![[Millennium]](millen.gif)
One revolution is past and one revolution is still to come.
Revolutions are powerful instruments of change and they know not friend from foe. First they
achieve the inward purification, then the outward transformation. The Americans purged themselves
of the British and all Loyalists, then turned outward and conquered half a continent and reached
across the seas towards Asia. The Spaniards purged themselves of the Moors, then turned outward
and conquered the New World. The French purged themselves of all royalty, then turned outward
and conquered Europe, sweeping away states and dynasties and all petrified institutions of the
mediaeval world. The Germans and Italians fused their city states into modern nations, then tried
to conquer other nations. The Japanese swept away their feudal lords, restored their Emperor, then
turned outward to conquer Asia. The Russians purged their land of all things Tsarish, purified
their communist system, then turned outward to establish it elsewhere. The Iranians purified themselves
and built their theocracy, then exported their own brand of fundamentalism elsewhere.
Shall I go on?
In 1989, Eastern Europe awoke, purged itself of all things Communist and established democratic
government. The message travelled east, into Russia, and toppled Communism there as well. But it
also turned westward. The Germanies reunited. Italy began the massive task of purging itself of
the Mafia and political corruption. Britons shamed the Queen into paying taxes. The Canadian electorate
annihilated the Tory party and purged it from all meaningful political life. South Africa freed
its political prisoners and made the transition to full democracy. The Yemens reunited. The Koreas
want to talk to each other. Cambodia reverted to monarchy. Hong Kong is demanding democratic
government before absorption by China. And, in America, Ross Perot stirred up the slumbering
American pride in democracy and Bill Clinton defeated the most popular president in US history.
George Bush spoke of a New World Order, but failed to realise that there was as little room in it
for him as for Gorbachev.
We played the Fanfare for the Common Man and the world heeded this call. It rippled out in
concentric waves across the planet and washed up on foreign shores. It is fainter now, but
it persists and speaks to us still.
Now we must prepare for the next wave.
The Overture will be played in 1998 and the curtain will rise in 1999. The revolution of the spring
will fail, but that of the autumn will triumph. The cracks will appear in August, the disturbances
in September and October, the flood in November and the consummation will come at Christmas.
Where will it strike? I cannot be certain, but I suspect Europa. The unification of Europe has
been in the offing for years. But the time for it is now. This event will unleash unbelievable
power, locked up for decades in repressed desires and aspirations.
And likely also a war. The Year 2000 will precipitate a major conflict with the potential to drag
on into 2003. The years 2002 and 2003 will be cold and dark. Pollution and dust levels will be
severe. Disease and epidemics will be a constant danger. Of this much we can be certain. What is
unknown is how the world will get into this state, but the limited use of nuclear weapons in
a regional war comes to mind immediately.
The world will begin to right itself in 2004, the Wood Monkey, when it will be possible to make
a fresh beginning and to pick up where we left off in 1999. We will begin to absorb and integrate
the loose ends created in the chaos of the turn of the century. The future will seem much less
uncertain a decade from now, when the dust has settled.
Created: August 1996. Last updated: 12 Jan 1997.
This page and all others in "Ping Wu's Diary" are
Copyright (c) 1996~1997 by the Author
and Protected by copyright at the AquarianAge.