A Look at History
“What experience and history teach is this-- that people and governments never have learned anything from history.” - George Wilhelm Hegel
There are many lessons out there nobody seems to be learning. This is the case now. I need for you to go with me on a trip, a trip in history.
You are now in a land where only the privileged few live in the lap of luxury with the best things money can buy. They have the best food, housing, transportation and literature. The masses, on the other hand, only have the bare necessities, and many times even those are in short supply. The resources of the land are all around you, but you have no rights to them. There is little to nothing you can do to better yourself. The few are your masters, they own everything including you, and they have the support of the religious practitioners. After many years, you come to believe this is the only way of things. The leaders control your everyday lives, the religion tells you that only in heaven will things be better, on this earth, you must suffer. Generation after generation live and die under this rule, it has become ingrained that nothing can change it. There is no need for a better way to travel, you never go more an a few miles from your home your entire life. There is no need for literature, you are told everything you need to know.
A land, not too far away, things are very different. Yes, there are leaders that have everything, but the common man has the right to better himself and does. Knowledge and learning is not limited to the few, but the masses also have access to it. Communication and education are available to all. Many of the people travel far from their birthplaces to learn and live. There are advances in areas you never dreamt. There is tolerance of the differences in people, not fear.
Though the two lands are not that far apart, few really know anything about the better lives these other people live, or anything about them at all. These other people are savages and will kill you if they get the chance, so you are told. Your leaders send armies to this other land to battle, only to have few return, and they carry with them tales of horror. This only reinforces your belief that this other land and its people only want an end to you and your beliefs. You support your leaders without question and believe they are right, after all, they know more than you do.
This time in history is known as the dark ages. The lands are those of Christian Europe and the Arab world. The outlook of the two worlds was so different, neither could understand the other. Europe embraced the control of the church and saw no need to better its way of life, as all rewards would come in heaven, not on earth. The Arabs saw the world as a place to explore and science as a new frontier. The divine right of kings kept small and closed minds men in power while the rest of the world moved beyond that to bigger and better things. With the onslaught of the renaissance, many things changed, but it took years for enlightenment to take hold. Once it did, there were advances in science and technology in leaps and bounds.
This brings us to the present, here and now. We look at the Arab world and wonder how they can live the way they do. They have most of the world’s oil, yet have fewer cars to drive. They have the world throwing money at them, yet live at what we would call the poverty level. Though there are many very well educated men and women there, the masses have a very limited range of knowledge.
It seems the tables have been turned. The world has left the realm of fundamental, religious zealots, yet the Arabs seem to have embraced it. No longer are they in the golden age of knowledge, but in the dark ages of close-mindedness. When a religious fundamentalist leader gains control of people, knowledge, and reason, tolerance is lost, and replaced with dictates.
I am not saying the entire Arab world falls into this category, but a large portion not only does, but also helps to reinforce it. They send armies to battle the non-believers. These are not the large armies of the past, but small groups that spread terror and death to any and all who do not believe their way.
Do not look for rapid change to come, even with our help. If we force them to believe our way, are we really any better than they are? The only things we can do, is show another way and hope they see the light of freedom and open mindedness.
Just think of the ways this world could be better if we, ourselves, had not spent centuries in the dark ages. Who knows what advances we would have now? Only a helping hand and desire can open a closed mind. Once opened, there is no limit to what can happen. If you look at all the cultures on this earth, you will see each as undergone these changes. China, Japan, Europe, and yes, even the United States, but to a smaller extent, all have had their ups and downs. No one in any of these governments seemed to have the wisdom to learn from history and stop the process before it went too far.
History is an animal best studied with care, patience, caution and an open mind.
Ed Williams
Edcat01@tds.net
©
There are many lessons out there nobody seems to be learning. This is the case now. I need for you to go with me on a trip, a trip in history.
You are now in a land where only the privileged few live in the lap of luxury with the best things money can buy. They have the best food, housing, transportation and literature. The masses, on the other hand, only have the bare necessities, and many times even those are in short supply. The resources of the land are all around you, but you have no rights to them. There is little to nothing you can do to better yourself. The few are your masters, they own everything including you, and they have the support of the religious practitioners. After many years, you come to believe this is the only way of things. The leaders control your everyday lives, the religion tells you that only in heaven will things be better, on this earth, you must suffer. Generation after generation live and die under this rule, it has become ingrained that nothing can change it. There is no need for a better way to travel, you never go more an a few miles from your home your entire life. There is no need for literature, you are told everything you need to know.
A land, not too far away, things are very different. Yes, there are leaders that have everything, but the common man has the right to better himself and does. Knowledge and learning is not limited to the few, but the masses also have access to it. Communication and education are available to all. Many of the people travel far from their birthplaces to learn and live. There are advances in areas you never dreamt. There is tolerance of the differences in people, not fear.
Though the two lands are not that far apart, few really know anything about the better lives these other people live, or anything about them at all. These other people are savages and will kill you if they get the chance, so you are told. Your leaders send armies to this other land to battle, only to have few return, and they carry with them tales of horror. This only reinforces your belief that this other land and its people only want an end to you and your beliefs. You support your leaders without question and believe they are right, after all, they know more than you do.
This time in history is known as the dark ages. The lands are those of Christian Europe and the Arab world. The outlook of the two worlds was so different, neither could understand the other. Europe embraced the control of the church and saw no need to better its way of life, as all rewards would come in heaven, not on earth. The Arabs saw the world as a place to explore and science as a new frontier. The divine right of kings kept small and closed minds men in power while the rest of the world moved beyond that to bigger and better things. With the onslaught of the renaissance, many things changed, but it took years for enlightenment to take hold. Once it did, there were advances in science and technology in leaps and bounds.
This brings us to the present, here and now. We look at the Arab world and wonder how they can live the way they do. They have most of the world’s oil, yet have fewer cars to drive. They have the world throwing money at them, yet live at what we would call the poverty level. Though there are many very well educated men and women there, the masses have a very limited range of knowledge.
It seems the tables have been turned. The world has left the realm of fundamental, religious zealots, yet the Arabs seem to have embraced it. No longer are they in the golden age of knowledge, but in the dark ages of close-mindedness. When a religious fundamentalist leader gains control of people, knowledge, and reason, tolerance is lost, and replaced with dictates.
I am not saying the entire Arab world falls into this category, but a large portion not only does, but also helps to reinforce it. They send armies to battle the non-believers. These are not the large armies of the past, but small groups that spread terror and death to any and all who do not believe their way.
Do not look for rapid change to come, even with our help. If we force them to believe our way, are we really any better than they are? The only things we can do, is show another way and hope they see the light of freedom and open mindedness.
Just think of the ways this world could be better if we, ourselves, had not spent centuries in the dark ages. Who knows what advances we would have now? Only a helping hand and desire can open a closed mind. Once opened, there is no limit to what can happen. If you look at all the cultures on this earth, you will see each as undergone these changes. China, Japan, Europe, and yes, even the United States, but to a smaller extent, all have had their ups and downs. No one in any of these governments seemed to have the wisdom to learn from history and stop the process before it went too far.
History is an animal best studied with care, patience, caution and an open mind.
Ed Williams
Edcat01@tds.net
©
posted by Ed | 21:50
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