I’ve had this page open in Eduardo Galeano’s book Children of the Days–on my desk–since January 30rd:
“January 30
The Catapult
In 1933 Adolf Hitler was named Germany’s chancellor. Soon after, he presided over an immense [Trumpinanesque] rally, as befitted the new lord and master of the nation. [ https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-signs-by-supporters-at-rallies-photos-2019-10 ]
Modestly he screamed: ‘I am founding the new era of truth! Awaken, Germany!’ Rockets, fireworks, church bells, chants and cheers echoed his words.
Five years earlier, the Nazi Party had won less than three percent of the vote.
Hitler’s Olympic leap to the summit was as spectacular as the simultaneous fall into the abyss of Germany’s wages, employment, the mark and you name it.
Germany, crazed by the collapse of everything, unleashed a witch-hunt against the guilty parties: Jews, Reds, homosexuals, Gypsies, the mentally retarded and those afflicted by the habit of thing too much.”
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From: https://www.humancondition.com/wtm-faq-what-is-the-human-condition/?ref=adgrants-search_human-condition&gclid=CjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTurGCkh6i11sVCu2TTf4hHzHoqNXURK-Fa-exzY4ERIObcEK4R_LDdhoCCdIQAvD_BwE —
“While it’s undeniable that humans are capable of great love, we also have an unspeakable history of brutality, rape, torture, murder and war. Despite all our marvelous accomplishments, we humans have been the most ferocious and destructive force that has ever lived on Earth—and the eternal question has been ‘why?’ Even in our everyday behavior, why have we humans been so competitive, selfish and aggressive when clearly the ideals of life are to be the complete opposite, namely cooperative, selfless and loving? In fact, why are we so ruthlessly competitive, selfish and brutal that human life has become all but unbearable and we have nearly destroyed our own planet?!
The agony of being unable to truthfully answer this fundamental question of why we are the way we are—divisively instead of cooperatively behaved—has been the particular burden of human life. It has been our species’ particular affliction or condition—our ‘human condition’.”
pbm 2/2/2020
[ 7 Ss / VV->^^ ]
