By Vivekananda Pattanayak in Bhubaneswar, August 7, 2026: When sixty million years ago dinosaurs became extinct after an asteroid collided with the earth at what is now called Mexico, few creatures survived. Most notable among them were cockroaches.

The uncertain global eco-system with wars in Ukraine and Russia, Gaza in Palestine, unprovoked aggression of US and Israel on Iran, the closure of the Hormuz strait and threat to the passage through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the Brent oil price going upwards, shortage of oil and gas in most the developing countries, cost of living going up, threat of losing jobs, rising unemployment among the young identified as GenZ, the media reporting summits of global leaders attending at fanciful environment frustration among common people across the world is galloping.

Politicians are losing credibility in every country across the continents. This phenomenon is visible for quite some time bydiscerningthinkingpeople.Institutions are breaking down inevery corner.Traditional governance is eroding while massive expenditure is taking place in the governments. Play of money during elections in so-called democracies is demonstrably visible. Leaders remaining in power have become eye sore. Saying

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” comes alive remembering Lord Acton. Intolerance is visible every where whether on the grounds of religion, sect, nationality, race, ethnicity, colour, and language.Tension is seen in every geographic entity.

Any issue can give rise to provocation for conflagration.Young that have great mental and physical energy and have a future to look forward to will be the starting point of explosion.

All of us have seen these phenomena in the South Asia,in Latin America and Africa also in US and Europe. Agitation in the developed world in support of Palestinians, although handled with heavy hand, have not been covered by the media adequately for variety reasons. One must not ignore that media in the developed world is equally controlled bythe business houses loyal to political regimes. Goldsmith’s famous lines “where wealth accumulates men decay” reverberate in the vibrant civil society. Noam Chmosky, almost turning one hundred an intellectual of great eminence has been expressing frustration for decades.

Right of resistance is a well-recognized democratic right advocated by Thoreau,Tolstoy and practiced by Gandhi and later by Mandela. Terming the young protesters as anti-national, agents of enemies, and funded by foreign sources is age-old typification. Only decade and half ago, Jantar Mantar had witnessed similar scene. Those who encouraged then directly or indirectly have been beneficiaries.

Whether one likes it not the world has been globalized starting since many centuries with colonization more since Columbus gave access to the South America in1492 and Vascoda Gama opened the sea route to India in 1498.These two events explain the migration of the Europeans to the American continent, systematically eliminating the original inhabitant, massive dominance of the British, French, Dutch and Portuguese in Asia and Africa which explain what was called Apartheid in Africa and cutting of the Chinese melon in Asia.

Slave trade by the White Europeans brought black population to America. Agricultural prosperity of USA was on the back-breaking labourofthe Africans abducted by force by the White Americans.Those who have readRootsor seen the movie will recognize horrendous tale of slavery inthe so-called advanced civilization. Doctrine of Whiteman’s burden justified barbarous exploitation. Even in 21st century what is shameful and disgusting that some political leaders in UK and Europe are asking of the compensation from ex-colonies for civilizing and developing the native population.

With more efficient sea navigation, later through air transport more rapidly in last sixtyyears with use ofjet aircraft in air transport, wireless and satellite telecommunication, in particular internet in last twenty years the world has shrunk in dimension. Trend towards borderless society is taking shape. No longer it is the flow of capital but increasingly labour or man power movement is the new manifestation.

The developed world has been rapidly experiencing mixed population of different ethnic, religious, linguistic background creating tension between local and immigrant population giving rise to Rightist politics like LePen phenomenon in France.

Just as Europe at one point of time reacted against the presence of Jewish population which created anti-Semitic movement although Disraeli, prime minister of Europe was a Jew and most of scientists and Nobel Prize winners were of Jewish faith which ultimately led to rise of Hitler culminating in the Holocaust, now there is anti-Islamic wave which is often termed as Islamization of Europe. Obama son a Kenyan Muslim, Mamdani in New York and before that Sir Sadiq Khan as the Mayor of London, and later Risi Sunak as the Prime Minister in Britain gave jolt to the White supremacists.

All these developments are taking place across the world without recognizing rise of common danger to the human civilization, known as environment degradation through global warming with devastating forest fires in North America and Europe with frequent El Nino phenomenon hurting the Indian sub-continent, taking place rapidly proving theory of Professor Lovelock “Revenge of Gaia.” Distraction from deterioration of environment would affect the Gen Zas they would reach middle age and old age when the impact the “revenge” would be conspicuously felt.

In addition, intolerance is rapidly rising in every society reflected through violence against women, children, murder of spouses etc. Attack on minorities has risen to menacing proportion.

From Latin America to North America from Europe to the Middle East, from Africa to Asia no society is free. The UN system is being repudiated more andmore by the powerful making the organized world order known for international law and regulation irrelevant. No doubt everything is not honky dory, but a beautiful world will be lost unless people in power or outside become conscious. Gen Z has given a timely wakeup call.