blissfully unaware
[2003-08-05 - 12:28 p.m.]

Diary, there are 2 things on my mind right now.

(No. Not THOSE two things. Get your bald little head out of the gutter and stay with me please.)

a. Babygirl came home from a short vaca with her Dad and Christian, and all we're hearing is JohnnyDepp-this and JohnnyDepp-that. I totally can't blame her, tho. I'm just mad at myself for not tracking him down like a dog, throwing myself at his feet and begging him to marry me years ago.

b. This whole 'world events thing.' Politiken's World History--The Power and Meaning of History (published in 1987 in Copenhagen) makes this observation on pg. 40:

"The 19th century's faith in progress received a fatal blow in 1914. The year before the oubreak of war, Danish historian and poitician Peter Munch wrote optimistically: 'All evidence is against the probability of a war between the great European powers. "The danger of war" will also disappear in the future, as it has done time after time since 1871.'

"In contrast, we read in his later memoirs: 'The outbreak of war in 1914 is the great turning point of the history of humanity. From a bright epoch of progress, where certain pursuits could be followed in reasonable security, we entered an age of disaster, horror, and hatred, with insecurity everywhere. No one could tell, and even today no one can tell, whether the darkness that fell upon us at that time will mean the permanent destruction of the entire cultural structure that man has created for himself over millenniums.'"

In 1953 Bertrand Russell wrote: "Ever since 1914, everybody conscious of trends in the world has been deeply troubled by what has seemed like a fated and predetermined march toward ever greater disaster.." In 1980, statesman Harold Macmillan, reflecting on the peaceful start of the 20th centry said ".. Suddently, unexpectedly, one morning in 1914 the whole thing came to an end."

All along, politicians, philosophers, religious leaders have been aware that we are getting deeper and deeper into this "predetermined march". The evidence of it isn't hidden or even hard to find. But when we don't want to know something, it can be dangeling off our butt, teeth firmly imbedded, and we will remain determinedly, blissfully unaware, shaking a finger in the face of anyone who dares mention parts of reality.

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