Some Doom and Gloom 02/09/2005 As we watch the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, I cannot help but think we might be looking at a microcosm of the collapse of western civilization. Is this the way the world ends, not with a bang but in chaos?We know that all empires fall eventually. Sooner or later the barbarians seething at the gates manage to force an entrance and destroy and pillage until a new dark age is begun.Even though the age of empires has passed into history, we have created a new form of empire, enormous spheres of influence that we define by talking of western civilization, the moslem nations or the third world. Up until recently, it seemed that the battle was between the competing ideologies of democracy and communism, and now we think in terms of the struggle between democracy and fundamental Islamics. Yet I wonder if we are missing the real war, the invasion of the barbarians.In ancient times it was easy to identify the enemies of civilization; the Roman Empire lay within its boundaries and anything beyond could be classed as barbarian (the Romans certainly did!). The battle lines were clear and we can name the peoples that brought the empire down: the Ostrogoths and Visigoths, the Franks, the Vandals, the Huns and even a little-known Germanic tribe called the Allens (a superior bunch, no doubt).The situation today is rather different. It would be wrong for us in the west to think of the barbarians as the Islamic world; that is much more a case of competing empires striving for supremacy. The modern barbarians are not so easily identified and yet they threaten civilization just as seriously as the Huns did the Roman Empire.If we look at the empires we have built, it becomes more evident from where the real threat comes. Our civilization is the most complex and scientifically advanced the world has ever seen. We have developed structures that bind us all together in a common dependency upon our control of the environment. Our populations are now so huge that any collapse of even one of those systems would lead to a general disintegration of our society into a competition for survival.Just as an instance, consider what would happen if supplies of oil dried up tomorrow. The whole structure of civilization would start to come apart as we found ourselves unable to get to work, the power plants unable to deliver electricity, distribution of foodstuffs impossible, even production of food drastically curtailed as the farmer became reduced to the horse and plow again. It would be chaos on a far greater scale than we witness in New Orleans.But, of course, fossil fuels are not going to dry up tomorrow or even the next day and we prepare for their gradual replacement by looking at other sources of power. So why am I so pessimistic about the future for our civilization?The answer lies amongst the hordes of the barbarians. This time they will not come on horseback, swooping down from the plains of central Asia, destroying all resistance in their path. Today they are already amongst us and their numbers increase every day, unnoticed yet ever present, for they are an inevitable by-product of the systems we have built. Those systems require constant tending by an army of highly-trained and educated technicians and that army becomes ever larger as the systems grow in size and complexity.Unfortunately, the very philosophies and ideals that have led to our ability to create these systems have dictated also that our education system become more and more ineffective in producing new generations of technicians to tend the machine. It is not apparent yet, but the time will come when there are not enough qualified and capable people being produced to keep our systems running as they should. And that will result in a long and disheartening rearguard action to prevent the slow decay back into chaos.The signs have been there for us to see for a long time. We know that literacy levels have declined to the point that schools are accepting essays that are barely comprehensible. The art galleries are filled with junk that no-one has the courage to denounce as worthless. Our political debate descends to the depths of name-calling and dirt-digging. The publishing houses resort in desperation to printing any tripe that they think the masses will buy. It is all symptomatic of a degeneration in our culture that will ultimately destroy it.So the barbarians are amongst us already. They are our children and grandchildren and generations yet to be born.It is easy to forget that the Roman Empire did not end suddenly on the day the Huns took Rome. It was much more a long process of gradual decay as their systems were beaten down by the waves of barbarians entering the empire. Even while the Vandals rampaged through the Italian peninsula, St Augustine was writing his learned tracts in North Africa. Civilization dies slowly, almost unnoticeably.As T.S. Eliot said in his poem, The Hollow Men:This is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsNot with a bang but a whimper.
