Like the eternal, immutable and unchanging tides of the great oceans, events, history and human lives seem predictably repetitive and seldom original. With exception as to dimension, such as in tsunamis, the persistent dance of the sea contemplates no break in its inexorable routine. Similarly, the eternal repetition of events discernable in human society, sometimes referred to as the human comedy, plays out its reliable themes in regular and predictable tempo except, like planetary tides, as to dimension.
It takes but a cursory review of world history to confirm the inexorable continuance of stone-age tribalism and xenophobia in every era and in all cultures. Hatred, fear and jealousy of the stranger have been consistent and visible pollutants on the planet’s eternal tides. Efforts to pacify the bellicose nature of the Homo sapiens have ultimately failed; world confederations and organizations, treaties and ententes cordial, international language, cultural exchanges, all were relegated to the dust bin of human history. As we have sadly observed, in many past writings, early teachings in we and they, seem to be virtually eradicable and persistent. The tsunami of World War I was named The War to End All Wars and was quickly and decisively rebutted by the occurrence of World War II and the countless, shameful international conflicts which ensued.
Organized religion has certainly not proven to be an instrument for peace, as some adherents persist in maintaining. The many bloody tides of religious conflict that have washed in, evidencing that more homicide has been perpetuated in the name of a Deity, than in the name of a supposed Satan. The Thirty-Year’s War, the many Inquisitions and Crusades, The Sunni-Shia intra- Moslem horrors, are but a small example of the uncountable expression of homicidal inclinations of religious zealotry. The outlook in this area continues to be bleak and the visible amount of blood in the incoming tides is proof positive that yesterday’s ignorance and superstition is today’s perennial planetary inheritance.
Human avarice and sociopathic greed seems to thrive in an evergreen existence. The ancient myth of the Midas Touch still fuels hedge funds and investment houses in our society while a modern version of the Marie Antoinette “Let them Eat Cake,” mentality, a complete absence of empathy seems to be the acceptable attitude du jour regarding the needy. Today is indeed yesterday again.
The current, frightening tsunami inundating our American republic, is highly unusual since it appears to be a conglomerate of many of yesterday’s malevolent phenomena. We are confronted with an autocratic head of state, whose king-like egotism is his presumed license to disregard the established laws and regular procedures of our nation, demean scholarship and advancement, deny the established findings of science, extol and engage in improper behavior, act on ignorant and neurotic impulse, practice medieval and dark ages behavior (large threatening military, exclusionary walls, establish generals as close advisors, install family in privileged and powerful positions, spew threats and epithets as official foreign policy, practice favoritism as well as bigotry), and generally, emulate, or exceed all of history’s examples of disreputable behavior. [We lament the present situation but look forward to the next tidal change.] -p.
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