Month: December 2019

It would be a frustrating and difficult task, for any educated, right-thinking American, to candidly attempt, to equate or rationalize, our common pretensions of an idealized, exemplary Nation, espousing freedom and equality for all, in light of its empirical history. The early suppression and marginalization of North America’s indigenous peoples, and the decades of inhuman enslavement of black human beings, (the latter practice, having, purported, religious license, in the King James Bible) are undeniable, and provide endurable mitigation, against any such pretension of eternal rectitude.

Observably, and happily, recent decades have been witness to a manifest and sincere undertaking, on the part of the American government and the people, to ameliorate the historic plight, of Americans of color, and, (belatedly), grant to them, proper assurances, of full, legal and societal equality; by legislation, jurisprudence and educative action.  A full, and satisfactory, implementation of said legal and moral goal, candidly, still remains, a “work in process.” Provincial and outmoded sentiment, on the part of a relatively, small, recalcitrant, portion of the population, seems to sociologically, and culturally, lag behind the legislation, judicial decisions and programs, which assure the equality, of all of America’s population. In the year, 1857, in the Dredd Scott case, the U.S. Supreme Court (Hon. Roger Taney), ruled that a black man was not a “citizen, but, effectively, agricultural equipment, and should be returned to “its owner.” It was approximately, one hundred fifty years later, that Barack Obama, a black American citizen, was resoundingly, elected, to two successive terms, (2007 to 2015), as the President of the United States. A testament to hope.

However, bigotry still endures, as a chronic pathology, infecting many individuals; the metastasizing disease of prejudice, against black people, appears to stubbornly and persistently, thrive, in the, atavistic, hierarchy of reductive thought and uninformed perceptions, of such people.  Right- thinking Americans, of all races, in this 21^st Century, understandably, share an exhausted impatience, with such long standing un-American injustice. Accordingly, they have favored, and celebrated, legislation and programs, supporting universal equality, and the outlawing of racial prejudice, and preferences. As a consequence, it has, essentially, become rather, unremarkable, to observe people of color, now occupying State and local ranks of officialdom, such as, legislators, mayors, sheriffs, judges and police as well as other, previously unattainable, positions.

America, however, dare not pause, for a moment, to revel in its advances against the disease of bigotry, or relax its sentry- like surveillance for continuing symptoms of the pathology, lest we impact our rate of recovery and suffer relapse. There is a virtual, plethora of categories of racial injustice, yet to be ameliorated, such as exists in, the Criminal Justice System, the inequality of opportunity in employment, in admission to institutions of higher learning, and to unions, in voter repression and gerrymandering, and negative stereotypic profiling. America’s ongoing surveillance must, indeed, persist, until the time when it can be universally, and factually, concluded that racial bigotry is no longer an endemic, national problem.

The foregoing, comprises, a general recitation of the contextual basis, for the thematic (and, we believe, vital) point of this writing, which theme ( below) deals with the present process of selection of Candidates, for the next Presidential election.

The voters were presented, this time, with an unusually, large number of potential Candidates, a situation which, in an earlier writing, we have declared, “rather concerning.” Our view, then was, and still is, that a large number of Candidates, all from an identical political party, will not, consequentially, differ in major principle; thus forcing choices to be made on errant, populist grounds, such as, attractive or handsome appearance, tone of voice, dress, age or the like, instead, of suitable criteria, such as proclaimed philosophy, apparent capability, platform and intentions for the country.

We are informed that several of the Candidates have, recently, withdrawn, for various reasons, including, financial. A concern, publicly expressed by a few black members of the media, is, to us, ( as fervent supporters of equal rights),  erroneous and lacking in analysis. The errant concern expressed, was that there might not be left, a black potential Candidate left on the panel. While, we agree that is salutary, symbolically, to have black candidates and officials, to demonstrate that all America is involved, it is far more important, to select a capable candidate, with desirable, Civil Rights credentials. On any rudimentary analysis, it should be abhorrent for any thoughtful, champion of equal human rights, to recommend the subject of color, as a political criterion. We presently have a black person, sitting as a Justice, of the U.S. Supreme Court, who, may, to some people, conceivably, symbolize, the equal importance of the Nation’s black citizens, but, we would prefer a Justice, black or white, who would take more interest, than he, traditionally has, in the historic redress of past and present injustices to black Americans.

Most distressing, by far, is the thoughtlessly expressed remarks, to the effect that, in the recommendation for office, race, or ethnicity, is a material consideration. The member of the media, who made the ultimately, thoughtless comment, (effectively, against his own interest as a civil rights leader), should, of all people, be opposed to the errant principle, of choosing a Candidate or any Leader, on the irrational and unjust basis, of color (a factor, which should be irrelevant). The, statements, effectively are singularly, foolish and retrogressive. It was Martin Luther King, who famously stated, that man should be evaluated, not on the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. We agree.