Clive
JollyRoger What is happening in New Orleans, moreover, is indicative of the deterioration of the caliber of our so-called leadership. This country is in the clutches of men who do not give a damn about anyone but themselves. And what is worse, they have the attention spans of small children-the warnings about the levees were sounded long ago, and drills were conducted, but still these men did nothing. You don't think this civilization can fail in a day-I think it can. Just give us a half dozen New Orleans-style disasters on the same day. Thanks to the borrow, spend, and warmonger ways of El Shrubbo, we have neither the personnel nor the resources to cope. And believe me, there is a festering, permanent underclass in this country that is waiting to explode. New Orleans wasn't enough to bring them out en masse, but like I said, I believe that if you scale what happened in New Orleans up by perhaps four or five times, you will have a totally untenable situation. Homeland Security, my ass. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Gone Away Roger, I believe that you voice the great anger within the country at the apparent inability of the leaders to deal quickly with the terrible situation in New Orleans. Even I, who tends to be very forgiving in these matters, have wondered at the length of time it's taking to get anything done. I stay away from politics as much as I can, particularly as I am a recent arrival in this country and feel it would be impolite for me to voice my opinion, but I cannot help but feel that this may well be the end of George Dubya's registering anything at all in the popularity polls. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Pamela aka "Atlas" Where is the Million Man March of aid to New Orleans? Date Added: 02/09/2005
Gone Away Where indeed, Pamela? You have a powerful blog there, by the way. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Josh I do believe the Million Man March line was an backhanded reference to the black community somehow not assuming the job of the federal government in this crisis. Just one of what I'm sure are will be a multitude of recriminations that will spew forth from people in a desperate attempt to explain away the ineptitude of the present response, and thus "minimize political blowback", as the saying goes. It'll happen--of course it will happen. Politicians lack the sense of personal responsibilty to keep it from happening. That being said, one really has to wonder where the buck stops thesedays--for the last five years at least, its hasn't been at the top. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Gone Away Ah, so that's what the Million Man March is. Man, I can't say anything in this country without sticking my political foot in my mouth. Pardon me while I gently recede from this one... Date Added: 02/09/2005
JollyRoger Josh is on the money with this one-El Shrubbo's apologists have excused every life-ending blunder of his appalling Administration of failure by shifting the blame elsewhere. It is a pity that these children cannot acknowledge that their daddy is a fool. I realize I sound pretty angry. Well, I am. Iraq has now killed a whole bunch more Americans, and it never should have killed the first one. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Ken History suggests to me that any imperialist culture which boasts of its own power has failed to understand that the seeds of its own mortality have already been sown. Leaders who define their ability to act in terms of the size of the budgets they wield rather than the social unity of their people have missed the point and have nothing to contribute except further ruin. Any society that reduces human life to an actuarial transaction designed to advantage those who already control the lion's share of the wealth is bound to destroy itself in the longer term. We are in the endgame and the outlook is bleak. The carnage in New Orleans and the recent bombings in London are merely symptoms of an underlying illness which takes in huge areas of the planet. I wrote a poem recently which I called "Earthspeak" and, having read your piece, I think I'll post it tonight. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Gone Away Believe it or not, Roger, I thought I was posting a non-political article... ;) Date Added: 02/09/2005
Gone Away I look forward to that, Ken. Date Added: 02/09/2005
Mad .o0(Did I just get called a barbarian?) Date Added: 02/09/2005
ATHiker95 As you so ably point out, we are not producing the numbers of highly educated and trained personnel to run this machine we have built. Corporations are failing to realize that the numbers of capable folks are dwindling (or maybe they do realize it and that's why the jobs are all in India/China). It is up to corporations to involve themselves in the educational process - to become one with the educational structures in our country - after all, we are educating our people to work in these corporations, aren't we? Why aren't the corporations deeply involved leading the way in showing what needs to be done and expecting accountability? Without their involvement, we just have a bunch of educators preaching lofty ideals and not understanding what is really needed. Mark Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh Yep. Take heart though, Bubs. Some of us are barbarians. All of them are geezers. :P Date Added: 03/09/2005
