense and Arms industries
When we ponder the question of what’s holding humanity back from growing and making the “peaceful” transition into the New Age, the reasons are many. One of the major reasons we aren’t changing easily is our own insecurity with our neighbors and certainly with ourselves. For thousands of years, the forces of darkness have kept humanity in illusion by promoting an attitude of insecurity that keeps people in fear so they think they need this weapon or we need to attack that country. The glamour of thinking one needs a gun for protection has been a successful marketing ploy in the 20th century by organizations such as the National Rifle Association. Its main premise refers to the clause in the US Constitution that gives citizens “the right to bear arms”. In the US alone, a recent statistic revealed that there are over 240 million weapons in the hands of private citizens. For literally centuries, the defense and arms industries have promoted their implements of war to governments and individuals around the world with virtually no concern or conscience as to consequences of their actions. The continual sales of weapons around the world is a major impediment towards fostering peace, world cooperation and goodwill.

In a ongoing discussion about issues around capitalists and their practices, I believe this subject is important and merits discussion. For it is the continuance of arms sales from prosperous countries such as US, Russia, France, China, Great Britain to other developing nations in Africa, Middle East countries, Central America that keeps the astral plane of the world tense. The policy of arm sales continues because “its highly profitable”. It also gives countries the means of warring on their neighbors instead of working out differences through diplomacy, negotiation, sharing and cooperation. The sale of weapons to individuals and other nations is a direct action of capitalists ultimately not being responsible for the public’s welfare. For in the vast majority of cases, the sale of weapons will probably be used for harm or for exerting undo power and control over others for selfish gain.

“…the perpetuation of unlimited national sovereignty is a threat to the freedom of all humanity, illustrating the abuse by the part of the welfare of the whole. But we are rapidly learning that all humanity is a unit, that we are in fact one family, and that the welfare of all transcends the privilege of any nation to do as it pleases.”
Reflections(Foster Bailey), p. 82

In the US and other nations, enormous sums of money are spent yearly on research and development for creating a more lethal weapon, such as investing in the “bunker buster bomb” or new monies being allocated towards the Star Wars project or upgrading the nuclear bomb arsenal of the US.

Any country that engages in arms sales, regardless of intent, tarnishes the soul of that nation and ultimately generates karma for its people. This is most easily seen with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that the United States that America seems to be “stuck” in. The arms dealer-capitalist can say that people have free will to buy and sell what they want and that “I’m not responsible for how others react to or use my weapons”. This may have an element of truth, but this type of thinking fosters an “I don’t care” attitude and encourages an attitude of recklessness and endangerment in an already stressed astral plane of the world.

For this discussion, relating the rays can bring in a new insight. Two of the most influential rays in this discussion are the glamours of the 3rd and 6th Rays. The 3rd ray expressing Intelligent Activity is related to the principle of goodwill and the law of right human relations that governs all economic activity. The “Intelligent use of force with wrong motive or desire” and force(d) manipulation of a person or situation or event by selfish desire weaknesses” are two examples of glamours of the 3rd ray. A glamour of the 6th Ray, which is definitely in play today although on its way out is “ray of devotion or idealism – especially towards a religious ideal”. This has lead to violence and religious fanaticism that we’ve seen so much of in the Middle East and Asia. Putting weapons in the hands of fanatics is a very dangerous enterprise, which the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and other countries have done for well over 60 years - with mixed success. There are numerous examples where the US has sold arms to so called “freedom fighters” such as Osama bin Laden to fight against the Soviets in the late 1970’s. The results, armed militants, such as Hamaas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda get the weapons and have the means for committing crimes in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Other discussions around glamours around weapons involve "blood" or "conflict" diamonds from Africa. This problem goes back to the 1860’s where diamonds were discovered in South Africa. The control and sale of these diamonds by war lords provides them monies to buy weapons for waging war in neighboring countries. Currently, in an effort to curb the sale of “conflict” diamonds, human rights groups advocate that those companies that sell diamonds internationally, provide a certificate indicating that these “are not conflict diamonds”.

