Two recent articles brought home the importance of keeping a little perspective through all of the current political and economic turmoil. The first one, The American 21st Century by Victor Davis Hanson makes the point that we have seen bad times before, and somehow survived...even thrived. He gives examples of times, such as the Great Depression, when Americans and others were perdicting doom on America. These were times when we began to doubt our future and standing in the world...as many do today. Hanson helps our perspective with two important points:
"Amid all this doom and gloom, two factors are constant over the decades. First, America goes through periodic bouts of neurotic self-doubt, only to wake up and snap out of it. Indeed, indebted Americans are already bracing for fiscal restraint and parsimony as an antidote to past profligacy.
Second, decline is relative and does not occur in a vacuum. As Western economic and scientific values ripple out from Europe and the United States, it is understandable that developing countries like China, India, and Brazil can catapult right into the 21st century. But that said, national strength is still measured by the underlying hardiness of the patient — its demography, culture, and institutions — rather than by occasional symptoms of ill health."
The second article, Apocalypse, a video blog by Paleofuture.tv, reminds us that people have been warning about the collapse of society and the end of the world for a long time. It discusses how old, dystopian classics like The Late Great Planet Earth, Future Shock, and The Population Bomb have become seen as "campy" today because, of course, none of the predictions came anywhere close to being true. So Al Gore's, An Inconvenient Truth or movies like The Day After Tomorrow and the myriad of shows on the 2012 Prophecies are nothing new...and will probably be seen as campy in the not-too-distant future.
So, yes we go through bad times periodically. There are pockets of economic downturns and regional disasters from time-to-time. But, if we can keep a wider perspective, beyond a current catastrophe to a broader historical view, we can take comfort that things will probably get better. This is an observation I've made many times...people seem not to be able to see the forest for the trees...cannot see more that a few months in the past or future. This myopic view of events can cause people to seem silly and just a little schizophrenic. As Matt Novak put it so well at the end of the video:
"Every generation has it's own challenges. Climate change, hunger, homelessness...all these things are very real problems we need to address. But, if you're going to be making predictions about how we're getting dumber because of technology, or that we need to stock up on spam and gold bars and guns for apocalypse bunkers, don't be surprised if some smarmy punk from the future pulls out your old clips and we all get a good chuckle out of them."Both of these articles remind us that, as the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. We've seen it before...we've been through it before...and we survived. But that doesn't mean that we should simply say que sera sera and ignore everything that is happening around us either. Part of the advantage of gaining a broader, historical view is that you can see trends and cycles that take years and even decades to play out. It is not usually the short-term actions or occurrences that cause the most damage, but the long term.
One constant in the history of America, through good times and bad, is the trend toward larger, more powerful and more intrusive government. This trend usually happens very incrementally. Many don't even recognize it when it is happening...it's a death by a thousand cuts. Sometimes, as with the Health Care bill (and the Obama administration in general) they try to accelerate the trend. But, this usually elicits a strong response from the voters.
No one act, law or regulation by government will cause the end of our freedom or the collapse of our economy...but look back over the years and see how our freedoms have been eroded...see the usurpation of power...the corruption that has taken over government. It is in this view that you can truly see what we have lost...not in apocalyptic, destructive occurrences, but by the constant pounding of the waves against the foundations of our society.
This is why we, as citizens, must insist that government expansion be not only stopped, but reversed. This goal will only come about with diligence and a long-term view and commitment. It will not be accomplished in one or even a few victories. But, if we are to stop the erosion of our rights, we must move back toward our founding principles and rebuild the shores of our liberty. Don't get defeated by one loss, or bill, or issue. Don't get too comfortable or cocky with one win. Take the wins you can get; learn from the losses and keep your eye on the ultimate goal.
So, Chicken Little, take heart. The sky is not falling...today. But keep a wary eye on the shores.