JollyRoger Gone Away, Politics is the heartbeat of this particular matter ;) I don't think it is possible to talk about what is happening in New Orleans without evaluating the conditions that enabled it to happen on the scale it happened. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Mad So I'm not a geezer? But being a geezers a good thing surely? Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh And Gone -- I know you try to stay away from politics (why I don't know, you are an American as far as I'm concerned), but your recent Hillary joke was noted. ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh Okay, nevermind. This is like a baked potato trying to talk to a stalk of broccoli -- separated as we are by a common language and such. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Mad Am I the baked potato or the stalk of broccoli? Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh Dunno. Which one would be more self-concious and paranoid about being called a vegetable? Date Added: 03/09/2005
Mad Dunno... too deep for me man. All I know is I hate broccoli. :p Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Well, I can see you've all been having fun while I've been away from the keyboard. Let's see now, where di I start...? Mad: If the cap fits, wear it. :D But seriously, no, you have taken your education into your own hands and made up for the deficit of the school system. Mark: Good points all and perhaps there are signs that some corporations are beginning to take their responsibilities more seriously. Microsoft, for instance, invest huge sums of money in higher education every year. It may not be where it's needed, however, since illiteracy becomes endemic at a much earlier stage in education than the colleges. Roger: I'm sure that evaluation is and will be taking place. I suppose I was being a bit naive in thinking I could get away with this article and not have politics find its way in. ;) Josh: Thank you for the promotion! I am now officially an American geezer. :D And as for the joke, that's all it was, just a joke... That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Let's face it, broccoli is tasteless but would probably make quite good trees in a model diorama. They just haven't found out what it's for yet. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Scot In light of what has happened with Hurricane Katrina, your introspection does raise a few questions that I think our elected leaders need to really think about. What is happening in New Orleans right now is an example of failed leadership. The governor and mayor should have had the resources readily available in the event of a catastrophic event. They didn't. Whether the city can be salvaged and rebuilt will be a subject of much debate, but even if they do succeed, it will take years to rebuild the infrastructure and businesses that have been destroyed by the flood. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away All true, Scot. Considering that it was expected that the eye of Katrina would pass right over New Orleans and yet it jinked east at the last moment to miss the vity narrowly, it is inexplicable that there seems to have been no plan and forces in place to cope with the predicted breakage in the levees. We heard words from the leaders before the hurricane struck; afterwards there seemed to be promises only. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Stuart Mad - all parents consider their children to be barbarians but some parents are just too polite to tell that to their kids. :) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away ROFLOL Date Added: 03/09/2005
John A great and well balanced article Clive, great food for thought! GBYAY Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you, John. It stirred a few thoughts, methinks. ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Lee Going back to the original post for a moment ;) I think another part of the problem is that although we might know how to maintain the machines that make our lives possible, so many of us (myself included) wouldn't know how to survive if those machines did fail, which, as you suggest, will happen if things don't change. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Good point, Lee. And the thing is so complicated now that it's impossible for one man to know how it all works. So the water treatment plant breaks down and you realize you're the only one left who thinks it would be a good idea to get it going again. Yet you've never learned how a water treatment plant works. What do you do...? This was exactly the situation faced by the Romanized Britons when the Romans withdrew all their troops to protect Rome. The invading barbarian tribes knew very well how to survive without the comforts of Roman life, whereas the Britons had to relearn the very basics. No wonder the barbarians found them easy prey. Date Added: 03/09/2005
