Fischer --and remember, this is a man who was a leading figure in the German Green Party-- is calling attention to the importance of regaining what was lost. Understanding his message entails our acknowledging the VIRTUES AND VALUE of the basic liberal structure and spirit. For it is that spirit that enabled America to wield its power in the world in a fashion that even this old German radical green-nik, Fischer, is celebrating for being basically constructive and progressive. It had real virtues, he is saying. And he is noting its goodness compared not to some far-out IDEAL, but compared to the apparent alternatives.
The reason for Fischer's praise of this old America, clearly, is that there’s lately been a really important change in America, a turning much futher toward the rule of evil in the wielding of power in America. It is this evil, not some more perfect ideal, it turns out, that currently represents the alternative to the America the world has known.
That’s what this article by Fischer is about. That’s what I, too, want to say.
Our job is to envision that better America that we have a good shot at achieving-- e.g. to defeat the Bushites and to at least restore the kind of virtues that Fischer here appreciates. We should work for that, rather than focus attention on what’s wrong with basic, pre-Bushite America.
Fischer tells us something of value was lost and should be regained. And besides, there’s absolutely NO sign that America has the capability right this minute of even giving serious consideration to a truly major radical (or even progressive) overhaul.
Envision the good that CAN BE ACHIEVED, and work toward that doable good. As things move, other things become doable. But it could well be that many important radical changes do not happen in our lifetime. What else can our job be but to work toward goals that can be achieved? That’s how things get achieved.
And then there another point: however flawed our world is, we're likely best to move it toward the better if we understand that, for better and for wrose, societies take a LONG TIME, generally, to change.
Societies have in them a kind of gyroscope, it seems, that maintains the spinning along certain grooves of space, even despite efforts to make major changes.
It’s amazing how much China is still –even after many, many generations of upheaval and disintegration and humiliation, and even during an era of revolution, which launched a wholesale onslaught on its traditional culture– profoundly continuous with the old China, the China of Confucian rule and mandarin administration of a continent-wide empire, the China that considered itself to be the Center of the World, superior to everything they saw around them.
I’m not saying that we should just ACCEPT the way things are, I certainly have spent my entire adult life working to encourage our civilization to evolve toward an ideal I have about “a more humane and just and viable civilization.” My life has been dedicated to achieving profound transformation of the human system, from the level of world order to the level of individual consciousness.
But we have to recognize that societies and cultures and peoples have a powerful tendency to remain what they are.
I find it really fascinating this phenomenon, which I call “The Persistence of Culture.” I haven’t written about it, but I’ve done radio shows on it. Amazing stuff.
Here's one vivid example, somewhat superficial perhaps in itself, but emblemmatic of the persistence of cultural structures. In the north of New Mexico, it was discovered in our times that there were people who still lit candles every Friday evening at sundown, but had absolutely no idea why they did it. But their parents had done it. It turns out, of course, that these people are the descendants of Jews from Spain or Mexico who were compelled to conceal their Jewish observance and to maintain the pretense of being Christian. So, three and a half centuries later, their descendants –good Catholics by now, I guess– are still lighting candles on Friday evenings.
We’ll achieve more if we understand the difference between the ideal and the achievable.
America can change, but it is even harder than turning the TITANIC around.
Except sometimes during times of crisis, and when we get the best possible leadership. Sometimes, bigger chances can get made. Which leads to the third point I want to make.
The reason for Fischer's praise of this old America, clearly, is that there’s lately been a really important change in America, a turning much futher toward the rule of evil in the wielding of power in America. It is this evil, not some more perfect ideal, it turns out, that currently represents the alternative to the America the world has known.
That’s what this article by Fischer is about. That’s what I, too, want to say.
Our job is to envision that better America that we have a good shot at achieving-- e.g. to defeat the Bushites and to at least restore the kind of virtues that Fischer here appreciates. We should work for that, rather than focus attention on what’s wrong with basic, pre-Bushite America.
Fischer tells us something of value was lost and should be regained. And besides, there’s absolutely NO sign that America has the capability right this minute of even giving serious consideration to a truly major radical (or even progressive) overhaul.
Envision the good that CAN BE ACHIEVED, and work toward that doable good. As things move, other things become doable. But it could well be that many important radical changes do not happen in our lifetime. What else can our job be but to work toward goals that can be achieved? That’s how things get achieved.
And then there another point: however flawed our world is, we're likely best to move it toward the better if we understand that, for better and for wrose, societies take a LONG TIME, generally, to change.
Societies have in them a kind of gyroscope, it seems, that maintains the spinning along certain grooves of space, even despite efforts to make major changes.
It’s amazing how much China is still –even after many, many generations of upheaval and disintegration and humiliation, and even during an era of revolution, which launched a wholesale onslaught on its traditional culture– profoundly continuous with the old China, the China of Confucian rule and mandarin administration of a continent-wide empire, the China that considered itself to be the Center of the World, superior to everything they saw around them.
I’m not saying that we should just ACCEPT the way things are, I certainly have spent my entire adult life working to encourage our civilization to evolve toward an ideal I have about “a more humane and just and viable civilization.” My life has been dedicated to achieving profound transformation of the human system, from the level of world order to the level of individual consciousness.
But we have to recognize that societies and cultures and peoples have a powerful tendency to remain what they are.
I find it really fascinating this phenomenon, which I call “The Persistence of Culture.” I haven’t written about it, but I’ve done radio shows on it. Amazing stuff.
Here's one vivid example, somewhat superficial perhaps in itself, but emblemmatic of the persistence of cultural structures. In the north of New Mexico, it was discovered in our times that there were people who still lit candles every Friday evening at sundown, but had absolutely no idea why they did it. But their parents had done it. It turns out, of course, that these people are the descendants of Jews from Spain or Mexico who were compelled to conceal their Jewish observance and to maintain the pretense of being Christian. So, three and a half centuries later, their descendants –good Catholics by now, I guess– are still lighting candles on Friday evenings.
We’ll achieve more if we understand the difference between the ideal and the achievable.
America can change, but it is even harder than turning the TITANIC around.
Except sometimes during times of crisis, and when we get the best possible leadership. Sometimes, bigger chances can get made. Which leads to the third point I want to make.
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