I made two A's in high school

I made two A's in high school writing, both my senior year. The first was a 1972 civics class paper on my idea for WELFARE REFORM that pretty much presaged the Clinton Administration's reform (except mine did not have the time limits beyond which welfare recipients are totally cut off).

The second paper was an essay entitled "Man's Past--Key to His Future." In it I noted the 20th century's worst atrocities, from WWI, the Crash and Depression, WWII, the Holocaust. I was not then aware of the FIRST holocaust--that of the Turkish extermination of TWO-THREE MILLION Armenians; and being trapped in the "establishment fog" could not see the extent of our error in Vietnam, so the paper did not cover them.

I truly know not from whence my insight came--I didn't study all that hard, wasn't a book worm, not on any fast track--but something somewhere compelled my exposition, ingraining within me this eternal truth: that the atrocities we faced then, COULD happen once again IF--IF--IF we do not really LEARN from the past.

I have been trying to find my life's purpose. I also believe in Karma, a spirit that is coincidence, yet also beyond coincidence. I somehow feel my unlikely authorship of those two "A" papers, and the growing tendency of our leading politicians to totally ignore, or worse MIS-READ, history is related.

Further, it is the following two NY Times editorials from today's papers that inspire THIS impromptu-I'm-running-late-to-work post. The first details the tired but true story of the Bush/GOP re-establishment of the pre-Depression corporate aristocracy, the second is Nicholas Kristof's reminder of Darfur, yet another holocaust.

We WILL eventually learn. Only how much pain must we suffer first.

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"This (BUSH TAX CUTS) is not about giving wealthy people more money to invest back into the economy. At this level, it's really about giving more money to those who have nothing to do with it except amass enormous estates for their heirs. Fixing the problem will require members of Congress to summon the courage to say no to a president who wants more for the richest of the rich at the expense of everyone else. We're not holding our breath."



The Bush Economy

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/07/opinion/07tues1.html?oref=login&pagewanted=print


Uncover Your EyesBy NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/07/opinion/07kristof.html?pagewanted=print