OTTMANN Good post Clive. I think it's all been done and we're in the process of moving backwards as a civilation, even with new technologies, we've reverted (mostly the lefty's) to cruel finger pointing and blame, instead of coming together for the benefit and progression of humanity. This is coming from outside forces that are having a negative impact on America. We have oxmoronic groups such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU and MoveOn.org pushing their backwards agenda onto society in contradiction to the decency and respect for life this nation was founded on. Such a shame that this great nation may not be so for long. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh I got news for you, ottmann: your "side" has complete control of the government. Pissing and moaning about "outside forces" is, well, exactly that. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you, Ottmann. Although my post is essentially pessimistic, I must admit that there is still hope for civilization as we know it; and that hope must reside in the strongest champion of that civilization - America. If her internal divisions can be healed in time and education turned around, there may yet be a long future for our culture. Or am I being too optimistic now...? Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away And I must thank you, Josh, for maintaining the balance in my comments section. I am proud to have such a good democrat as a friend. :) Come to think of it, I'm sure Gary of Both Worlds would miss your commentary too were you ever to desert him (I remembered where I made the Hillary joke!). :D Date Added: 03/09/2005
prying1 Quote from Clive's original post - Our political debate descends to the depths of name-calling and dirt-digging. Then to prove the point commenters come to show that Clive has some truth to this theory he espoused. To my way of thinking, civilization going away and the dark ages returning is the stuff of science fiction. Many movies and books tell the story from many views. Remember Waterworld, Mad Max, etc. There are lots of kids coming out of schools that are capable and enjoy learning. We just don't hear about them. Watch Jeopardy during teen week and the college week. They are out there. I really don't see the entire planet falling into the abbys with no hope for recovery. Governments may rise and fall but mankind in general will always strive to move forward in spite of the barbarians. That striving will mean more advances in science and the arts. - - - Lord willing and the creek don't rise. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Owen "Unfortunately, the very philosophies and ideals that have led to our ability to create these systems have dictated also that our education system become more and more ineffective in producing new generations of technicians to tend the machine. It is not apparent yet, but the time will come when there are not enough qualified and capable people being produced to keep our systems running as they should. And that will result in a long and disheartening rearguard action to prevent the slow decay back into chaos." I love your posts Clive but I would have to disagree with what I think is your main theme here. The way I see it, the one constant that can be pulled from all the history of mankind is people themselves. Regardless of the current world power, or the current dominating ideology of the world, the natural inclination of "people" is to eventually establish order out of chaos. Sometimes though, that order is disrupted and overthrown by a large enough group of dissenters. The natural cycle only brings it eventually back to some other type of order once again. The spectrum of intelligence is definitely wide in this world, but there will never be a shortage of people capable of maintaining the systems that we have created. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Josh I'd just like to add that I hold no official party affiliation--they're all duplicitous asshats, near as I can tell. I do however have an admittedly subjective sense of propriety. Plain fact is that politicians would rather we didn't debate; partisan gridlock makes it easier for them to say "Hey, its their fault. Gotta go. I have a factfinding tour in the Bahamas." Date Added: 03/09/2005
Mad "they're all duplicitous asshats" I couldn't agree more Josh. In fact I agree with Billy Connolly when he says that "the wish to become a politician should should stop you ever becoming one" (something like that anyway). Date Added: 03/09/2005
John (SYNTAGMA) That's all true, Clive. I would add one refinement in that it's computers, rather than machines in general, that are the weak spot of civilization. The computer network now controls the urbanized world more completely than any dictator ever did. Groups like Al Quaeda know that and are constantly trying to find the "Millennium Bug" that will bring it all down. It's probably only a matter of time. If the chips or the code fail us everything crashes, like that power cut across the East coast a couple of years ago. And that was only a local problem. We need some real redundancy in the system, and a retention of the skills to make things work when the computers fail us. We don't want to have to go cap in hand to China or India to reimport the basic skills of living. Worse, still, France, where they support labour-intensivity with national funds. Date Added: 03/09/2005