-p.

 

Although we have previously published a note, on the topic of human conflict and warfare, the existential subject, unhappily, seems to remain eternally relevant, and permissibly, worthy of repetition [“redux”].

Mankind’s entire historical record, consisting of, Treaties, Accords, Entente Cordials, and the establishment of two peace-seeking, World Organizations, have uniformly, failed to eliminate, or significantly ameliorate, the pathology of warfare, and have, each, in turn, provided at best, bandages, temporarily stopping the relevant bleeding. To eliminate the deadly, (and, we submit, avoidable) plague, of human conflict and ensuing warfare, as is necessarily indicated, in respect to all pathologies, an investigation of the underlining etiology is fundamentally necessary. Unless one examines the underlying, basic causes of human warfare, the best of well-intentioned efforts, can continue to be only palliative and temporary.

We do not agree with certain classic philosophers, like, Thomas Hobbes, or with celebrated novelists, like Victor Hugo, who wrote that man, is innately, a beast. We are, by contrast, ardent believers in the philosophy of Sir John Locke. It was Locke, the great British, 19^th Century thinker, who famously said, man is born with a “tabula Rasa,” [a blank slate] and, that all knowledge is derived, exclusively, from his learning experience and empirical life. It appears to be incontrovertibly rational, to believe that a baby, is born, possessed, at most, of a primitive, natural inclination for survival and safety, but certainly not with any imbued, preconceptions. Because we see this as unassailable truth, we have been led to confidently and consistently, maintain that the root, or primary cause, of human conflict and ultimate warfare, owes its origin, to lessons taught and learned, at an early age.

In our earlier writing, we advanced the fundamental observation, that every newborn homo sapiens, acquires his particular ethnos and fundamental beliefs, by the mere accident of birth; thus, an infant, born, by chance, into a Muslim family, predictably, will thereafter, be acculturated and raised, within the Muslim tradition, and the Islamic religion, a baby, born, by like chance, to Christian parents, will be brought up in the Christian tradition and religion, and so on. The belief system and folkways, (as per John Locke), were not, in some fashion, imprinted in the infant prior to birth. All knowledge, possessed by a child, is acquired by his early experience, and parental, or surrogate, teaching.

It has been our firm understanding and confident determination, that the very worst proclivity of man, viz., to make lethal war on other human beings, has its origin or etiology, ironically, during one of mankind’s most commendable inclinations, that of the rendition of loving care and nurturance, to the child. Our unique statement, may seem, counter-intuitive, [perhaps even, irrational] but it has indeed, been our firm belief and declaration, as set forth, below.

Every baby, inarguably, is born into a specific household by happenstance; one identifiable by a particular ethnos and belief system. He will, early on, acquire an identity, folkways and a belief system, similar, if not identical, to that of that of the household. It is at this singular stage, at which, as we have, firmly, declared, that the seeds of future discord, are predictably sowed. The mother, family member, or other surrogate, will naturally and responsibly, tutor the new child in the beliefs and traditions of his newly acquired family. This is done, as part of a proper course of child nurturance, to afford to him, a needed sense of identity and belonging. It is in these lessons, however, that often, such seeds of discord, presaging a mortal harvest are sowed. The teachings of the applicable ethnic identity and beliefs, are all too often, made qualitatively, and in contrast, (implied, or expressed), with peoples of differing beliefs, ethnic and religious. Early, well intentioned, but insensitive, comparative lessons of “we” and “they” are, in fact, the very poisonous seeds that take root and grow into the dreaded, mortal harvest. The young child, comfortable in his feelings of security of membership in his instructed ethnos, takes pride, together with his contemporaries, in their joint (“we”) affiliation; but, in time, learns to look upon others, of divergent belief systems, religion, race or folkways, (“them”) with feelings of curiosity, later, conceivably, morphing [often, with the encouragement of others of his ethnos] into critical comparison, then dislike, caricature and, often, ultimately, to hatred, leading to ensuing conflict.

It is the taught, “we” and “they” mantra, we are confident, that is ultimately responsible for mankind’s warfare. Once enculturated into this distinct, and ultimately, destructive, catechism, man has, historically, behaved at his worst. It is our belief, that, regardless of any and all, overtly publicized, purported attribution of the causes of any war, such as trespass, territory, religious, militant threats, ports, water and natural resources, geopolitics, preserving justice, or any other, fundamentally, the underlying cause of all war, is that murderous duo, “we” and “they.” There are as many examples, as there are wars.

