On the Similarities between SDGs and Past Communism
Similarity 1: "Slogans" are ideal and sound good, they are easy to get the support of intellectuals, then people tend to believe that they are doing the right thing.
The SDGs are very ideal, and there are many slogans that sound good. In addition, the SDGs have gained the support of many intellectuals and intellectuals, and it is easy for people to believe that it is the right thing to do.
In the past, communism also used idealistic and pleasing slogans to lure workers dissatisfied with the current state of society. Also, from the 19th century to the 20th century, many intellectuals and highblows supported communism, making it easier for ordinary people to believe that communism was the right thing to do.
Under such circumstances, many people became enthusiastic about communism, and many countries became communist countries due to revolutions. So what happened to the communist nations born in the 20th century? It seems that they have become a society full of hopeless suffering, far from the ideals that were set forth.
Looking at the current state of SDGs, I have to say that it is very similar to communism in the past. Seduced by slogans that sound good, gaining support from intelligentsia and highblows, people who are negative about SDGs are severely criticized, and while many people are enthusiastically working on SDGs, perhaps people will become hopeful. But they may end up in a society that is filled with pain and suffering.
Similarity 2: “Pursuit of ideals ignoring reality” tends to lead to “worsening of society as a whole”
In order to work on the SDGs, we must always consider the impact on society as a whole. It is not uncommon for the ``pursuit of ideals ignoring reality'' to lead to the ``worsening of society as a whole''. Also, even if certain countries are actively working on it, if other countries do not work on it, it will instead bring about bad results for the whole earth.
In the past, communism seemed to think that by depriving capitalists of wealth and production facilities and nationalizing them all, they could realize a completely fair and ideal society. However, the concentration of wealth and production facilities in the state due to nationalization invites corruption and corruption, and the lack of the principle of competition leads to a decline in productivity. In the first place, the act of "depriving" itself brings about a great distortion in society, such as resentment and hatred. No matter how much you think "ideally, this should be the right thing to do," if it doesn't bring about a positive effect on society as a whole, you should stop doing it.
In the SDGs, for example, there are people with a high environmental consciousness who think that oil field development should be stopped because oil consumption causes global warming, and put pressure on the government and investment companies to stop investing in oil field development. If oil field development stops, the price of fossil fuels such as petroleum will soar. Higher fuel prices will increase heating and transportation costs. Food prices will also soar. And more people will starve because they can't afford to buy food, more people will suffer because they can't get heat, and in some cases, more people will freeze to death.
As the movement to stop investing in fossil fuels increases, if there is a country that ignores that movement and continues to develop oil fields, that country will be able to sell oil at a steep price and make a lot of money. Countries with a high awareness of SDGs and countries that have stopped developing oilfields will suffer, while countries with low awareness of SDGs and countries that continue to develop oilfields will benefit and make more money. If a country that works on SDGs will decline and a country that ignores SDGs will prosper, then ignoring SDGs is more advantageous. If earnest and sincere nations decline and earnestly selfish nations prosper, the world will continue to move in a worse direction. If we ignore reality and only pursue ideals, the entire global society will deteriorate.
Similarity 3: Conflicts, divisions, and blame battles are likely to occur
SDGs will cause conflict and division. In addition, more and more people are using SDGs as a shield to attack companies and individuals. As the SDGs spread, society will become more prone to confrontations, divisions, and blame battles.
In the past, communism focused on the confrontational structure of the exploiting capitalists and the exploited workers, and by blaming the capitalists, tried to inflame division and incite violent revolution by the workers. Conflicts and divisions also occurred among communists. In many communist countries, there were repeated purges and military riot control, which resulted in the death and misery of countless people.
With the advent of the SDGs, more and more people are blaming certain companies, politicians, or even nations for not addressing environmental issues. Conflicts and divisions are occurring between SDGs proponents and skeptics. There are fears that the spread of the SDGs will intensify conflicts and divisions, and that society will deteriorate due to the exchange of criticism.
Similarity 4: It is easy to be manipulated by "conspiracies" by working on SDGs
People who believe they are "doing the right thing" and actively work on the SDGs can be called "gullible people." Many people working on SDGs may actually be manipulated by someone's "conspiracy".
There is a theory that the former violent revolution by communism was actually a "conspiracy" set up by specific people to monopolize wealth. In fact, people who joined the revolution, seduced by the sounding slogans, often ended up being much more exploited than they were before the revolution. In retrospect, the poor common people who took part in the communist revolution might have been fooled by the sounding slogans and intellectual endorsements. It is an unfortunate story that people join a revolution believing that a better society can be realized, but instead end up with a worse society. Gullible people should be wary of slogans that sound too good to be true.
People who believe that the SDGs are "the right thing to do" may also be called gullible people. For example, various campaigns to advertise the evils of fossil fuels such as oil may be launched by those who make money off of nuclear power and solar panel interests, conspiring to make even more of those interests. Even though you think you are doing the right thing, you end up being manipulated by someone's "conspiracy" and serving their "interest". It's sad when gullible people go in directions they wouldn't normally want.
Similarity 5: Authoritarian states and countries without freedom tend to rise
When the SDGs spread around the world, free and democratic nations will decline, and dictatorships and countries without freedom will rise more easily. The SDGs have an affinity with totalitarianism and tend to be at odds with freedom and democracy.
The spread of communist thought means that the number of totalitarian, one-party dictatorships by the Communist Party will increase. In other words, it means the decline of free and democratic nations and the rise of one-party dictatorships without freedom.
In a communist country, basically all citizens must agree with one ideal. In a communist country, people are basically not allowed to oppose or act arbitrarily.
Even in the case of the SDGs, the goals to achieve will fade away in a society where people can freely oppose and act as they please. The goals of the SDGs are in the opposite direction of freedom and democracy. The more we try to achieve the goals of the SDGs, the more we are hindered by people's free actions and dissenting opinions. The spread of the SDGs may mean that people will no longer be able to express their opinions freely in society and will be forced to "serve the whole."
Similarity 6: Deceit, corruption, lies, and cover-ups are rampant, and the vested interest structure tends to dominate society
SDGs are a mechanism that honest people lose. As the SDGs spread throughout society, deception, corruption, lies, and cover-ups are likely to spread, and it will become easier for the vested interests to dominate society.
It is said that deception, corruption, lies, and cover-ups were rampant in communist countries, and that the privileged class that held the interests ruled. The revolution should have built an ideal, fair and non-discriminatory nation, but when you open the lid, it was full of lies and corruption.
It is believed that the spread of the SDGs will also make it easier for deception and lies to spread, making it easier for the vested interests to dominate society. It is difficult to find out what is true and what is false in each individual case. Rather, the SDGs are structured to easily become a hotbed of lies and deceit, and even if we work diligently, it is easy for someone to simply help us create interests for personal gain.
When working on the SDGs, it is necessary to pay attention to these six points of similarity with communism and be vigilant, while also cultivating the power of observation to find better ways to prevent society from heading in the wrong direction.
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