The Western World Order

Salman calls for a new spiritual imagination of the human being and of society, limiting the power of supranational elites and of the global financial oligarchy while reconnecting to the spiritual mission of both Europe and America. – Christopher Schaefer, PhD, author of Re-Imagining America: Finding Hope in Difficult Times

The Western World Order is a searing and necessary account of how the Western world—from its European colonial origins to its current American dominance—has lost its way, becoming dominated by financial and technocratic elites. Dutch cultural historian Harrie Salman traces the trajectory of the West’s global structure, arguing that the system has historically treated labor, land, and capital as mere commodities, leading to a massive accumulation of wealth that is, to a large extent, “stolen wealth,” achieved through centuries of violence and exploitation.

Salman provides a symptomology of our “apocalyptic times. The book offers sharp analysis of modern challenges, including the rise of technocracy, the Military-Industrial Complex, the manipulative global governance revealed during the Corona Crisis, the influence of the World Economic Forum, and the terrifying push for AI dominance and transhumanism, which threatens to erode human freedom and consciousness.

Uniquely, the book views the world crisis through a spiritual lens, interpreting contemporary events as a reflection of inner chaos and the conflict between the forces of Christ (Love, Wisdom, Truth) and the opposing spirits of materialism, egoism, and chaos (Lucifer, Ahriman, Sorat).

The final section lays out a comprehensive plan for a path forward, rooted in the idea of Social Threefolding. Salman calls for a new world order—one based on a Moral Economy (sharing prosperity), Real Democracy (protecting human dignity), and a Spiritual Culture (the unfolding of the human being). The Western World Order is a vital resource for anyone seeking a deep historical and spiritual understanding of our present crises and a vision for humanity’s spiritual awakening.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

FOREWORD: Towards a Moral Economy, Real Democracy and a Spiritual Culture

INTRODUCTION: Facing the Great Crisis

Two Forms of Social Life and Consciousness

A New Framework for the Behavior of Countries and Corporations

PART 1: THE EUROPEAN WORLD ORDER

CHAPTER 1: The Great Transformation

• The Great Transformation
• The Labor Market – Labor as a Commodity
• Land as a Commodity
• The Capital Market – Money to Make Money With
• Commercial Empires with Power over the Seas
• The View of the Human Being behind the Western World Order
• Human Society in the Western World Order
• The Economy of the Western World Order

CHAPTER 2: The Fall of Middle Europe

• Planning International Order
• Tensions in the Run-Up to the Great War
• Toward the Downfall

CHAPTER 3: Two Peace Programs in 1917

• The Dictates of Versailles
• The Memoranda of Rudolf Steiner
• Rudolf Steiner: Who are the Opponents in this War and for What is it Waged?
• The Peace Program of Social Threefolding

CHAPTER 4: The Opening of the Abyss (1918-1945)

• Toward a New World War
• The Rise of Technocracy
• Control of the Irrational Masses
• A Society of Consumers
• Science in Service of the Powerful
• The Descent into the Underworld

PART 2: THE AMERICAN WORLD ORDER

CHAPTER 5: The Economic Architecture of the World

• The Bretton Woods System (1945-1973)
• The Interests of the United States
• Neoliberalism
• Globalization
• The Power of the Multinational Corporations
• The New Financial Managers
• China as Challenger of the Western World Order
• Unpaid Bills

CHAPTER 6: The Policeman of the World

• Building up Military Power
• The Military-Industrial Complex
• After the Cold War
• The American Empire Project
• The Rise of Totalitarianism
• At War with Russia
• Politics as Public Relations
• The US as Defender of the World Order

CHAPTER 7: The American Way of Life

• The Materialistic Paradise
• The Counterculture
• The Glorification of Egoism
• The World Image of the Silent Majority
• The Cultural Creatives
• Sickness in American Culture
• The Rise of a Mass Culture

CHAPTER 8: The Global Governance of the Elites

• The Corona Crisis – a Test of our Obedience
• The World Economic Forum
• The New World Order
• The Western pyramid of power in seven layers
• The Push for AI Dominance

PART 3: EUROPE AND AMERICA

CHAPTER 9: European Technocrats in Power

• The Social Contract between Capital and Labor
• The Ever-Closer Political Union
• Limits to Solidarity
• Limits to the Transfer of Sovereignty
• Limits to Multiculturalism

CHAPTER 10: The Soul of Europe

• The Evolutionary Task of European Culture
• Humanism and Enlightenment
• The Shadows of the Enlightenment
• The Dignity of the Human Being
• The Idea of Humanity
• The Human Being as Person
• The Soul of Europe

CHAPTER 11: The Mission of Europe

• Middle Europe – A Kingdom of the Spirit
• Russia – Society as Spiritual Community
• Forming the Human Being as Person
• Rudolf Steiner on the State
• Rudolf Steiner on Social Threefolding
• Rudolf Steiner on the Economy
• Rudolf Steiner on Taming Money
• The Mission of Europe
• A New European Union

CHAPTER 12: The Mission of the United States

• The Shining City on a Hill
• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
• American Exceptionalism
• American Imperialism
• The American Dream
• A New American Dream
• The Mission of America

CONCLUSION: Reclaiming Sovereignty from the Elites

• Sharing Prosperity – Working for each other’s Needs
• Creating Social Justice – Protecting Human dignity
• A Global Culture – The Spiritual Unfolding of Every Human Being
• The Transformation of the Western World Order

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