Historically Empty

Let me swing this past you. George Santayana once said "Those who do not learn from History are doomed to repeat it". This is nodded at, and taken to be extremely wise. However, History repeats itself regardless of knowledge. We see the same wars fought over the same reasons
as we ever have. I think the problem is humanity.

It's well known that wars are fought by those on the front lines, yet governed by those in command. Those in command are the people with the agendas. It's these who need to not only learn from History, but have the moral fortitude to make the difficult decisions. In this case, the difficult decision is to not exploit the weak; to not plunder the Earth; to not give in to greed. Obviously, the path to power lies in aggressive manipulation of the resources of others. It's a short-sighted viewpoint that leaves no room for learning from History. So, History repeats due to human nature.

The problem is not of History repeating, but our supporting a system that lets the willfully ignorant rise to power. Democracy is a fine system when everyone uses their ability to the good of all. This does not currently happen. Power corrupts, absolutely. We need to try something different. I'm not here to tell you what that might be; I'm only here to provide alternate thought.

We can practice historical learning on ourselves at a personal scale; don't make the same mistakes twice! Whether it's entering into a relationship with the wrong person over and over, or realizing that your old patterns of behavior are leading you to disastrous excess, it's within you to make the change. This change will ripple outward and affect others by your example, leading to the betterment of all. As Mahatma Gandhi has famously said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."


Did you see the frightened ones
Did you hear the falling bombs
Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter
With the promise of the brave new world
Unfurled beneath the clear blue sky
-- "Goodbye Blue Sky", Pink Floyd