On Progress….

Last night, while the Wife and I were out to dinner with some friends, we were told a funny story about their children’s reactions to smoking. Apparently, when their 5 year old and 7 year old come across a smoker they grab their parents and quietly implore them to “check out what that man is doing.” They point this out in hushed voices, imitating the tone one would take to identify a criminal in the act or possibly a person with a third eye. It should be noted that these friends of ours are health conscious vegetarians and would therefore be considered unlikely to expose their children to cigarettes enough for them to be normal. However, it is still noteworthy, especially in broader terms, that a generation is coming of age in which smoking may be considered not just gross, but odd enough to warrant the same reaction a person walking down the street with a gun in one hand a bag of money in the other might. This may not mean that smoking will disappear anytime soon, but it does suggest that we are witnessing a general trend toward the phasing out of it’s acceptance in our country. 

This got me thinking of the general progression of trends in this country and the relatively uniform life so many lead. I remember as a kid having a conversation with my Grandma about why she smoked. “When I was young,” she recalled, “no one knew it was bad for you. Doctors smoked, teachers smoked. We just didn’t know.” Even as a kid this baffled me. How could something so toxic escape trained, intelligent people? What were the massively high rates of heart disease and lung cancer attributed to? But the reality is that the story of smoking is similar to nearly every other technological or cultural development we have. When something first arrives on the scene and nothing is known of it, it is just assumed to be benign. 

For years opiates were considered to be a wonderful solution to a plethora of ailments. We now know them as perhaps the most addictive and dangerous narcotics on the planet. Eggs used to be considered the cornerstone of a healthy breakfast. We now know them to be dangerously high in cholesterol and a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes. Mercury used to line hats worn by the most fashionable men of the time. This eventually gave us the character of the “Mad Hatter”. 

Of course this list can go on and on and the many items once thought to be benign or even healthy range from understandable to laughable. But this is the story line of progress, of discovering innovative new products and then discovering their value or danger through trial and error. We laugh at previous generations for being simple or uneducated enough to think of things like smoking or cars with no seatbelts as healthy or safe but the truth is that our modern perceptions are merely based on subsequent years of experience and consequence. 

All of this makes me wonder as to what future generations will shake their head at in disbelief when told that we thought something was “safe” or “healthy”. Years from now will they wonder what we thought we were doing spending so much time on cell phones? Didn’t we know they caused brain cancer? What about alcohol? Will that someday be thought of in the same way as cigarettes? Take a look at a liver suffering from cirrhosis, it is not a benign habit. Will we be laughed at for our consumption of red meat? How about prozac and similar pills? 

My point in all of this is that we have this tendency to think that our generation represents the smartest and most advanced group of people in the history of the planet. But deep down we know that in time we are bound to be laughed at, to be thought simple or shortsighted people. It is the flip side of progress, the very engine that drives the American spirit. It implies that one day, years from now, progress will make us look small and feeble, no matter how mighty we may feel today. What will we be laughed at for or what will have us labeled us as simple and backwards? I look forward to your guesses, maybe collectively we will have the power to speed up the progress and prevent the people we love from falling victim to the same trap so many have already succumbed to.

The Lens of History

I should probably apologize for this post in advance, as the only chance I have at entertaining the reader is through the open and honest glimpse of my neuroses that it will provide. Believe it or not, it was a rousing Thursday game of “Taboo” that got me thinking about this subject. You know that game with the buzzer and the cards containing a word you must get your partner to deduce without being able to use the 5 most related concepts. Anyway, I started thinking about all of the hours I have played “Taboo” (it was an Arno family favorite) and the many hours that no doubt countless Americans have likewise spent. Then I wondered if this game would ever show up anywhere in a history book. Would there ever be a chapter of a high school textbook, maybe called The American Experience, that mentioned the popularity of this game? The answer is obviously no, which got me thinking about the fact that I so often reflect on my hobbies through the lens of history.

This is no doubt a product of my studies in college where countless historical books and documents were read. It always intrigued me to know what real life was like in a given historical time, not the life we are meant to believe existed. For instance, I played water polo in high school and college and found a tight knit community of hundreds of thousands who love the sport. But about the only historical record we will find in a hundred years will be World Almanac results of the Olympic games. History books will mention baseball, football, basketball, maybe even a nod to soccer, but there will be no mention of water polo. In two hundred years, if the sport no longer exists, will no one be aware that it used to around? And if that is the case, what kinds of games existed 500 years ago? 

