Today is the 36th anniversary of the senseless murder of John Lennon. Many of us miss him dearly and normally I would find this an inappropriate time to drag him into politics but I think the times we are currently living in sort of calls for it.
Many have (since it was written and even more so since Lennon's death leading up to the present day) suggested or have interpreted John Lennon's song "Imagine" as a sort of socialist or communist anthem. Though politics itself is built off of semantics and the seemingly ever increasing ambiguity of some of our self-imposed political identities, I will say that yes he was talking about "community" furthermore a "world community" but there is a distinct and defining reason that in the song he said the words - "I hope someday you'll join us" rather than "I'm going to use government guns to force you to join us". The whole thing screams VOLUNTARYISM and the peaceful interactivity between all humans. If anything he is painting a picture of a world that has rejected the use of force entirely and therefor has dissolved all authoritarian power structures. This is the absolute antithesis of socialism and communism which are (historically speaking) authoritarian governments that have monopolized violence or “the use of force” and there by organize society (including the unwilling) to their liking. Global governance of this kind will not only lead to the complete enslavement of humanity but the complete destruction and depletion of the world’s natural resources without any hope of humanity ever achieving world peace or prosperity. It is a small wonder why nationalism is on the rise worldwide in defiance and descent against the international corporate push for globalism.
The society Lennon describes organizes itself with the shared knowledge and value of THE NON-AGGRESSION PRINCIPLE and is not maintained by force but by understanding. This is what separates this society from all other ones that have ever been tried. Whether it’s the total fascism and authoritarian rule of Adolf Hitler or the much softer authoritarian rule of our modern Democracies, the point is that society has always had some form of authoritarianism which will always seek to expand its sphere of influence (authority) by either creating violence or exploiting existing violence so the public naturally demands more control (law and order). As Lennon said in a quote - “When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.” The only thing that can dispel the need for authoritarianism is peace and voluntary free-enterprise communities.
When he says "Imagine no possessions" he is not suggesting everyone give up their individual property to an all-powerful state, rather he is referring to a kind of family or “brotherhood” state of mind where we as humans share an attitude of “what’s mine is yours” because we know and TRUST that the other is adding to the greatness of our species and will only take what is needed. - Keep in mind this is obviously a time far in the future (though perhaps not nearly as far as conventional wisdom would assume) where people have advanced morally and spiritually to the point where police are obsolete, all individuals agree with the NON-Aggression Principle and simply work to create and provide products and services that enrich the human community.
People say such a world is impossible to create. We have only to take a look around and we will notice that there is no shortage of people, places, events or ideas that seem to quite adamantly reinforce that notion. However in the spirit of John Lennon’s life and legacy I would like to say that I know for a fact it is still within the realm of possibility and that we can change very quickly. Oneness is a reality to be realized and we need to encourage the internal realization and subsequent transformation at the LEVEL OF THE INDIVIDUAL rather than emphasising and focusing so much on only changing the external reality of the human collective. We need more people like John Lennon who was far from perfect but used his great influence to boldly speak out against violence and promote world peace. May we remember him and honour his creative and intellectual contributions on this day and continue to inspire and be inspired to peacefully change minds and bring forth new unseen landscapes of perception and possibility to the light of human consciousness. R I P John Lennon.
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”
