Today is no different than the long history of mankind. The fallacy is the hope and belief, we, as a species had evolved. This false belief has been inculcated into our psyches by the constant indoctrination of false mythologies of gods, heroes, noble wars, great evils of others while one’s own tribe is good.
Wealth, power and control of resources have always been used to keep these mythologies sacred.
Yikes, Jim. Having just watched some of the Nuremberg trials I have a somewhat more hopeful outlook that sanity will prevail in time. I come by the Pollyanna nickname for a reason.
I just see history as it is told with all its biases.
Just finishing watching The Last Kingdom again based upon your countries history—and by genealogy a history I share—one sees the constant killing, the power lust of the kings and leaders, the disposable lives of the non-powerful. This is no different than the history of Ancient Rome, Egypt, the Sumerians, Acadians, Assyrians, Hittites, the Mayans, the Aztecs, the entire history of the USA, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, SE Asia, or literally everywhere.
I could spend my entire life listing all the carnage of humanity and the list would be woefully incomplete.
Getting back to the chronicles you just watched, I’m always reminded of Hannah Arendt’s famous musing THE BANALITY OF EVIL.
One last thing. I once was able to have a long discussion with government lawyer who was tasked with providing the defense of a Japanese War criminal. This person was hanged. He was Jewish, lost family in WWII in yet still maintained a highly philosophical view that somewhat aligned itself Arendt’s musing. He is one of many people I gravitas to in my life to sit and listen to their experience though their eyes.
Oh well, I’m rambling again.
However, I want to thank you for your writings and for your hope and caring. I too have the same underneath my thick and scarred skin formed by my life’s experiences and learnings.
Had to look up your reference to The Last Kingdom and yes, I was born a British subject as we called it back then. Now I’m a naturalized American citizen.
I think Frank Herbert summed it up when he paraphrased the ‘power corrupts’ maxim: “Power attracts the corruptible, absolute power the absolutely corruptible.” Therein lies the problem, the ones who want power the most are the least fit to have it. I still believe in the basic decency of the vast majority of humans. We only ever heard about the bad stuff, there are thousands, millions of small acts of kindness that happen every day. And there are the arts, science, or greatest achievements, all of which happened through cooperation, tolerance and understanding. I'm a musician, so biased, but I think it's our greatest achievement, a universal emotional language. It's also a communal pursuit, at least until recently. You need musicians for an orchestra or a band. I think how it speaks to us is fundamental to our nature and it's a thing of beauty. We just need a better form of government, e.g. citizens assemblies.
PS, excuse the typos. I also wanted to add that history is largely also a record of the bad stuff. The small, good things aren't recorded. History gives a jaundiced view of us, because I don't disagree with you that we've done a lot of terrible, awful, appalling things. However, to do those things something in our brains has to and does change. Dr Dan Goyal wrote about it here on SubStack. The article is called ‘The Red Mist of Genocide – Switching Off the Brain's Humanity’.
I'll never understand why the people who took Musk's bribe felt honour bound to vote Republican? After all, they have no way of knowing who you voted for. I would have taken the money, voted Harris/Walz and laughed all the way to the bank.
He certainly offered it under the guise of a registration drive. It wouldn't be difficult to ask who you were going to vote for and if you said Democrats kick you off. But definitely, that's what it was.
Katharine, I’m so proud to be following you. I’m almos at the point where I can write a very irate piece that is rational. Maybe today, probable mañana
I was familiar with the phrase but you motivated me to learn its origin and it is now more meaningful to me. Thank you.
Thank you for reading my posts so faithfully, Don A. I thought about you as I rinsed out a plastic baggie to reuse recently.
Today is no different than the long history of mankind. The fallacy is the hope and belief, we, as a species had evolved. This false belief has been inculcated into our psyches by the constant indoctrination of false mythologies of gods, heroes, noble wars, great evils of others while one’s own tribe is good.
Wealth, power and control of resources have always been used to keep these mythologies sacred.
Yikes, Jim. Having just watched some of the Nuremberg trials I have a somewhat more hopeful outlook that sanity will prevail in time. I come by the Pollyanna nickname for a reason.
Katherine,
I do not argue against your hope.
