Laws of Rise and Demise

The book “Laws of Rise and Demise” will revolutionize our approach to our collective affairs. It furnishes us with a unique and new angle to see the dynamics of human relationship and collectivity. “Any form of human togetherness is powered by Integration Energy”. This is the master idea of this book. In a very simple and logical way, the book explains that value-based interactions produce Integration Energy, identity-based interactions consume it and needs-based interactions neither produce nor consume it. In societies and state where value-based activity dominates, “means of human liberty” grow and people enjoy progress, prosperity and liberty. But when identity-based activity prevails, “means of human liberty” shrink. Degeneration, decline and eventual demise of collectivity is inevitable. It visualizes human togetherness as a river of human activity, shallow and slow at a point, deep and fast at another, wide at some place; narrow at another; somewhere stormy at some places cool and calm, turning and twisting through mountains and valleys, roaring down the plateaus, and magnificently flowing in plains. Aleem Akhtar has been diving and swimming in this river and has brought this book out of its bottom. He has raised questions like; why is it the way it is? Can we change and control its course and direction? Where upon it can we build bridges and dams and powerhouses? It is not a local and cultural discourse; its approach is generic and universal in its nature but pointed and specific when it comes to dealing with a particular problem. For example, the debate on “six mistakes America made in Afghanistan” is, on one hand, deeply rooted in the basic postulates of the theory, on the other hand, it highlights issues, problems, challenges and failings of both sides in creating a semblance of statehood in Afghanistan. It not only discovers the laws of rise and demise of nations; but also helps decision-makers retool their policies to get better results. Discussion on controls system (Q-Factor) is phenomenally interesting. The book discovers a chain of control which is omnipresent in all human situations from as tiny an object as interaction between two individual to as big a phenomenon as global order. This chain is made of purpose-process links. The idea is amazingly simple but it applications are infinitely profound. “No purpose can be realized without a process; no process can be justified without a purpose.” If forces of purpose dominate forces of process, a system will grow; otherwise, it will decline. The author elaborates the idea by using graphical, geometrical and mathematical tools. He convincingly establishes the point that American challenge lies in its controls system; not in economy or society. He warns that America must come up with a new and broader promise of human liberty or the “miracle will turn mundane”. The Muslim World is seen as a “seething cauldron of identity-based activity languishing between first and second levels of human collectivity”. Integration Energy output is too low to support and sustain multi-system large-sized States in Muslim lands. Given their incapacity to produce value-oriented leadership, the book proposes---one State for one integration energy system---formula to lift Muslim societies form historic conditions of chaos, anarchy and tyranny. In fact, the book identifies the problem at the level of an average Muslim’s thinking about what a state should look like. Muslims’ “idea of State” is too “invalid”, “antiquated” and perilously “anti-liberty” and “identity-based” to allow large political systems to evolve in the Islamic world. In post-colonial era, it has been incessantly sinking back into history and anarchy. Its political map needs to be redrawn. The “Arab Spring” is continuation of episodic pattern of medieval, chaotic “identity-based” horizontal shift of power devoid of “value” and genuine “political mass”. Small-sized States juxtaposing to individual “integration energy system” will work better. With the given trends, world must get ready for more Talibans, Bin Ladens, and Al-Qaedas, possibly equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Book discusses India and China as two largest integration energy system in the world. Both have great advantage of “N-factor”. But at controls level, unsustainability afflicts China and age-old “identity clamp” is failing Indian democracy. If condition persists, both nations will see reversals in near future. China will have to realize that “economic future” is a component of “political future”; not the other way round. India must understand that democracy divorced from political creativity leads back to tyranny and anarchy. A “global super state” is ready to be born to “proclaim liberty throughout all the lands and unto all the inhabitants thereon”. Aleem Akhtar views current configuration of the world order as highly unstable but filled with a lot of surplus Integration Energy. Local, regional and international establishments are cancerously thriving on this surplus. Instead of expanding “means of liberty” they are creating new means of bondage for people coming under their ill-effects. A value-based world order must replace the existing “interest-based world order. A “global Super State” with a fresh mandate from mankind will be the legitimate and “next level” user of this surplus. According to the author, failure to step toward global super state, is taking mankind closer to an impending Armageddon. In overall, it is a focused and well-written book replete with new ideas and concepts. No other book addresses the abiding question of rise and demise of nations and civilization more deeply, comprehensively and thoroughly than this work. The book is not about history; it is about future. The basis of entire debate is “integration energy theory” which explains reality of human togetherness in a timeless and non-spatial manner. It bring the book a great academic value. Particularly the first and second parts of this book can be taught to high school students as part of civics and humanities.