World Stooping to New Lows

Each day, I try to wake up to a new dawn, counting my blessings. Yet, it is becoming impossible to ignore the glum reality gripping parts of our world. Humanity feels like it is diminishing. Authoritarianism is rising, and a blatant disregard for basic human rights is growing commonplace.

The recent tragedy of Kawthar Bashar al-Husayjawi lays this reality bare. Her own family brutally murdered the innocent fifteen-year-old Iraqi girl for refusing to marry an overage cousin who was also a criminal. Kawthar was younger than my own seventeen-year-old daughter. She was merely trying to assert herself; she wanted to live a life of learning, dignity, and freedom. Access the Guardian Story here 

Photo: Beautiful and innocent Kawthar Bashar al-Husayjawi

Living in a safe and secure part of the world, I am deeply grateful that my daughter enjoys a premium education and the fundamental freedoms we so often take for granted. But we cannot remain comfortable in our bubbles. We cannot unsee the dangerous shifts happening globally: raging wars, rising oligarchies, and the uptick of authoritarian regimes.

The consolidation of wealth and power within the top 1% is hard to ignore. This top-heavy power dynamic, coupled with divisive political strategies, actively encourages backward thinking. It creates a bitter divide within the working class, fueled by disinformation that spreads like wildfire. Silicon Valley and top tech companies, instead of taking a stand, actively fuel this division to maximize profits. If these tech giants channeled their resources toward humanity, they could help solve systemic crises like hunger, homelessness, healthcare access, and climate change. Instead, their algorithmic greed leaves us questioning our own humanness—our capacity for compassion, kindness, freedom, and love.

Capitalism continues to push wealth to the absolute top. Companies that were founded with the humanitarian purpose of social upliftment have fallen prey to the bottom line. Innovation and scientific inquiry—once the noble pillars of the industrial revolution and the birth of the internet—are now hidden behind a façade of falsehoods, social media validation, and the frantic race toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

The more an average person subscribes to this digital ecosystem of clicks and likes, the quicker they succumb to the vortex of an alternate reality. How can we find the balance to contribute to society in a meaningful way when the leadership above us trades in falsehoods and lies?

We must not take our fundamental rights lightly. We cannot take our civil liberties for granted; we must protect them at all costs for future generations. To do this, we must actively take a stand:

• Support a free press and independent media outlets that risk everything to bring stories like Kawthar’s to light.
• Support organizations that are quietly contributing towards humane causes.
• Encourage critical thinking in our children so they can navigate online manipulation.
• Protect free speech while firmly rejecting harassment and the bullying of marginalized communities under the guise of open debate.
• Educate ourselves on local political candidates running for office.
• Exercise our democratic right to vote for public servants who wish to help the working class, rather than enrich themselves and their wealthy donors.
• Refuse to spread disinformation online and within our communities.
• Stand up against Oligarchy resist and unsubscribe. https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/ 

Be a good citizen of the world.

Kawthar’s story shocked, saddened, and enraged me. It gave me the fire to write this piece. Why are such stories becoming commonplace? What was her fault? I implore you to look deeper, question the systems around you, and use your voice and your vote to protect our shared humanity.