Carl Sagan wrote a book titled “The Demon-Haunted World,” in 1996. The premise was to get people to become free critical thinkers. In the opening excerpt of the book he wrote -
I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or my grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness. The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.
Sadly Carl Sagan was correct and really it is much worse than he predicted, as seen by the display of violence and racism in Charlottesville VA . I literally cried when I saw people rally in front of a church at night with torches chanting " Blood and Soil" this is a slogan that predates the Nazis but was used and co-opted by them in 1930 to promote eugenics.
Pic credit University of VA
"Richard Walther Darré popularized the phrase at the time of the rise of Nazi Germany; he wrote a book called Neuadel aus Blut und Boden (A New Nobility Based On Blood And Soil), in 1930, which proposed a systemic eugenics program, arguing for breeding as a cure-all for all the problems plaguing the state."
Credit Wikipedia
The climate of idiocracy in America has reached new heights since President Trump was elected. Sadly his rebuke of the events did not include the words racism, white nationalism or neo nazis. What he did say was
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides. It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump not Barack Obama. This has been going on for a long, long time."
I expect more from the person who holds the office of the President of the US. He will names "radical islamic terrorism" but won't utter the words domestic terrorism, racism, neo nazis or white nationalism.
As sad I was to see the violence in Virginia and sadly the three deaths that occurred. I still have faith that this incident may be a catalyst of change. I hope some good can come of these events.
Rally against racism & violence wherever you live!
I believe it is easier to love than to hate. I believe in peace not violence. I believe we are better than this.
Proud member of MSP - PAL #Ecotrain & #Whalepower