The signature illustration of our principle (out of a great many), is the seemingly, never ending, bloody, conflict, between the Shia and the Sunni Moslems. History reveals, that, as far back as the 7^th Century, there was contention, as to whether the Great Prophet, Mohammad, should properly be succeeded by a blood relative, as in England, or, alternatively, by popular election. Each of these two warring groups, has, historically supported the divergent mode of succession, and so, centuries ago, declared war against the other. The bloody war has continued to rage on, with death and human atrocities, remarkably, into the modern age. No rational, persuasive argument can be made, to the effect, that the 7^th Century issue, concerning a disputed mode of succession, is the cause of this eternally continuing, (fourteen Centuries) bloody war. The evident cause, is the multi- generational continuance of the “we” and the “they” mantra. The mortal seeds in this case, is the errant continuation of an early taught lesson, concerning the religious differences of opinion, which germinate, and, inevitably, produces a predictable, mortal harvest.

We do not, maintain, to any degree, that young children, should not be early taught the traditions of their acquired ethnic culture. Experience teaches us, that diversity adds gifts of quality and perspective to mankind. A monochromatic painting would be of little interest to any viewer. The salient point, however, is the mandatory need, to maintain an awareness of perspective, and sensitivity, to the dangers of imparting, ultimately, an injurious message, in the process of assistance to the child, in his necessary acquisition of communal identity, and sense of belonging. Care is to be responsibly exercised, in teaching, as well, something of the diverse ways, and virtues, of other cultures, most significantly, their acceptability, as an equally legitimate part, of the planet’s diverse family of man.

There is a valuable admonition, which appears in the Christian Bible, and we are quite sure, elsewhere: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” The seeds, to be planted, for any future, bountiful harvest, must be seeds which germinate into collective peace and mutual acceptance, and not thoughtless, and insensitive, divisive seeds of discord and continued mortal harvest.

-p

During the relatively brief period of time, between winter’s seasonal holidays, and the end of the year, many individuals, perennially, experience, a sense of having, breathlessly, arrived at a hiatus, effectively, a small oasis, in the surging sandstorm of time, sufficient to experience, a private moment of self-analysis, retrospection and, personal catch-up.

There are people who feel anticipatorily depressed, and at a true loss to comprehend, the universal expressions of joy, and celebratory, Mardi Gras atmosphere, of the coming New Year’s, holiday, its annual celebration of the passing, of another valuable year, of a finite lifetime. To such people, in such a somber context, it may seem that the New Year whirlpool- maelstrom, of drinking and reveling, is merely, an ephemeral, diversion from the stark realization that another, irretrievable and meaningless year has, passed.

The seemingly, exponential rate of change, in electronic-computer facility, particularly, its real life, social consequences: the  morphing from personal interactive communication, to impersonally transmitted small screen symbols, authentic friendships to mere “face book” acceptance, from human, personal services, to absentee robotology, from the enthusiasm and excitement of personal investigation and hunt for knowledge, to the mundane pressing of “apps,” on a hand held instrument, from turning pages of a softly lit, good book, to scrutinizing words on an electronic screen, and from the all-pervasive and fast evolving, metamorphosis, from natural human contact and interaction, to impersonal electronic connection, appear to be prominent features in the raging sandstorm of societal change.   Life has, for a great many people, been tending to appear, progressively lonelier, more insular, and less meaningful.

There are many, (especially, among the younger generation), who will, rarely, experience the pleasures of natural, personal interaction with a recognized voice, and the benefits of spontaneous response, the comforting, tactual experience, of turning pages of a good book, under a soft reading light, never write a selectively worded, personal letter, concoct a recipe, read a newspaper or magazine, or write an article. In a complicated age, when personal interaction and social contact are vitally important, they have chosen, in compliance with the call of contemporary lifestyle, to sell out vital life experience, for the cheap allure and easy convenience of populist and impersonal, (if more efficient), electronics.

Such people have, in any objective audit of the franchise of life, received little, aside from some physical convenience, and momentary comfort, in an unwise exchange, for the complete loss of the invaluably, warm reassurance, of shared socialization and the excitement of novel experience. Many have become ambulatory couch potatoes, bored and disappointed, with so little return accrued from life, and panicky, regarding the fleeting time, fruitlessly, waiting, for something good to happen.

The inevitable passage of years is accepted by many others as well, but, in their case, is mitigated by the recognition that their limited franchise of life, is being spent in the enjoyable pursuit of an elective interest, in pursuing and developing knowledge, understanding and perspective. We have used the opportunity of this blogspace, to encourage advancement and the development of a mature perspective of the self and of others, as well as of man’s environment. We have emphasized mutual, natural and real life interaction, as the best means for the exchange of thoughts, feelings and information, but also, as a needed assurance of societal membership, and personal identity; as contrasted with a desperate feeling of insulation and insecurity. Reading (of books) has been recommended as a lifetime activity, as is, involvement in a chosen interest, involvement in the arts and sciences, as possible, and of course, active family participation.

