OK, its not an original topic, and I'm not telling you anything you don't know. But can we pause a moment to reflect that we live in a society where loving couples compete for money by sticking their partners head in a box and filling it with snakes? At some point, don't you think: Wow, the Romans really had their act together!
And Vice President Cheney just said that Iran is at the top of the list for trouble spots in the world. And millions will believe and follow the march to war to "defend ourselves" and "spread freedom", and we'll be marching right into Tehran before this year is out. Then it will be Syria, and Jordan and Yemen had best be on their best behavior if they don't want to witness "freedom on the march".
Communication is vastly improved, diversity of opinion has never been more easily accessible and yet the majority are happy to bite on the party line and swallow it whole. Are we getting stupider? I say no. I say that we just don't care. It takes too much time to give a shit, when you can watch people have snakes dropped on their head.
Which says to me that we didn't learn the most important lesson of 9/11: That we are not alone in the world, that we can't afford apathy, and that considering it to be "someone else's problem" is not an option.
I'm getting worried that we're not going to be the good guys for much longer, and that scares me. I'm only glad that I've started learning Chinese. I offer no solutions, I just want people to take a moment and really look at where we're at. Because it's scary, and demands attention.
"I'm getting worried that we're not going to be the good guys for much longer, and that scares me. I'm only glad that I've started learning Chinese."
If by good guys, you mean most dominant in terms of economy, influence, and (to some extent) military might, then you're right, you'll need to speak Mandarin in order to be able to talk to the "good guys"... I'd say before 2040. I need to get my hands on Pimsleur II, if not for that, but for the fact that I'm in a grad student office now with two guys who have a tendency to slip into mandarin conversation when talking to each other (or sometimes a mix... Manglish?) and I REALLY like eavesdropping on people.
Yeah, and the eavesdropping is even better when they naturally assume you're a clueless American.
Also, to some extent it's always the ones who write the history books that become the good guys, but more than that I'm referring to the recurring sense I have that, despite our faults and follies and failures, we (the US) remain the most positive force for good in the world. It's slow and incremental, and we've never really done much for promoting democracy, but we're going in the right direction. Even Chomsky, for all his criticism still allows that the US is the greatest hope for freedom in the world and the least damaging form of hegemony so far.
But add up incredible economic and military power to vast public apathy and an unprincipled and delusional government, and I really wonder how long it can hold up. I mean, really: How to fascist governments start? I think it's a lot like this, and we had better be careful.
"Also, to some extent it's always the ones who write the history books that become the good guys"
I was going to insert a line about history books, but I realize that I will NEVER learn to read Chinese.
Fascist governments have historically found their root in politically turbulent, economically unstable countries... we're not there yet. Ask me in 5 years.
I certainly agree that we're not *there*. The question is, what the hell do you do about it once you are *there*? Don't you have to start fighting before that?
Oh, you want to do something about it.
Activist.