Returning to Bondage
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage." --Sir Alex Fraser Tyler (1742-1813) Scottish jurist and historian I wanted to share this quote because it really impacted me. Does history always repeat itself? Are we doomed continue on in this cycle? And, if we're in this progression, where are we in the process? If this is an accurate representation, it seems as a society we've moved past bondage and spiritual faith as concepts that define us. Some would argue this as they truly believe their lives are based on faith. I would also suggest that we've moved past courage and liberty though, again, there are those, politicians, who believe or at least suggest, that we're in the midst of it (despite a very strong impulse of some to take away our liberties). We were once an abundant nation, that is undeniable. And as we can see from recent reports, our country is most certainly abundant physically given the obesity epidemic. Unfortunately, it appears the masses have moved into the selfish and complacent phase. And we're nearing, if not completely on board with apathy. Our bridges are collapsing. Our civil liberties are eroding. New Orleans has been abandoned. It's clear that we've also become dependent. Look at how we've outsourced many jobs to India and China for cheaper foreign labor. What about our dependence on foreign oil? That seems to have presented a few problems for us in the last few years. There's a lot of talk about illegal immigrants nowadays. It seems all of the jobs that used to be good, middle/working class careers which used to provide for a family a living wage, health insurance, the ability to buy a house and two cars, put your kids through college, and have a pension for retirement. . . the powers that be are outsourcing these jobs to be performed somewhere else for a fraction of the price and with no safety or environmental restrictions. If this all weren't enough to prove dependence, what about that foreign oil? On road trips with my children, I often hear, 'Are we there yet?' We're there. We're on borrowed time. And I fear there's an imminent return to bondage. We've gone over this 200 year cycle by 31 years. What do you think? How can this be reframed so we are triumphant? I am trying to stir you all up, poke at the sore spots. .. so poke me back, start a debate. |
