A Utopian Dream

by Marlon Viloria

Looking outside from the dining room, it seemed like a start of a beautiful day. The sun was shining bright and a light breeze seemingly coming from the west, as indicated by the leaves of the plants and trees, signalling the start of the summer season. Cookie and Muffin, our neighbour’s two cats were in our garden playing some kind of hide and seek or catching flying insects. They seemed to be at ease jumping over our fence and play in our back garden nowadays ever since our younger daughter Jessica befriended them. Inside, I was having a quick bite for breakfast before heading to work when I heard the groundbreaking news on television. It has caught my immediate attention and asked my kids to keep quiet for a while. It was an extended news coverage and the news reader gave the following headlines:

• The Russians and the Americans have just signed a Nuclear Disposal Treaty to eliminate all their nuclear arsenals with immediate effect. The rest of the nuclear-power nations have given their full support and have also given their assurance to decommission and dispose all their nuclear weapons. A ticking timebomb of unimaginable consequences is about to be averted. It would have been the end of civilisation many times over if all existing nuclear weapons have been fired in anger.

• Al-Qaeda has laid down their arms and realised that their arm struggle, which the western nations regard it as an act terrorism, does not bear any lasting peace to the Muslim people but only prolong and worsen the situation, ultimately giving mankind more miseries on a global scale. Osama bin Laden has instructed all his followers to lay down their weapons and detracted his aim to kill the infidels. He has indicated his willingness to enter peace talks with the West, especially the USA. Dubya must have been pleased that the notorious and untouchable bearded fox has finally been ‘smoked out’ from his hole; although not the way he would have liked it to be during his presidency.

• The Taliban has accepted a peace treaty proposed by the Karzai administration, with an inclusion of their participation to govern Afghanistan. The treaty also includes the abolition of their Sharia Law and the acceptance of women’s equal rights into the society, in which they have agreed. Both sides have promised to find alternative crops for farmers to grow in their fields replacing their poppies, thereby stopping the production of heroine. The NATO forces led by the Americans have indicated that they will be out of the country within six months, transferring all security matters to the Afghan armed forces.

• Iran has invited the UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA, to inspect all its nuclear facilities and has given guarantee that it is only pursuing nuclear technology as an alternative source of energy. It has also indicated its willingness to have an open dialogue with the West and its neighbours to discuss plans to open its borders for trade, commerce or even tourism.

• By the same token, Iraq’s problems seemed to be at an end too. The Sunnis and Shiites have agreed to enter dialogue on how best to find a common ground to eliminate their religious differences. After all, they are all Muslim brothers separated only by a slight difference in their preservation of Islam, specifically on who was the legitimate successor of their prophet Mohammed. Suddenly, it has become a no-brainer issue to them.

• The Israelis and Palestinians have at last found commonality too - that the best way forward to resolve their issues is a two-state solution, living side-by-side in peace and harmony and to respect each other’s existence and territorial integrity. Both sides promised to work together to bring peace and stability to the region, and respect each other’s religious beliefs and upbringings.

• Kim Jung-Il of North Korea has suffered severe heart attack which led to his death. His youngest son, Kim Jung Un has been appointed as his successor, a man of moderate political views who believes in true democracy. He has promised to overhaul North Korea’s political system and end the country’s reputation as a rogue and secretive state. It will soon hold its first election where elected leaders will run the country instead of the present system of succession. He asked help from the West to spearhead his revolutionary program. Like his two older brothers, he’s been educated in Switzerland.

• After a sustained rainfall over the past few years, abundant agricultural harvests have a dramatic impact on Africa’s economy. Hunger and malnutrition in that region are receding fast. Also, civil wars occurring in other parts have declared truce, paving the way to an open dialogue to resolve their differences. The elimination of corruption, poverty, malaria and AIDS are high on their agenda. African Union leaders will gather in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania next month for initial exploratory talks. Their half-baked plan for a United States of Africa is at the bottom of their list and hurriedly swept under the carpet. It seemed far-fetched for now to create another “USA”. They have decided to revisit the plan in year 3010, a thousand years from now.

