Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Age of Hubris and Madness

I fear that will be our generation's legacy.  An era that accomplished nothing, believed anything, and discarded everything.   It's not that some fantasy writer is insisting Tolkien was racist toward Orcs that is the madness.  It's that his level of lunacy is standard today. You can't watch the news for a day without hearing something as ludicrous. 

It's not that scientists are complaining about the moral objections to genetically tampering with embryos.  If they objected morally, there would be light at the end of the tunnel.  But it's that they merely insist we're not there yet.  We'll be there someday, and then it will all be awesome to tamper with human nature in the lab!  Bonus if you're aware of the fact that the same 'build a better human' mentality we're seeing is the same that underlay the Nazi philosophies of the day. That's for those people who get that the Nazis weren't just one dimensional cardboard cutout monsters who inexplicably popped up in the 1930s and make good foil for Indiana Jones.  Those who realize that will also realize that it's one thing to pretend you're a Nazi in Charleston, it's another thing to act like a Nazi in the laboratory.

But such is the age of Madness in which we live.  It's likely most younger people know nothing of it, since they've been encouraged to know nothing of it by the forces now pushing the madness into the cultural mainstream.  If there are questions about the wisdom of our modern actions, we rest on the rather unsubstantiated claim that we're simply that much better than anyone who ever came before us.  Was it bad when they did it?  Sure, that was then.  Ancient history.  Back when the world was filled with losers who were stupid and wrong and the cause of all suffering in the world.   But this time we'll do it right!  Was it wrong to say blacks can be judged simply because they're black?  Why of course!  But this time, we know it's absolutely right to judge white people because they're white!  How do we know it's right to say that now?  Because it's us!  And we got trophies when we lost and were able to take tests over and over again until we passed.  That's how awesome we are!

And so it continues. Where it will go?  I have no idea.  But I'm betting it won't go well.

7 comments:

  1. Source for Dave's first example.
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/11/lord-of-the-rings-slammed-for-perpetuating-racism-through-depiction-of-orcs/

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  2. Yes, I didn't bother with the link. It's enough that the news bothered covering it. I think sometimes the media is part of the mischief, allowing the most idiotic and loony ideas and outrages to have a national (or international stage). But it's just one small piece in the puzzle that is starting to form a rather ugly, and embarrassing, picture.

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    Replies
    1. Well what made me laugh (in that "less I cry" manner) is that I remembered when all this went down last time.

      Except back then even the people making the point seemed to have their tongues-in-cheek. Now they're being dead serious? Just... not enough palms for my face!

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    2. Oh, it's nothing new. Basically all of Western Civilization is racist, everything it produced is racist, and everyone in it is racist. Naturally everything they produced is racist. It's the new racism, and as Mark's site is demonstrating, it's all the rage with Christians who want to stay hip to the groove.

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  3. Replies
    1. I know I wouldn't want the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world coming after me for something that stupid.

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    2. Yeah, we're already awkward nerds and social outcasts so it's not like you can shame them. ;)

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