vanessa Dunno. Which one would be more self-concious and paranoid about being called a vegetable? Okay, THAT was funny. Sorry to hijack, but I did lose my morning coffee to the monitor on that one and I wanted it noted:) I really don't have much to say on the subject, or rather I do, but since it's largely rhetoric, I will get back to bundling up clothes and non-perhishables for the red cross. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Paul (prying1): I admire your optimism. And I do not deny that good and very capable students emerge from the colleges every year. It's my pessimism that asks how long this can continue while literacy rates decline as they do. I watch the degeneration of language into hip slang that lacks the precision required for the maintenance of civilization and fear for the future. More than anything else, I feel that it's this corruption and splintering of language that will ultimately cause the destruction of our culture. But I'm not saying that there is no hope at all. One of the most interesting developments of recent years has been this thing they call blogging - something that requires a certain level of literacy before entering and then encourages (or could encourage) and improvement in those skills as knowledge is shared. I'm aware that so many science fiction stories and movies start from the premise of the destruction of western civilization. But few of them deal in any detail with the reasons for that collapse, most resorting to a vague scenario of a nuclear war (and I don't believe that there would be anything left after such an event, except a few roaches). They are more concerned with what happens afterwards. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Owen: And I would not disagree with anything you have said, Owen. But note that you talk of cycles. Certainly history is a matter of cycles, with empires and civilizations rising and falling as the wheel turns. I am merely the one sitting on the wheel and shouting out: "Look out folks, we're going into a downward part of the cycle again!" I would certainly hope that you are right when you say that there will "never be a shortage of people capable of maintaining the systems that we have created". I have my doubts, particularly as history indicates that all civilizations fall sooner or later. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Josh: A man after my own heart - one who distrusts all politicians. Yet this is the guy who wants me to get involved in political debate? You of all people should understand why I make excuses and head for the door when a political fight develops... ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Mad: Billy said that, did he? Always maintained that he is one of the good guys (and the funniest comedian on the planet). And it's very close to my own saying: To find the king, you need to find the one who least wants to be king. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Vanessa: Funnily enough, I have been wondering lately how to get you to comment again (we had such fun the last time!). And now I see the answer - get Josh and Mad to sprinkle a few funnies through the pages... You are always welcome to have your say here. :D Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away John: You are certainly right that the creation of a computer-driven infrastructure has actually increased the vulnerability of our systems. Even the car mechanic looks into the engine compartment these days, shakes his head as he sees the little black box, and says, "It's that thing causing the problem. Only thing to do is replace it with a new one - they can't be repaired..." Date Added: 03/09/2005
jay Want to think about something really frightening? Think of another hurrican coming along (the season's just starting), or a big earthquake, or a terrorist attack right about now. Our civilization may be closer to crumbling than we realize. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away The thought had crossed my mind, Jay. Yet I think we always manage to struggle back somehow from natural disasters (okay, there are occasional exceptions like the supposed collapse of Cretan civilization after the Santorini eruption and tsunami). Most civilizations die a long and lingering death caused by seeds it has sown itself. Date Added: 03/09/2005
vanessa I didn't mean to insinuate I don't enjoy your entries Clive, not at all - it's just that mad and josh are a couple of fruitcakes - you can't help but love them, y'know? I suppose I lean toward voyeuristic tendancies as I read much but post seldom. I hope it doesn't negate my visits that I don't post... I'm not sure why that is, it just is. In other news, I've been seriously contemplating blogging again. Or contemplating seriously. We'll see where it leads;) BTW, incoming email. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Well, of course, Mad's my son and has inherited his father's sense of humor. ;) And Josh is a diamond, a veritable giant of the commenting world. Who could not love such a duo, indeed? All counts as traffic, Vanessa, and I'm as hungry for traffic as the next blogger. And I am honored that you read my blog. The news that you are considering re-entering the arena is excellent too and I look forward to the chance of dropping a few comment bombs wherever you set up camp! :D Date Added: 03/09/2005
