"Not many of us today have the passion or stomach necessary to follow our convictions if it has severe consequences...I have to admire anyone who does that." I made (typed) this statement in our chat on Wednesday and some of you agreed with me. Almost as soon as I had sent the comment, the duplicity of my statement hit me. I am an adamant critic of anyone who would strap a bomb onto their body and proceed to blow up themselves and as many others as they can...or drive a truck full of explosives into a building full of government workers and their children and detonate the bomb. But as twisted and demented as I see these actions, generally speaking, I do believe that these people are acting on a strong conviction that their position is correct and they see themselves as making the ultimate sacrifice so that change can come. It appears that my admiration of people who act on their passion is restricted to those whose belief systems and values agree with mine. Go figure!
So...I suppose herein lies my tendency to support Burke's arguments that the path of revolution is not the most preferable path...while accepting the reality that sometimes history shows it to be preferable and important for future progress.
In reading Thomas Paine, he remarks that the revolution was not aimed at the monarch, Louis XVI, but rather at the institution of the monarchy. He goes on to say that "The King was known to be the friend of the Nation, and this circumstance was favourable to the enterprise." (p 66) My interpretation of this statement is that leaders who do well by their people, rather than ruling with an iron fist, offer the best opportunity for revolution. Interesting, eh?
Each time I study history...and I have to admit that I see this as a study of history, I am ever amazed at how we humans seem to require that the same lessons be taught over and over again. Not to diminish the progress that we have made from those long ago times, but as a good friend of mine says...we do tend to keep walking down the same roads, and falling in the same holes.
Stay safe!
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4 comments:
Wanda,
Very nice job on your first blog posting. I really like the way you smoothly weave comments from our chat session with current events and the readings on the French Revolution!
The only suggestion I would make, though, is that I would like to see you devote a bit more space and attention to the readings. You do mention comments by Burke and Paine, but I want you to develop those brief mentions into more detailed analysis. I am interested in your insights and observations, and would like to see more of them on the readings.
I think you are off to a great start, and I look forward to reading your subsequent postings.
I agree with Wanda that the same problems and lessons seem to recur throughout history. Paine believed in equal political rights for all men. He felt that a government which addressed the needs of all people would lead to national prosperity. We are still struggling with that concept and the rights of the less fortunate in America today (Katrina). Paine described the revolutions in America and France as restoring the “natural order of things.” There again, the word natural occurs and it is ironic that both sides were using that term as the basis of their argument.
I feel that the actions of these individuals who bomb and terrorize countries feel that they are making a change or statement. These actions to us seem awful, but to them they are living up to their values and traditions. In saying this, the values could depend upon the leader. A leader is supposed to lead as an example and make things better. Unfortunately, we know that isn’t the case in all circumstances. So I see things, such as the government, continuing to go in circles. You know if we bomb and impose war then vice versa for the opponents. I think this supports your statement about “walking down the same roads, and falling in the same holes.” I feels it just keeps going in circles.
I read some of your comments on my postings, Wanda, and could not help but look into some your own postings. Some of your thoughts in this particular posting were extremely poignant, especially concerning the conviction of the suicide bombers. You seem to have the ability to remove yourself from a situation and see both sides of an issue. This is very difficult for some people, but it's an excellent quality to possess. Because of this, if you have not read Mark Twain's "War Prayer" I would highly encourage you to do so. It's a very interesting look at the fact that there are always two factions in a war, and when we seek out our own victory, we are really seeking the destruction of others. I think you would really enjoy it. Happy reading!
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