The world has not been embroiled in any major wars in recent years. Of course, there are still inter and intra-country conflicts, but not at a scale compared to the Medieval period. Unlike wars that were fought between nations for hundreds of years, today’s conflicts do seem small. Relatively speaking, we are living in a freer and peaceful times now. The ages of kings and emperors ruling the mass is over, or is it?
Read time: 2.30 min.
Picture the Middle Age, where several kingdoms are at war with each other. Whether it is rooted around faith, colour, wealth or power over another, history is a witness to the bondage and suffering of humans across the ages. The kings or emperors are supreme, and their spoken words are law. Transgressors are severely punished, and followers are rewarded. People’s opinion doesn’t matter; all that matters is the will of the ruler of the land. The larger the army, the more powerful is the kingdom. The kingdoms with smaller armies fall prey to the larger ones, getting ravaged and conquered. Colonies are spreading around the world, strengthening the empires even further. Kingdoms are either merging by force or joining hands to fight their common enemies.
Centuries of battles have left people hungry for a change. And change is coming.
Innovation and industrial revolution come to the rescue collapsing almost all empires. People are getting empowered, and the power is gradually passing from a select few to the mass, bringing democracy and peace into the world. The world prospers for years until the urge for supremacy rears it’s ugly head once again, resulting in two World Wars. The world is once again hurled into hate and destruction.
Once again, innovation, although cloaked under newer, faster, bigger and better destructive methods, brings peace back on Earth.
We now have freedom.
But, history repeats itself.
Who am I referring to?
I am not referring to the heads of some states who are lesser statesmen (states persons) and more dictators, who happen to run their countries like their empires. I won’t dwell on those, pick any news or social media, and you’ll find them streaming everywhere.
I am referring to the very deceptive mighty enterprises of the new world – Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, etc. China has their own kingdoms, notably, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent which are bigger and more powerful than all the Western enterprises put together. They are the new Kingdoms of this century.
Don’t you believe me?
The number of followers (users) of some of these companies are more than some countries population, very much like kingdoms in the past. They wage wars (compete) with each other to occupy their territories (business space). They join forces (mergers) and topple (acquisitions) other kingdoms. These companies keep invading smaller competing companies for intellectual property gain (wealth) and leave them ransacked. The greater the length and breadth of empires (market cap), the wider their influence in the world. The followers (shareholders) are rewarded with dividends, and transgressors (patents infringement) are punished (sued). Your decisions may seem yours entirely, but these conglomerates influence your thinking and decide what you should watch, buy and connect just as it was during Medieval times (rulers words is law).
We have offered our freedom to them in exchange for new shiny means offered by these empires to make our lives comfortable. These boundary-less empires are well attuned to their edge against their rivals and are arming their arsenals to keep marching on. There is no stopping for them. The only way they will stop if they are swallowed or vanquished by others. The battlegrounds and the warfare methods are different, but they are kingdoms and empires much the same.
A new change is necessary to offer us the true freedom to think, do and live how we want. Will these empires ever lose their grip on our lives and disintegrate to an open and equitable world? I believe that no empire has ever remained in power forever, and none ever will. The change will come.
Welcome to the new Medieval period.
Share your thoughts.
Success to you!
Razak
CommonInterest
C o m m o n. I n t e r e s t. 
Intriguing correlation. One might even add that there are elements of this “new world order” which have resulted in a “new religion” to help in controlling the thoughts of the masses.
That is so true. Thanks for the comments Stephane.