So many of the themes we cover have little inner relevance to people born of the "hippie generation" of the 60's, the "me" generation of the 70's, and now even of what is called, I guess, the X-generation of the 80s.
These young people cannot relate to us. To them, what happened during World War II is ancient. They refuse to believe that what happened in Germany yesterday WILL happen in America tomorrow unless they wake up - and regroup.
Here one of my readers and friends found a morsel appropriate today:
"Though I've only read a half-dozen of his poems, Robinson Jeffers is one of my favorites. He was strongly anti-war and outspoken about it during WWII, which may at least partly account for his relative obscurity, although the often angry and dark themes he chose are part of it too.
"The man was not into ditties about hearts and flowers. He lived in a stone house built like a small castle on the edge of the seashore just south of Carmel. The house is still there on Highway 1; it's worth a look if you go by but you'll have to park and walk back a little way, or else settle for a blurred glimpse as you drive by. Traffic's always heavy in this now touristy area and if you slow to rubberneck you'll have an irate family from Joisey up your tailpipe. I do not know if it is ever open to the public or if it's privately owned - locals can probably tell you.
(Robinson Jeffers) wrote the following after the Allied victory in Europe - exactly how long after and in response to what I also do not know. It mirrors a feeling that many people had and which I share about some of the principles of "law" established at Nuremberg, principles violated by many countries, including the United States, many times since then -- the disturbing feeling that "what goes around, comes around."
The more one learns of the terrible truth of what was done to the German people in defeat, the more you'd hope this isn't the case but past experience suggests otherwise.
We in this country don't worry about such things, of course, because of our great wealth and strength, unmatched in the world, very nearly unmatched by the rest of the world combined. How could anyone hope to defeat us?
Perhaps some insightful wit might manage to sneak through a revision of the motto on the dollar bill. Instead of "E Pluribus Unum," change it to 'Look upon our works, ye mighty, and despair!'"
Here is the poem my ZGram reader sent. He says he is not sure if the line breaks are correct or just the result of normal email scrambling. Of course I couldn't resist, and so I have taken the liberty of fixing the line breaks as I think they should be:
"We are those people" -- by Robinson Jeffers
"I have abhorred the wars,
despised the liars,
laughed at the frightened,
and forecast victory;
never one moments doubt.
But now, not far,
over the backs of some crawling years,
the next Great war's column of dust and fire writhes Up the sides of the sky;
it becomes clear that we too may suffer
what others have, the brutal horror of defeat- Or if not in the next,
then in the next -
therefore watch Germany
And read the future.
We wish, of course, that our women
Would die like biting rats in the cellars, Our men like wolves on the mountain:
It will not be so.
Our men will curse, cringe, obey:
Our women uncover themselves
to the grinning victors
for bits of chocolate."
Thought for the Day:
"Israelis keep taking their small children to a museum to see what happened in the past. In that museum, children are fed with hatred and when they grow up they connect the present to the past and let this hatred out.
Innocent people like us are the victims. I do not take my children to such museums. They witness the suffering and the humiliation of their people every day in the street."
(Jewish-American historian Norman Finkelstein, quoting Palestinian mother, Samira)