Re: "The Only Thing They Learn" -- does anyone else find it irritating?


<ilya2@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:5e64b976-c980-4b62-9a73-d78b9e3208c0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Jun 13, 2:24 pm, il...@xxxxxxx wrote:
People are certainly aware of ancient history, but those of its
lessons which are of the form "you really should make these big
sacrifices or huge efforts now, not later" are not acted upon because
the costs are real and certain, while the benefits are in the future,
they depend on the current situation, with all its unknowns, as being
as serious as one we know about because it is in the past.

See my response to Mike Stone. In "Time Enough For Love" people are
NOT aware of ancient (or even not-so-ancient) history, and of its
lessons. It's not rationalization but level of ignorance I find
unbelievable.

I should have said "level and ubiquitousness of ignorance"


But does the ignorance _have_ to be ubiquitous?

After all, the protagonist in tOTWL obviously knew _plenty_ of history, but
the people doing the decision-making in his society did not. As noted
before, his colleague was totally baffled by what he said, and it's a safe
bet that many others in their hierarchy would have been likewise.

A lot of people are _very_ ignorant of just about anything outside their
immediate specialities. I recall a lovely story about an American officer
(c1980 I think) addressing some Europeans about US nuclear strategy.
Disussing a hypothetical use of nukes, he remarked that this would be a
"final solution" to the problem under discussion - and was startled by the
reaction from his audience. His bewildered look made it all too evident that
he was totally unaware of the historical significance of that phrase, though
even in his own country there were millions who could have explained it to
him. I'm afraid Henry Ford's attitude to history is pretty widespread.

--

Mike Stone - Peterborough, England

Q) In the Roman Civil Wars, why did all the bachelors fight for Sulla?

A) Because they weren't the Marian kind.




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