--I've just seen some proof of this contention!
Well, strong evidence, at least: an article
advising women about how to avoid makeup faux pas
engendered SIX HUNDRED comments! How important
is THAT subject, I have to ask?? In contrast, many
important articles and blog posts get far fewer
hits or comments.
It's been said by better minds than mine, but bears
repeating: Focus on light matters to the virtual
exclusion of the more important and urgent will
doom us to repeat Ancient Rome's fate....in our case,
at this rate, we won't have lasted even the 400+
years of their ascendancy. (Rome herself succeeded only
by bloody conquest and a caste/slave system.)
The internet reveals many clues as to society's
state, sad information, much of it. Do your own
survey, if you haven't already. If you are a caring,
intelligent person, you won't like what you see:
(1) Very few articles urging the overhauling of the
country's infrastructure. Instead of spying on so-called
"allies", why not tend to important issues at HOME?
(2) Where is the popular drive toward the greatest good
for the greatest number? Yes, there are caring people,
just NOT enough of them to make the difference. Ask
anyone working/volunteering in any of the helping
agencies, like food depositories/pantries, after-school
programs, the sick or disabled. They will sing my sad
song for you;
(3) The U.S. no longer possesses good, general knowledge
in science, math and history, all of which heavily contribute
to a top tier society. For decades now our students have fared
laughably compared to other nation's pupils; those countries
are catching up to us (some even surpassing us).
The ultimate proof of culture gone wrong is ignoring
a telling reality: we are in this together. "Community"
is another one of those catchwords so lovingly tossed
around, like "democracy" and "meritocracy". It's high time
we demonstrated we understand what those terms mean,
and act accordingly.
There's still time, just barely.
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Barely time? for what exactly? or even generally?
ReplyDeleteThere's a shrug moment approaching that will redefine life as we've known it. I'm beginning to think we've actually already had it. Fully untethered? Operating on muscle memory without conscious awareness? Sounds about right.
It's freeing.
Generally, to act as if we humans have a conscience regarding others, or even awareness
ReplyDeletethat actions in one part of the globe can remarkably affect life in far-off places.
((the oft-quoted "kill off the rain forests
and we all lose pharmaceuticals as well as
most fruit" is but one example.)
Reproducing mindlessly as most humans do is
the single underlying, causative practical problem beyond our usual endemic human failings. Too bad we share 98+% DNA with BOTH the sex-obsessed bonobos as well as the violent chimpanzees. This heritage needs a fantastic, concerted intelligent effort of will if we are to overcome our constantly reoccurring problems.
"Barely time?" I can't know precisely, but
I'd guess, based on decades of reading, hundreds of PBS nature programs and conversations with scientists (I've been lucky enough to know some, phoned up others),
we only have a few decades, if that. Environmentalists and demographers like Dr. G. Tyler Miller in California estimate we're going around the "J curve" (meaning exponential increase of human population) right now. Others say we'll hit nine billion around 2050, and THAT number represents a SLOWING down of reproduction. (-!)
--Imagine a world like that: too many dogs
competing for way too few bones, especially water, unless desalinization becomes easy and cheap; territorial/boundary fights everywhere
you look, except for the Antarctic, maybe;
a worldwide lower average standard of living.
There's more, but suffice it to say this dark
scenario might be the "shrug moment" you
mentioned.
There's no money in cures so everything gets a treatment. There's big money in treatment.
ReplyDeleteFacade uber allis.
What's struck me of late is the intelligent design behind most of what we're told ails us. A roller coaster begins and ends at the same place. It's designed that way. Its passengers line up to pay for the ride. Some eagerly, some with great trepidation.
When I look at current events, it's hard not to see that same approach. At the end of the ride, if I stayed on the ground I'm exactly even with the passengers. Perhaps even better off because the change didn't get shaken out of my pockets and I've saved the cost of the ride.
All of these closed loops get us nowhere.
Sometimes your allegories are beyond me,
ReplyDeleteI must admit. But the language is elegant and
consistent, and I end up not missing a lot.
One of your points seems to be we are running while standing in place. In my view, however sadly, I think the slippery slope is on an-ever accelerating downslide, which, while not impossible to stop, WILL require intelligent, unified effort....a phenom I'm not seeing or predicting. BUT I hope to be
wrong. Here's to the future: --May we have one!