10-19-2012, 02:39 AM
In regards to US history, I tend to play Devil's Advocate a little bit.
It is popular to declare that civil rights are in jeopardy in presant-day America, and that corruption and short- sightedness in government has never been worse. To an extent, I agree.
We must resist, however, the temptation to oversimplify the history of civic virtue in America into a fuel gauge traveling from "F" to "E". What we moderns call "civil rights" has had high points and low points, depending on how we define terms. I've long hypothesized that every generation of every culture has been convinced that society is in a state of decline, and if we could only return to the Good ol' Days, everything would be to rights.
The reality of what, in hindsight, constitutes an actual decline is often far more complex and nuanced than what a person can often perceive in his own lifetime. We may observe our 21st century problems with a stagnant economy, burdened environment, and worldwide tensions and be inclined towards pessimism. But consider: how do our problems stack against, say, the Civil War, when President Lincoln ordered the suspension of habeas corpus? The Great Depression? The painful steps taken during the civil rights struggles of the 60s? Surely the prevailing sentiment during those times was one of lamenting the direction that society was headed.
We must remember to bring a sense of perspective to our problems. America, as a nation, has faced far more daunting problems than a blah economy. Rumors of our terminal decline are, in my opinion, greatly exaggerated.
It is popular to declare that civil rights are in jeopardy in presant-day America, and that corruption and short- sightedness in government has never been worse. To an extent, I agree.
We must resist, however, the temptation to oversimplify the history of civic virtue in America into a fuel gauge traveling from "F" to "E". What we moderns call "civil rights" has had high points and low points, depending on how we define terms. I've long hypothesized that every generation of every culture has been convinced that society is in a state of decline, and if we could only return to the Good ol' Days, everything would be to rights.
The reality of what, in hindsight, constitutes an actual decline is often far more complex and nuanced than what a person can often perceive in his own lifetime. We may observe our 21st century problems with a stagnant economy, burdened environment, and worldwide tensions and be inclined towards pessimism. But consider: how do our problems stack against, say, the Civil War, when President Lincoln ordered the suspension of habeas corpus? The Great Depression? The painful steps taken during the civil rights struggles of the 60s? Surely the prevailing sentiment during those times was one of lamenting the direction that society was headed.
We must remember to bring a sense of perspective to our problems. America, as a nation, has faced far more daunting problems than a blah economy. Rumors of our terminal decline are, in my opinion, greatly exaggerated.
Take what you want, and pay for it
-Spanish proverb
-Spanish proverb
