[lit-ideas] Re: Fw: Re: Disbelief

Quoted from Time:
"A generation ago western civilization had apparently outgrown the major evils 
of barbarism except for war between nations. The Russian Communist Revolution 
promoted the evil of class war. Hitler topped it by another, race war. Fascism 
and Communism both resurrected religious war. These multiple forms of barbarism 
gave shape in 1938 to an issue over which men may again, perhaps soon, shed 
blood: the issue of civilized liberty v. barbaric authoritarianism"


Sounds like history repeating itself today: Before Bush invaded Iraq in a 
misguided response to 9/11, western civilization had indeed apparently outgrown 
the major evils of barbarism except for war between nations.  Then, of course, 
we invaded.  Christianity vs. Islam is also to some extent a race war of the 
West against the Middle East and vice versa.  The impoverished Middle East is 
not unlike Germany during its depression after WWI.

Telling too is that Bush's response to every catastrophe, most recently to 
Mosul, is to pray.  The "God Bless America" that was filling the air after 9/11 
is certainly a testimonial to God loving us best.  Yet in the catastrophe in 
Iraq, or for that matter 9/11, no one notices that God just doesn't listen.  
This is not an empty ranting against Bush.  It is instead evidence that the 
only use we have for history is to justify going to war, again.


Andy Amago


http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1938.html



-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Paul <Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Dec 21, 2004 3:28 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Fw: Re: Disbelief

>Those issues are before the war and during the war.  I assume the horrors that
history revealed were not documented in them.<

I pointed to A. Hitler and J. Stalin's appearances in response to the suggestion
that it was some sort of honor to appear on TIME'S  cover as Man/Woman/Person of
the year. This is a common misapprehension. But it's true that in 1942 at least,
Stalin was presented favorably.

I see that Stalin was on the cover twice: in 1939 (he followed Hitler) and in
1942. The 1942 story stresses the heroism of the Russian people, etc. I haven't
read the other two but I'd like to see what TIME's editors had to say about
Stalin in 1939. The Hitler cover isn't just a mug shot of Hitler; it's like
something out of Hieronymus Bosch: 

http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/archive/covers/1938.html 

Someone who subscribes to TIME might retrieve the story for us (there's a link
to it). Otherwise it costs $4.95.


Robert Paul
Reed College
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