I recently wrote about one of my favorite movies – “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” – noting that its message seems more relevant to our times than when it was first released. After penning that article, I pulled the movie out for a re-watch and found that yes, “Mr. Smith” rings even more true for our time than I remembered.
Absolutely agree, Annie. Unfortunately, as the philosopher noted, "The feeble-minded are easily led." How regrettable, then, that as Montaigne also noted, that one of humanity's greatest liabilities is that our critical thinking capability is almost always overwhelmed by the highly unstable volatility of our emotions and during the youthful phase of life, such emotional volatility is absolute and completely all-ascendant!
When perniciously motivated intellectuals introduce and spread their more poisonous concepts and wildly variegated, hypothetical ideations amongst the young, who are inherently ruled by unruly hormones and sophomoric understandings, we end up with the present manifestation you remark upon here. And when you add into the mix the mindless sycophantry of the less-than-bright fully grown (i.e. 'adult') population, such conceptual notions often sweep entire populations in a trice.
I recently read an article in the EPOCH TIMES newspaper (the latest issue, I believe) reminding us that older, more experienced individuals have much wisdom, experience and sagacious understanding to offer to those who are younger than they...if only our 'newer-is-better' American bias didn't dismiss them as obsolescent, misguided, (often) cranky and excessively critical anachronisms! This used to be the norm in societies from early tribally-based civilisations up through the Western 20th Century's culture but today, thanks largely to Hollywood and the marketing industry's media (that, of course, stand to profit immensely from fanning youthful gullibilities), all things 'old' are immediately relegated to the trash-bin. That article in the EPOCH TIMES resonates but America is firmly pinioned by such blatant partisan bias, when corporate marketing descends upon our youth like the vultures they are and chloroforms them with a surfeit of material superfluities and acquisitive excess.
It's well past time for, put another way, for those among us who are older and wiser to suppress and subjugate youthful impetuousness. (they are only children, after all)...but sadly, the only way to do that is to use an iron fist, and no one wants to resort to strict enforcement of common sense and considered wisdom as the governing standards of American society. Thus, it may well end up that America as we know it and wish to maintain it, is doomed and destined to also vanish into the rubbish heap of civilisation!
Absolutely agree, Annie. Unfortunately, as the philosopher noted, "The feeble-minded are easily led." How regrettable, then, that as Montaigne also noted, that one of humanity's greatest liabilities is that our critical thinking capability is almost always overwhelmed by the highly unstable volatility of our emotions and during the youthful phase of life, such emotional volatility is absolute and completely all-ascendant!
When perniciously motivated intellectuals introduce and spread their more poisonous concepts and wildly variegated, hypothetical ideations amongst the young, who are inherently ruled by unruly hormones and sophomoric understandings, we end up with the present manifestation you remark upon here. And when you add into the mix the mindless sycophantry of the less-than-bright fully grown (i.e. 'adult') population, such conceptual notions often sweep entire populations in a trice.
I recently read an article in the EPOCH TIMES newspaper (the latest issue, I believe) reminding us that older, more experienced individuals have much wisdom, experience and sagacious understanding to offer to those who are younger than they...if only our 'newer-is-better' American bias didn't dismiss them as obsolescent, misguided, (often) cranky and excessively critical anachronisms! This used to be the norm in societies from early tribally-based civilisations up through the Western 20th Century's culture but today, thanks largely to Hollywood and the marketing industry's media (that, of course, stand to profit immensely from fanning youthful gullibilities), all things 'old' are immediately relegated to the trash-bin. That article in the EPOCH TIMES resonates but America is firmly pinioned by such blatant partisan bias, when corporate marketing descends upon our youth like the vultures they are and chloroforms them with a surfeit of material superfluities and acquisitive excess.
It's well past time for, put another way, for those among us who are older and wiser to suppress and subjugate youthful impetuousness. (they are only children, after all)...but sadly, the only way to do that is to use an iron fist, and no one wants to resort to strict enforcement of common sense and considered wisdom as the governing standards of American society. Thus, it may well end up that America as we know it and wish to maintain it, is doomed and destined to also vanish into the rubbish heap of civilisation!
Ita finit humanitas in ruderibus historiae!