In this blog space, we have chosen to maintain the theory, that the evolution of man is an ever continuing phenomenon. Further, that man accrues a moral responsibility, to use his unique potential, to the utmost of his ability, to achieve greater value from his life, and as an expression of appropriate gratitude to nature, for its generous, singular gift of an advanced brain. Those who do so, come to fully appreciate, in the thought-provoking, oasis of time, between the holidays and the New Year, a wonder at the marvelous franchise of life, and enjoy an appreciation for the time allotted to them. They happily and gratefully, celebrate at the New Year’s holiday, the incomparable value of the time, afforded to them (albeit finite), and live gratefully and fully.

In this blogspace, we have consistently declared that ultimate, “success,” is the internal realization of self-fulfillment, and not the external, accumulation of worldly possessions.

-p.

It was, slightly more than four years ago, when we began the publication of our mini-essays, popularly referred to as “blogposts.” A developing desire to share lifetime thoughts and experiences, seems to have accumulated a residual sense of urgency, as we attained the status of societal “elder.” The blog canon, itself, affords sufficient opportunity to make observations and personal judgments, on a variety of subjects, limited only by the extent of the author’s scholarship and empirical experience. The first few “blogposts,” were experimental, a trial dipping of an insecure toe, in the water; later published, mini-essays became somewhat more advanced and literary (as well as, hopefully, incisive) and enhanced our desire for expression, most especially, as to the human condition and its universally, classic, issues. Unless perceived events, and, felt responsibility dictated otherwise, we have attempted to limit the number of occasions for comment on issues arising in the current political scene.

It might be useful, or timely, to reveal the origins of the name of our blogpost, “Pliny blog.”  In ancient Rome, the nephew of “Pliny the Elder,” (the latter, a much revered Statesman), called,” Pliny the Younger,” authored copious letters, which turned out to be, a virtual treasure trove of information, for students of Ancient Rome.  In his review of the book, “Review of the Letters of the Younger Pliny,” literary critic, Arthur Serkis, states: “Whenever I began reading the collection of letters, I felt as if I may be reading Pliny’s blog. Except that they did not have the internet…”

The younger Pliny, is quoted, as, writing: “…so we must write as our [self] professes, and not make anybody else’s idleness, an excuse for our own. It is for us to produce something worth being written and read.”

To be clear, we do not, aspire to comparison with the exalted status of the named, ancient Roman, but we are, in fact, dedicated to produce “something worth being written and read,” and, we have, accordingly, undertaken, in this contemporary age of the internet, to call our blogspace, “plinyblog.com.” We do confess to being presumptuous, but only to the extent of the universalization of our own, salient and personal goal, the development of wisdom and mature perspective, as the appropriate aspiration for mankind.

As can be observed above, we have published, something short of, 500 mini-essays. These in large part, deal with the implicit obligation of homo sapiens to demonstrate, to the natural forces of evolution, his gratitude and recognition, by its use, for granting him an advanced brain. We have applauded those in modern society who have, indeed, shown respect for this invaluable anthropological gift, by pursuing personal advancement and understanding, but have expressed existential disappointment with the far larger numbers, who have refrained from doing so. We have argued, for the existence of an anthropologically, moral obligation of man, to continue to grow in understanding and perspective, by the exploitation of that generous gift. We have further declared, that the Nation is stronger and better, and individual life is more satisfactory and meaningful, with the acquisition of knowledge and mature perspective. This has been our signal message. We have (perhaps too) often referred to the message of Thomas Jefferson, to the effect that, an educated and informed population is required, in order to have a successful democracy. Plinyblog.com, has consistently charted the pursuit of knowledge, as the only route to the aspiration for a higher quality of life, and personal fulfillment.

Far too much has been published to date, on the distressing subject of our sitting, miscreant, occupier of the White House. It would serve little purpose, to once more, recount his seemingly, uncontrollable and unseemly behavior. An especial cause of our present distress, is the frightening realization, that millions of Americans voted for him, despite his incapability and unsuitability for office. This, of course, makes relevant the cited, Jeffersonian statement, on the existential need for an educated and informed citizenry. It has been wisely and challengingly said, by many, “we can have a Republican Democracy, if, we can keep it.”

It has been this worrisome challenge, that fuels this blogpost, as well as its eternally expressed, urgent message of encouragement, of the citizen, in a reasonable, lifelong, participation in the arts and sciences, and in the responsibility and exciting challenge of human advancement. A Nation’s people, are its most strategic, reliable and effective, natural resources. Reason is the proper goal of every citizen, and of the Nation. We humbly, seek in this blog space, to encourage the pursuit of that doubly beneficial goal.

-p.