From the 1970's to the early 1990's, the US and Europe had given weapons and capital to the regime of Sadaam Hussein. Sadaam turned around and used these weapons on its neighbors Iran, Kuwait and the ethnic Kurds in northern Iraq.

In the summer of 2006, the US provided high technology weapons to Israel to fight the Hezbollah fighters in Southern Lebanon. At that time, Israel used bombs with depleted uranium (DU), which came from the US. When the DU bombs were dropped in Lebanon, the one's that actually exploded, left radiation on the ground. This is a poison left in Lebanon, still on the ground, which the Israeli government claims no responsibility. The US Government also denies responsibility in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo where DU bombs were also used. The resulting problems from this radiation will cause increased cancer rates and other health conditions for the local populations. From the Iraq War of 1991, soldiers from that time complain of the “Gulf War Syndrome”, where DU was also used, yet the Pentagon and the US government denies benefits to the very people who served there.

Arms Sales – Solutions
When considering a solution for this problem, one first has to acknowledge the fact that the capitalists via governments who are selling these weapons don’t see this as a problem. This is an issue that transcends political parties for it has existed in the US alone since before the country’s founding. The sale of weaponry around the world gives a nation the leverage to force their foreign policy on other nations by interfering and meddling in their affairs. So in the minds of the politicians, think tanks, the CIA and strategists in the Pentagon, they find ample justification for this continued type of business practice, regardless of the consequences. Looking back since WWII, we can certainly see the negative results of nations, such as the US that frequently strong-armed other weaker nations through their aggressive foreign policy and force of arms.

From a spiritual point of view, the concepts of karma and “right action” are in play. The solution is definitely a political one where government(s) need to consciously cultivate a spirit of goodwill and cooperation among peoples and nations instead of fighting. Diplomacy must be emphasized as the main solution to humanity's warring tendencies. There first must be an effort on the part of the UN Security Council and all governments towards curbing any arms sales and thus neutralize fighting both regionally and globally. Secondly, there needs to be a fostering of political dialog among nations (and parties) to deter the need for weapons as the main solution.

There are a number of other actions that can be employed. The fostering of an attitude of peace and goodwill for supporting the understanding of human unity (One family) concept. This understanding will help to create a new foundation for political, religious and social reorganization of our civilization. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Democrat - Ohio) has been espousing these ideas since at least 2002. He has sponsored legislation for creating a cabinet level “Department of Peace”. He is one of the few people in Congress that never voted for going to war in Iraq. He has also advocated the abolition of space-based weapons, such as the “Star Wars” project.

It has to be mentioned that war and conflict, whether between individuals or nations, begins on the astral plane. People first are at war through their thoughts and feelings before any physical outward manifestation happens. In the same way negative thoughts are put out, peaceful ones can also be invoked. For peace to actually work, there has to be a modicum of peace existing so that the polarized parties will want to choose to sit down and negotiate instead of warring on each other. I believe that much of the problem of war (to include terrorism) is tied up with how our governments and industry see the world. Right now, they largely see resources that need to be controlled by the miserly few and are willing to sacrifice money and lives for it. Turning that attitude around, these parties can on the other hand foster the principle of sharing of the Earth's resources, with an attitude of stewardship and responsibility towards the environment instead.

If the attitude of prevention and cooperation was always brought to the negotiation table, how many wars and conflicts could or can be prevented? This is not just an issue of the warring parties and even the actual war, there's also the poisons that are left after the war is over. How many wars have been fought over the centuries where the poisons of war are just left on the ground to cause more harm later on, such as landmines? Besides the DU issue already mentioned, the US still has not signed on to the International Landmine Treaty. This treaty would provide funding for the removal of “hidden” landmines from previous war zones around the world, e.g. Southeast Asia, (Vietnam), Korea and Kosovo. If the US, would sign this treaty, this action would provide the political will for eliminating landmines internationally. The fact that the US refuses to sign this treaty, in effect prevents its implementation. This has direct karmic consequences. By not signing on, more people will be injured or maimed by “hidden” landmines around the world. In this example, it is the White House, the Pentagon, the Congress and industry itself (manufacturers of these landmines) that need to have a change of mind and heart, in other words, an act of goodwill.