Most of us never get a chance to be an integral part of history. Our best chances are to be lumped into a group, maybe discussed as one of the millions who turned out to vote for some one or as one of millions who watched an athlete break a record. For the most part, the real parts of life are often forgotten and instead we are given these vague, sharply constructed stories that are meant to cast a larger shadow over the rest of the time period. For instance, during the Great Depression we are supposed to understand that everyone was poor, depressed, and miserable. The Roaring Twenties however was a time of unprecedented wealth and prosperity. Obviously there were happy people living in the Great Depression and miserable poor people living during the Roaring Twenties. Their stories will be forgotten because they were too insignificant or did not coincide with the “story of the times”. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. Depression existed in the Roman Empire. Kids got into trouble, played games, and angered neighbors. Husbands cheated, people gossiped and warriors provided a quasi-celebrity cult following. In short, people have always been people, which means that needs have always been there that don’t often make the history books. There were vendettas, jealousies, desires, need for distractions,boredom and everything else that causes humans to behave as they do today. 

La Malinche is a controversial figure in Latin American history. She provided the necessary translation to Cortes that allowed him to conquer the Americas. This was a job she volunteered for, and she actually eventually became a mistress to Cortes, bore him a son and became de facto royalty of New Spain. So why would a person willingly sell out her people? It actually stems from her childhood. Her father died at a young age, her mother remarried and eventually gave birth to a boy. Malinche was now an inconvenient stepchild, so her family sold her into slavery, bringing them some money and getting rid of another mouth to feed. She vowed revenge and years later took it in the form of sparking the greatest conquest in the history of the world. What I always liked about that story is that it is so timeless. How many children are neglected, proclaim vengeance, and go on to spend the rest of their lives doing what they can to find revenge? How many stepfathers can’t stand their stepdaughters?

My point of all of this is that history is a funny subject. It is written by people who do not live it and who attempt to sum up humanity in that era in chapter form. They discuss the elites, the politicians, businessmen, and if they are feeling generous maybe discuss examples of the dominant culture of the time. But the real history exists in games like “Taboo”, or in town squares, farmers markets, or even what is being read aloud on the evening news. These are things that define us and bring together people of varying backgrounds. So I know it is silly, but what are other things that are important to us that wont make the textbook cut? Any ideas?

The Issue of Legacy

I never really intended on getting political here in this blog. We are all inundated with political news everyday and especially in an election time I think it is fair to say that the last thing anyone wants to do is listen to one more opinion. But this is really meant to be less than a political blog then it is a historical one. I will do my best to stick to the facts and leave partisanship out of it. If I fall short of that I welcome constructive criticism.

As any presidential administration winds down, the lame duck often begins to switch focus from foreign policy to their legacy. This means long-winded speeches, book deals, and of course designs of their own Presidential Library. So as we approach the end of this particular administration, I got to wondering just how will W. be remembered?

Supporters (there are a few left) have long claimed that eventually history would be kind to him and that the war in Iraq would eventually be looked at as a courageous step to spread democracy to the Middle East. Few supporters would go as far as to say that he will be remembered as the best president in our history, but instead somewhere in the middle, perhaps as simply misunderstood during his time.

Critics, on the other hand, have often declared that he will go down as the worst president of all time, which is no small feat when you consider some of the men who have graced the Oval Office. For years I have sort of viewed this claim to be purely political, that it was yet another example of sweeping generalizations that both D’s and R’s make against one another. But taking into account that a President is ultimately responsible for nearly everything that happens in their term – whether it is directly their fault or not – I have to ask if this claim has some validity. A quick review:

1. 9/11 – No matter who may or may not have had the option to take out Bin Laden, it still happened on is watch.

2. War in Afghanistan – Right idea, but the whole purpose was to apply pressure to catch OBL. Never happened.

3. War in Iraq – Certainly one of the least effective and popular wars in history. Hugely responsible for the financial mess we are in now as it is a major function of our exorbitant oil prices.

4. Torture/Abu Ghirab scandal – I think this is where we lost a lot of respect from the rest of the world. 

5. Patriot Act – While there is plenty of debate over this, what can’t be debated is that the fundamental prinicples of this act undermine our Constitution and the very freedoms we are supposedly fighting for.

5. Hurricane Katrina – Natural disasters happen. Complete bungling of the rescue operations does not have to. 

6. The current Financial Crisis – Again, although there are many causes to this, it still happened on his watch.

When you look at this list of major problems/incidents/scandals etc. that have made up his administration it is (sadly) impressive. Take the politics out and just focus on the fact that the buck has to stop somewhere. A president cannot just get good credit - ie Clinton and the economy which had nothing to do with him – they have to accept blame for the bad stuff too. That is why it is the hardest job in the planet and why most smart people would never even consider running.

So what do you all think? Where will his presidency rank? Will he eventually redeem himself and if so how? Or will all of these things be too large to ignore and will he have to be considered the worst. Or, as John Oliver from the Daily Show suggested, is there enough time left for his legacy to be the Last President?