I just see history as it is told with all its biases.
Just finishing watching The Last Kingdom again based upon your countries history—and by genealogy a history I share—one sees the constant killing, the power lust of the kings and leaders, the disposable lives of the non-powerful. This is no different than the history of Ancient Rome, Egypt, the Sumerians, Acadians, Assyrians, Hittites, the Mayans, the Aztecs, the entire history of the USA, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, SE Asia, or literally everywhere.
I could spend my entire life listing all the carnage of humanity and the list would be woefully incomplete.
Getting back to the chronicles you just watched, I’m always reminded of Hannah Arendt’s famous musing THE BANALITY OF EVIL.
One last thing. I once was able to have a long discussion with government lawyer who was tasked with providing the defense of a Japanese War criminal. This person was hanged. He was Jewish, lost family in WWII in yet still maintained a highly philosophical view that somewhat aligned itself Arendt’s musing. He is one of many people I gravitas to in my life to sit and listen to their experience though their eyes.
Oh well, I’m rambling again.
However, I want to thank you for your writings and for your hope and caring. I too have the same underneath my thick and scarred skin formed by my life’s experiences and learnings.
PS
Pardon me if I’m confused about your heritage. I grow old, I grow old but I’ll never roll my trousers.
Had to look up your reference to The Last Kingdom and yes, I was born a British subject as we called it back then. Now I’m a naturalized American citizen.
I think Frank Herbert summed it up when he paraphrased the ‘power corrupts’ maxim: “Power attracts the corruptible, absolute power the absolutely corruptible.” Therein lies the problem, the ones who want power the most are the least fit to have it. I still believe in the basic decency of the vast majority of humans. We only ever heard about the bad stuff, there are thousands, millions of small acts of kindness that happen every day. And there are the arts, science, or greatest achievements, all of which happened through cooperation, tolerance and understanding. I'm a musician, so biased, but I think it's our greatest achievement, a universal emotional language. It's also a communal pursuit, at least until recently. You need musicians for an orchestra or a band. I think how it speaks to us is fundamental to our nature and it's a thing of beauty. We just need a better form of government, e.g. citizens assemblies.
Nicholas,
I'm totally enraptured by the brilliance in music, art, dance, science, poetry and so much more.
Let me ask you this:
Who commissioned Mozart?
Who did Shakespeare need to not accidentally offend?
Who commissioned Da Vinci and Michaelangelo?
Who paid for Oppenheimer and many great scientists?
Why are most technical advances in history were in support of war?
On and on and on.
Yes, there are wonderful, brilliant minds (not always nice people though) but are they in CONTROL?
How does it profit the sage to recognize the brilliance and good of its citizens without recognizing who controls those citizens?
PS, excuse the typos. I also wanted to add that history is largely also a record of the bad stuff. The small, good things aren't recorded. History gives a jaundiced view of us, because I don't disagree with you that we've done a lot of terrible, awful, appalling things. However, to do those things something in our brains has to and does change. Dr Dan Goyal wrote about it here on SubStack. The article is called ‘The Red Mist of Genocide – Switching Off the Brain's Humanity’.
Let us work to build Potential.
https://bit.ly/400l0vE
I’ll check out your link, Carle. Thanks for reading.
I'll never understand why the people who took Musk's bribe felt honour bound to vote Republican? After all, they have no way of knowing who you voted for. I would have taken the money, voted Harris/Walz and laughed all the way to the bank.
Interesting point, Nicholas. You seem to agree that it happened though which confirms my jaundiced view.
He certainly offered it under the guise of a registration drive. It wouldn't be difficult to ask who you were going to vote for and if you said Democrats kick you off. But definitely, that's what it was.
Katharine, I’m so proud to be following you. I’m almos at the point where I can write a very irate piece that is rational. Maybe today, probable mañana
Wow, that sentiment is unexpected, Irma. But I’m glad you read my ranting. I went for a long walk downtown to work off some of the angst.
Whatever else is going on with me, anger, angst, depresión,
Depression,etc, reading your posts always makes me feel better and more hopeful. Thank of.
He said he'd be a dictator on day 1. Only misstatement ... it was a month earlier. When Republican spines were out melting.