• The freedom movements by different armed factions in the South American region, like the FARC in Columbia, have also entered negotiations with their incumbent governments to try to find solutions to their grievances. The present political elites, in return, have promised to clean their acts. Production and trafficking of cocaine will also stop.

• India and Pakistan have given up their territorial claims on Kashmir and Jammu. Instead, they have agreed to grant autonomy to the people of that region to govern their own selves. Both countries have promised full cooperation and economic support.

• On the economic front, the developed nations have agreed to continue the principles of free trade, eliminate protectionism and heavy subsidies in favour of open world trade and competition, with a guarantee not to short-change the producers, small farmers, etc. They’ve also agreed to regulate banks instead of the previously self-regulated system to avoid any repeat of global economic meltdown and issued a stern warning to greedy individuals that the days of fat cat salaries and bonuses are over.

• China has agreed to write-off half of USA’s 1.8 trillion dollar debts as long as the Americans and the rest of developed countries continue to manufacture their products using Chinese manpower and buy its cheap imports too in order to sustain employment to their citizens, whose population now stands at 1.3 billion. However, the Chinese have decided to remain a communist state while running a capitalist-style economy – the remaining wolf in a sheep’s skin, or vice-versa.

• In return to such grand gesture, the Americans have agreed to adapt a more sustainable way of living. They have also agreed to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol which means no more gas-guzzling cars, one amongst many others. They’ve promised to cut their carbon emissions by half within 2 years to save and protect the environment. They know that the rest of the world will follow suit, no doubt, considering that the US is the biggest pollutant of all. They have also agreed to share their technologies in every facet of industries to the underdeveloped countries and promised to extend its arms to any nation needing its expertise.

• And finally, in the Asia Pacific region, the Philippines is leading the pack of ASEAN nations to follow the undertakings initiated by the developed countries. The wind of change has finally found its way to its own soil. Manny Pacquiao has been elected in a landslide victory as the new president. (Manong M’s wish to make him “Da King” was not meant to be…only better). He promised to bring change, to clean up government, eradicate corruption and ease poverty. He plans to consult the younger generations and encourage them to take positions in key government offices and/or agencies. He believes that to eliminate corruption once and for all, he needs uncorrupted young minds in high offices, young intellectuals who have the skills and vision to bring prosperity and pride to the nation, instead of siphoning the country’s wealth for personal gains and interests. Above all, he needs young minds that have passion for politics with strong political views and who really understand the true meaning of being civil servants – to serve the people instead of being served by the people when they are in office and treated like lords themselves, as in the current status quo. Also, he warned that the days of political dynasties, nepotism or cronyism (pare-ism, mare-ism, lagay-ism, kiss bottom-ism included) are over.  In good faith, their minority Muslim brothers in the south have given up their claims for an autonomous Mindanao under their own rule and laid down their arms too. Instead, they are willing to work side-by-side with their Christian neighbours for the betterment of the country as a whole. There’s only one thing they’ve proposed to the Pacquiao government to be granted - that being a Muslim, the number of wives they can have should be increased from 4 to 6, with a subclause “provided you can support and make them all happy” written in such minute letters that one needs a microscope to read it. Preliminary reports, though unconfirmed, suggest that Manny will ratify their proposal and feels tempted to convert to Islam himself.

Wow, that’s the best news mankind has ever heard. I was flabbergasted, I couldn’t believe my ears. This must be a new dawn…a new day to contemplate the beginning of the end of world problems and human uncertainties. The world suddenly becomes brighter, safer and more stable. I must be dreaming. I pinched myself to make sure that I am not. Thank God it’s true and it’s happening.

Then suddenly…

I felt someone is shaking me. My wife was telling me to wake up, shaking me even harder. Apparently, I was talking and moaning in my sleep. Damn, it was indeed a DREAM after all – albeit a Utopian Dream.