Civilization's Thin Veneer

Please bear with me for some rambling thoughts.

The 20th century is oft mentioned as one of the most horrifying centuries in all of history, with two devastating world wars, numerous lesser wars e.g. Vietnam, the Jewish holocaust, the Chinese cultural revolution, the millions of Ukrainians starved to death by Russia in the 1930s, and numerous massacres such as in Cambodian and Rwanda.  In total, over 100 Million died horrible deaths over the course of the last century.

Daily we see in this new century, media reports of more atrocities committed around  the world, most notably by Islamic Extremists.  We also see a strong surge in China's militarism and the reawakening of Russia's coupled with the fact that the world appears to be on the brink of another round of  nuclear proliferation. This last item is really the elephant in the room led by Theocratic Iran.

Neville Chamberlain's quest for 'peace in our time' is likely to continue to elude us too.

And this does not even include the millions lost to abortion and the growing trend to euthanize the sick, the old and the infirmed.

The value of life is getting cheaper while the forces of evil are getting more and more ruthless in their attempt to foist their thoughts and way of life upon others.  Witness the Christians who are being slaughtered across the Middle East and in many parts of Africa and the vicious split between the various Muslim sects.  

The World's defender since the World Wars - the United States of America is in economic and moral decline.  Who then over this new century is going to protect the innocent and the hard-won freedoms many of us profess to enjoy? 

This subject recently hit home with me with my reading of Ken Follett's Trilogy covering the tumultuous times of the last century.   

Follet personalizes his epoch by following 4 different families, one each living in 4 major countries involved in the conflict - namely Germany, Russia, England and the USA; (the other major country - Japan, is not included).  For the families living in Germany and Russia the upheaval in their individual lives is simply beyond apprehension since, in addition to the War Years both of those countries had to endure life under Totalitarian Dictatorships - Nazism and Communism. 

I was born shortly after that War and thought I had a good idea of what had transpired then through the history courses I had taken in both High School and University - but those courses had not prepared me for the deft handling of this period by Follett. The smothering of democracy and the rule of law, the starvation, the random and relentless killing I found to be simply beyond comprehension.

And for me it begs the question - What If?   What If those Axis of Evil Countries had been successful and we'd all be living under Totalitarianism today.

And believe me - the years between 1939 and 1943 looked doubtful for the Allies.

We - you and me get complacent and too often turn a blind eye to what is going on around us and throughout the world. 

Some worry themselves sick about Global Warming while paying scant attention to the beheading of Christians at the hands of Muslim Extremists.

We stand idly by as Russia imposes its will on former members of the USSR and throughout the Middle East.     

We watch China poor Trillions of Dollars into its military - money it received from the West for cheap goods and services; it builds artificial islands to extend its boundaries while the World collectively turns a blind eye.

The World paid a great price the last time it turned away and claim close to total collapse.

Will we be so lucky if there is a next time?

The way things are going now I would not want to place a bet on it.

As I see it....

'K.D. Galagher'