FWIW - A Stranger In A Strange Strange Land

Truth is at first ridiculed, then it is violently opposed and finally it is acclaimed to be self-evident - Schopenhauer

Grok This!

I wouldn't claim to know of any connection between Robert Heinlein and Jonathan Swift, but somehow they must be aspects of the same intelligence.
This Christmas weekend has been, as usual, sheer madness if one chose to go out in public. Yet it seemed as if people were just a little cheerier, a little less brusque. Did you notice it too? Could it have been a manifestation of a national mood shift after the recent election? Could it be that people sense that the congress soon to be seated will be more collegial, less divisive, more civil in tone?
The SciFi channel (www.scifi.com) ran “Gulliver’s Travels” as it was intended, (parts 1 and 2 back-to-back, not over two nights as NBC did when it first presented this ambitious project years ago) meaning that we got all of the story in one four-hour block. Of course, there were the same commercials endlessly repeated, but it was worth it to see the Henson Productions rendition of this classic.
Does anyone here remember “Fantasy & Science Fiction”? It was a pulp staple for young boys growing up in the 1950’s. Those who read it, like myself, are familiar with Robert Heinlein’s writing. “Stranger In A Strange Land”, one of Heinlein’s best, achieved cult status during the 1960’s.
Jonathan Swift, on the other hand, wrote in an earlier era. That both wrote incisive social commentary is high understatement.
As I viewed “Gulliver”, it occurred to me how timeless is human nature.
We delude ourselves in thinking that because we have made great strides in conquering disease, in lengthening life expectancy, in sending our own into outer space, that we have made great progress.
We still look with disdain on our own species when their skin color or speech is ‘different’. We are certain that ‘ownership’ of material ‘assets’ is evidence of our Creators’ approval for our cunning and effort. Maybe we ought to ask ourselves who our God cares for more, the child shivering and dying in Darfur during the time it takes to read this paragraph or ourself, comfortably seated in front of the computer. Who is more in need of our God’s grace?
We’d be interested in your thoughts. Very interested, in fact. We respect your differing opinion. We’ll post the responses, no matter how much you disagree.

Tomorrow: Goodbye, 2006; don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!

Today is December 25th, 755 days left to the end of the Bush Administration.