BaruchWell the ideal of progress ...Fri May 25, 2012 11:0668.91.131.66particularly irreversible progress, has been particularly hard hit for the last 100 years. Pretty only much nations like China, India and Brazil believe in the UN version of it, because they have to. The idea that their past history of missed opportunities or victimizations, have limited their ultimate presence on the world stage, is hard to accept. Just add Western technology, and everyone can go from the Middle Ages to the Computer Age, without having to go thru any of the nasty and unique historical struggles that Europe and N America have gone thru.
The problem for Europe and N America, is the idea on the one hand that the tragedy of WW I and WW II are still being paid for, vs the profits of WW I and WW II will continue to pay out indefinitely. There is no "saved life" button for history, if we have realized we made some dumb moves at some previous point. What my computer games also show, is that one's circumstances, as well as what one does with those circumstances, determines the outcome of the game ... the circumstances one gets stuck with whether favorable or unfavorable, and what one does with it is often equally constrained. Some people inevitably are Gauls and some are Romans. People are not created equal, though all are images of G-d.
Of course the arrogant automatically assume they are Romans and the other guys are Barbarians ... but it often isn't so ... it is just losers against losers. Monarchy is endemic to the human condition, as Roman Republicans understood it, hence their failed attempt to institutionalize the defeat of monarchy. Democracy is only attractive under Girondist conditions, possible in America, but not in France. America is becoming much more like France. If "soft" democracy hadn't come to the Brits in the 19th century, they would have blown up in revolution too. They may finally be nearing their Bastille Day yet, because of the incompetence of their last several governments.
Speaking of the Left ... I was thrilled by push-back in France, but what do you think of all the demos in Quebec? Will the students get anywhere, will there be a 1968 for them?
Well Paul was a quisling, so he has been quite useful post-mortem to the authorities everywhere, even in my own synagogue. If the US elects an explicit anti-semite, I think his "G-d puts all authorities in office" dogma will be in for a test. American political-economics is our religion, the Bible is only a fig leaf for Anglo-American Israelitism.
Shalom
- Well the ideal of progress ... — Baruch, Fri May 25 11:06
