"What are the marks of a sick culture?"
"It is a bad sign when the people of a country stop identifying themselves with the country and start identifying with a group. A racial group. Or a religion. Or a language. Anything, as long as it isn't the whole population."
"A very bad sign. Particularism. It was once considered a Spanish vice but any country can fall sick with it. Dominance of males over females seems to be one of the symptoms."
"Before a revolution can take place, the population must loose faith in both the police and the courts."
"... High taxation is important and so is inflation of the currency and the ratio of the productive to those on the public payroll. But that's old hat; everybody knows that a country is on the skids when its income and outgo get out of balance and stay that way - even though there are always endless attempts to wish it way by legislation. But I started looking for little signs and what some call silly-season symptoms."
"I want to mention one of the obvious symptoms: Violence. Muggings. Sniping. Arson. Bombing. Terrorism of any sort. Riots of course - but I suspect that little incidents of violence, pecking way at people day after day, damage a culture even more than riots that flare up and then die down. Oh, conscription and slavery and arbitrary compulsion of all sorts and imprisonment without bail and without speedy trial - but those things are obvious; all the histories list them."
"I think you have missed the most alarming symptom of all. This one I shall tell you. But go back and search for it. Examine it. Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms as you have named . . . But a dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than a riot."
"This symptom is especially serious in that an individual displaying it never thinks of it as a sign of ill health but as proof of his/her strength. Look for it. Study it. It is too late to save this culture - this worldwide culture, not just the freak show here in California. Therefore we must now prepare the monasteries for the coming Dark Age. Electronic records are too fragile; we must again have books, of stable inks and resistant paper."
I couldn't resist. When Bob sent me this Heinlein quote, I had a large case of deja vu. And it pulled me out of my complacency, lifted me above my mundane existence, and reminded me that I used to believe I could change the world. I'm not that naïve anymore...my ignorance has been squashed. But changes are coming...
Years ago, I read a book by Peck about the decline of civility and how it starts with little things like common courtesy and consideration...or lack thereof. This is a difficult concept for me to accept since I have always lived by the "Golden Rule: "Treat people the way you would like to be treated." Yeah, I know it's "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" ...same-same! But I'm not a religious person...just a spiritual one, so for me it's all about reciprocity and Karma: What goes around, comes around.
My American culture is in severe decline, politically, economically, and ethically. Personal integrity is at an all time low and our children have been stripped of any hope for a brighter tomorrow. The cold war is behind us but its excrement pollutes our soil, air, water, and our minds. We stand at a new frontline in the old battle for global domination.
Ours has been called the "Age of Enlightenment." This new-age-neo-pagan-neo-renaissance time of ours casts a glaring spotlight on the true nature of our society as a whole. But there are pockets of remnants of civilization...not as we know it, but as it will be. Will it really take another dark age to awaken the post-human abilities we all have for empathy, compassion, consideration...and yes, even deference when appropriate.
I had an epiphany last night...in the midst of personal crisis (rebellious teen-age son)...it occurred to me: All is as it should be. Or as my new friend Mason says: "It's all good." Then, today, my son called a truce and everything made sense in a flash of surrender. Perhaps we can restore genteel manners in our household...maybe that's where everyone needs to start...maybe, someday, we can let our guard down and embrace each other in mutual respect or, at worst, civility.
The alternative is a laundry list of symptoms to watch for in our daily lives, in the actions of those around us, on the news, in the paper...in our own homes:
That narrows it down...eh?
peace on you from on high,
TechnoHippie
© Judy God, 1998, All Rights Reserved. Email author for permissions: judygod@lankaster.com
Copyright © 1998-2006 by Judy DeNeal
Originally Published at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1008/ - 1998