Not surprising, perhaps, but still sad. I will never understand why people so eagerly embrace fantasy while flushing reality down the nearest commode as fast as they can. [jeremiad] The American Century is definitely over. In the 21st century, expect precious few great achievements from these shores. We'll be an intellectual third world country, as dependent on other countries for our scientific advancements and quality of life as we currently are for our oil. [/jeremiad]
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Martin, your jeremiad is spot on. This article is our very own version of An Inconvenient Truth. The United States is in the midst of an intellectual crisis. The heaving glaciers of American technical and scientific achievement are melting fast away from the heat of a thousand flamethrowers--the myriad forms of religion, superstition, and credulity embraced by so many of our fellow citizens.
ReplyDeleteIt may be worth noting that the economic supremacy the U.S. enjoyed last century also appears to be disintegrating. The U.S. dollar keeps dropping, the S&P 500 keeps stagnating, homes keep foreclosing, credit keeps tightening, college tuition and medical costs keep soaring--but gosh, investments in third-world countries are doing great!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the meek really shall inherit the earth.
Of course everything you're saying is right. Lui. I guess what I mean is that I find it sad that people accept belief systems that encourage them to agree that reality is so unpleasant that the way to deal with that unpleasantness is to run from it or even replace it with a different "reality" constructed solely of wishful thinking. Not coming to terms with things that frighten you is hardly the way to make them less frightening. We know that, of course, but then we're freethinkers.
ReplyDeleteLui, a comment with only two words? That's gotta be a record for you!
ReplyDelete:-)
What's ironic is that such resurgences in fundamentalist beliefs and superstitious practices are (at least in Christianity) labeled as "Great Awakenings."
ReplyDelete