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"STOP
THE WORLD
... /
want to get off"
...
was the title of
a
popular
musical play
a
few years
ago.
And the bu/k of human–
ity's billions would do just
that- if they had
a
chance.
Why? What's gone wrong
with this world's society? Wi/1
we ever hove
a
new world,
with changed people filled
with new, happy aHitudes?
by
Poul W.
Kroll
E
VER
heard the words: "A new
world's coming - the one we've
had visions of - coming in peace,
coming in
joy,
coming in !ove"?
The words of a Sunday school
preacher? No. The words of sorne ideal–
istic philosopher? No, again.
Those are words from a song the
kids are singing - or were singing a
few months ago. Its title? "New World
Coming," sung by Mama Cass Elliot.
No sex in this song, no hate in trus
song, no revolution in this song (unless
one reads it into the song). lt's about
the vision of "A new world commg;
And it's just around the bend." Belts
out Mama Cass, "Therc's a ncw world
coming, this one's coming to an end."
Dreams of a Better World
Humanity does have its dreams. We'd
like to see this world - this society of
hatc, violence and fear - end. We want
a new wodd - a world with peace with–
out a Vietnam. A new world to come in
joy
without bummer lives. A world
with !ove, whcrc white !oves black.
A world
of plenty
and happiness
for
al!.
But is such a
world possible? Is
this world of hate,
war, sorrow ever going
to end? Is a
NEW
world
really corning - a world of peace,
joy and !ove? Or is this just idle
wishing?
Maoy men have drearned about a
utopía. We've heard of Marco Polo,
Columbus, Ponce de Leon - this dream
is not
a
new one. But earlier still, there
was
a
man named Isaiah. He envisioned
a happy, wonderful world of peace and
plenty. Was it so much puff-puff wish–
ing about an unattainable Camelot?
Note his words:
"And he shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many pcoplc:
and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into prun-
inghooks : nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more" (lsaiah
2:4) .
Then again, he cried out, "They shall
not hurt nor destroy in all
my
holy
mountain .. ." ( Isaiah
11
:9).
What about such dreams of ancient
prophets? Is a world of no war - of
plowshares instead of swords - impos–
sible? Is a world of !ove - of man's
humanity toward man - impossible?
Why
a
Pessimistic Age?
Our kids are pessimistic. And per–
haps rightly so. Few believe we can
solve everything from ghettos to pollu–
tion to crime.
The classes that graduated this year
f
rom high school and college were