keeefer well said Mr C. I have been watching and pondeting the same subject. I find it interesting that a disaster in asia illicits good will from the citizens that survive it. banding together, helping bury the dead, united in grief. In the west we respond by killing raping and taking what we can. Still i guess in its own screwed up way it becomes the chance to grab the illusive 'american dream' that chance to finally amass possessions and wealth and to hell with the competition. I hope they realise that being top of the heap, when the heaps a pile of shit, just leaves you on top of the shit but still sinking into it. bring back communism ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Controversial as ever, Keef! But good to see you back. Have you finally managed to re-instate the ole broadband at home? Date Added: 03/09/2005
melly Okay, I've been lurking around this post for a while (mostly laughing with Mad and Josh). But it's time I've said my piece. I don't know, Gone. You may have identified the problem(s), but I'm not certain you've identified the cause, or the solution for that matter. The younger generation isn't responsible for what they've become, it's the older generation that made them and educated them. The same generation that is in charge of the big corporations that dilute our culture. I know many teens who despite being bombarded by mediocrity, choose to read Paradise Lost because they're curious. I also know many tweens who know much more about culture (not pop culture) than I could ever dream. And let's not forget that it's the young generation that carries current technological development. They're the ones with the dreams despite being mad as hell at us for destroying their (our) planet. The young generation might be the problem (despite themselves), but they're also the solution. Wow, what a great post. Sure stirred up some convo here. (I didn't mean to sound mad, sorry if it came out that way). Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Convo is what it's all about, Melly. And I was not blaming the younger generations for the way things are going - I know full well that my own generation is responsible for the degeneration of the education system. Blame is not my approach to the problem, however; I am more interested in reality and what it can teach us for the future. Yes, there are many good, highly intelligent and educated young people and I am grateful for the huge contribution they make to the onward march of technology. My point is more that, as long as our education system continues to decline, there must come a point in the future when there are not enough of such people to maintain advance in technology and, later, the maintenance of what we have. How long it will be until that happens, I have no idea but, at this moment, it seems inevitable. Date Added: 03/09/2005
melly I knew my comment came out adversarial. Wasn't my intention. And it's not like I necessarily disagree with you either. Quite the contrary. I fully understand what you're saying and as an avid sci-fi reader I read much about the exact same thing. Dunno, maybe I'm naive, believing too much in people's good nature. I never thought, for example, that people would behave the way they do in apocalyptic movies and book, but then I saw what happened in New Orleans. Dented my beliefs by quite a bit. Digressing. Point is, I still would like to believe that the younger generation is also the solution, the hope, and therefore I think that we should to let them take over. Hold the reigns. Enough damage has been done, maybe they can do better. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away I can only hope that you're right, Melly. Incidentally and regarding your mention that the younger generation is extremely annoyed with the mess we've made of their planet, they are not the first generation to be so angered. Heck, my generation grew our hair long and went to Woodstock to protest just that! Date Added: 03/09/2005
melly True, true, and it probably doesn't help to get into a generation war (I'm out of this one, I'm Gen X, our kinder are still relatively young), but let me ask you this - what happened after the long hair? Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away We got old, Melly, we got old... ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Marti I remain optimistic. (Fool heart that I am LOL) Certainly the horrors we have witnessed have shown us the WRONG way to handle such a crisis. Let us pray a "right" way will be devised. Blessing to all, and best wishes for a lovely holiday. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away You're right, Marti - hopefully we will learn from our mistakes. And best wishes right back at ya! :) Date Added: 03/09/2005
vanessa All counts as traffic, Vanessa, and I'm as hungry for traffic as the next blogger. So are you saying you're going for quantity over quality here clive? Very, very interesting... ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Stuart "I am merely the one sitting on the wheel and shouting out: "Look out folks, we're going into a downward part of the cycle again!"" Paul Revere on a Penny Farthing? :) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Okayyyyy, let's see if I can talk my way out of that one, Vanessa. We all have to go for traffic for, without it, we can never be noticed and so never attract attention from the quality commenters. :D To be a little more serious, there are basically two ways to go: either we jump on the news bandwagon and rely on topicality to bring in the readers, or we go for quality, knowing that it's a slower route to attracting traffic but builds a longer-lasting readership. I leave it to you to judge which route I have chosen. ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Stuart: "The British are coming, the Bri... I mean, the Barbarians are coming, the Barbarians are coming!" Date Added: 03/09/2005
