One problem I find interesting is the combination of
civilization and barbarism. How do the best and the
worst of a culture fit together:
* Goethe and Buchenwald in Germany
* Konfuzius and the live burial of scholars in ancient China
* Francis of Assisi and inquisition in the Christian church
* hieroglyphs and mass human sacrifice in Aztec Culture
In a recent blog post I argue that this combination can
be found in a threatened system which is unable to change.
Systems threatened in their existence which are unwilling
or unable to change react with torture and all forms of
inhuman punishment to heresy and terrorism:
http://blog.cas-group.net/2010/05/the-end-of-civilization/
I think the America of George W. Bush was headed straight
into the direction of barbarism. He started an unjust
war in Iraq and lied about the reasons (does anyone
remember "freedom fries" ?). He created a detention
camp in Guantanamo Bay which still exists. He introduced
torture techniques like waterboarding.
Remember the Nazis did all these things, too, they
started the WWII and lied about the cause, the
extermination camps started as Prisoner-of-war camps,
and the Gestapo used many torture techniques.
In this sense, Obama has saved America. If Bush
would still be in power, we would have to add
Harvard and Guantanamo Bay to the list above.
Yet Guantanamo Bay still exists, and his approval
ratings are in steady decline. What do you think, will
America really be able to change?
-J.
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