Stuart Clive Paul was considered a hero. Sadly you would probably be locked up as a nutter :) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Am expecting the knock at the door any moment, Stuart. ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
the commentator One of the more interesting posts I have read. It's free from the usual stuff we hear. I have often argued that while many think they are being critical about Bush they reveal more about how the art of treating evidence and history is dead. What this post reminds me and should many Americans is that the problems we face are much larger than a Bush guided administration. This post restored my faith that some people respect the intricate value of history. So sorely missed in the postmodern and revisionist mind. We all seem to be sitting on one side of the equation refusing to emerge from that space. One can not escape the fact that if you were to make a historical statement such as this that someone else will reconfigure it and pigeonhole it back to well, Bush. There have been many, many,many worse leaders than Bush, including within the Union, in world history. Let it go. Date Added: 03/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you for your kind comment, Commentator. We live in a blame culture: as soon as anything bad happens, we look around for someone to blame. The problem is that, even if we find a scapegoat, it doesn't seem to stop the next hurricane from happening... ;) Date Added: 03/09/2005
Raj (the other chameleon :) Gone Away, you are such an eloquent writer. It might have something to do with the fact that I am currently listening to many Bob Dylan songs on David Byrne's Radioblog (http://www.davidbyrne.com/radio/index.php), but your writing is so lyrical. It's also clear and to the point. You convey so much information so succinctly. If you never get a book deal, I will be severely disappointed. If I ever get my publishing company off the ground again, I think that you would be the first writer I approach :) cheers Date Added: 04/09/2005
Gone Away Thank you, Raj (and always a pleasure to hear from another chameleon). I did not mention my chameleon-ness over at your blog as I did not want you to think that I was asking for any special favors based purely on our mutual ancestry. :D But I must compliment you on your musical taste too - Bob is the greatest. Well, I plug away trying to get a publisher interested and they do say perseverance is ultimately rewarded, so... ;) Date Added: 04/09/2005
damain Gone Way, first, I thought you were a Brit. I thought your essay very interesting and agree with quite a few points, especially about our woeful educational system, about some of the pieces in our art galleries--and I am not attacking all of modern art because I love sonme of it-- and the level of our political discourse. However, I'm not so pessimistic. I feel the US government response has been appalling and they are quite rightly being skewered overseas. Moreover, America has lost further political capital as nations (who have been told the US economic system is superior and should be adopted by them) are seeing the poverty that exists in this first world country. Quite rightly, they will balk from the hard-nosed version of capitalism found on these shores. Only when poverty is eradicated and a great educational system is accessible to all the citizenry can a country call itself truly great and attempt to proselytize. Date Added: 04/09/2005
Gone Away Damian: Firstly, I am a Brit but, like you, living in America. I think we are all mixtures of pessimism and optimism, hopeful in some areas and despairing in others. And I think there are certain things about America that justify its citizens confidence and optimism. Yes, there are the poor as there is poverty in all countries; yes, the education system suffers from the same malaise we witness throughout the western world; but there is one thing about America that has always been true and is so even today: that Joe Soap, regardless of his origin and background, can make something of himself, be that in terms of financial success or anything else. The spirit of the nation remains one of energy and optimism, something that is sadly lacking in other and older democracies in the west. Date Added: 04/09/2005
Garnet Yes, yes, the Allen tribe. Very obscure. Didn't they go on to a prosperous tradition of building odd looking tools? What worries me is the "beast" of corporate structure, which, having been given the status of individual, has grown uncontolled, encouraged by free market capitalism, and now threatens us with a "mind" of its own. Within the huge structures, personal responsibility is watered down to the point where individual humans' actions are merely blips, sparks in the machine. Date Added: 22/09/2005
Gone Away Ah yes, the famous Allen key - where would we be without my illustrious ancestors? Interesting what you say of corporate structures becoming monsters without reference to humans. I wrote something on the same lines a while back but cannot remember where. It may have been a comment on another blog. Or was it my own...? Date Added: 22/09/2005
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