We need to know and learn from history in ordered to not repeat it, but is a child guilty for the sins of their parent? Are individuals collectively guilty for the historical actions of the nations they are part of? What's their responsibility?
I think one should avoid collective guild by taking responsibility. In this case, the collective responsibility of living up to the mistakes, horrors, errors and intentional bad behavior of your ancestors. You have this responsibility by virtue of having been born, which you had no choice about, so the burden may seem unfair, but it is unavoidable. In short, leave the world a better place by struggling and sacrificing and trying to avoid the mistakes of the past, this is the best way to overcome the burden.
This makes me ponder those who do the reverse, as a badge of honour. I am referencing people who believe they are "antifascist" because their grandparents fought the Nazis so they transpose this "heroism" upon themselves as if violence for a political goal is difficult and requires bravery. I am, however, quick to point out that while fighting Nazis was a good thing it did not automatically confer greatness/goodness on those who did so. The USA, at the time, was an apartheid country. Essentially we had soldiers of an apartheid nation whom would lynch a black man for drinking out of the wrong water fountain, because they thought him inferior, fighting Nazis who put Jews in death camps because they too thought them inferior. Who was the "good" guy? Who was the "bad" guy? Answer: History is written by the victors...hence neither side was good merely varying flavours of bad with a similar base motivator of foisting their minority groups to the "gallows" for society's failings. Bestowing honour or guilt upon one's self for the actions of the past is pure folly grounded in fanciful notions of the past.
Excellent article. However, I think the warnings contained within are now, as in the past, being ignored. Laws and policies that were enacted as a result of one of the worst time periods in history are being ignored. Specifically the Nuremberg Code that prohibited medical experimentation without consent, and make no mistake the vaccines that have proven to be failures are experimental.
As to the the issue of collective responsibility. Whether an individual be the descendent of slave holders, murderers, mass murderers, or perpetrators of genocide the corruption of blood is no more rational than licking a frozen galvanized flag pole, again. Corruption of blood is a moronic relic of tribal culture that is being recycled like virtually ever other past crime of ignorance and pure evil. Worse still is those efforting to legislate it ignore the fact that every race in existence has a one time been both Master & Slave.
This is really elegantly stated - it feels like a mine field best avoided, but to do that we need another framework.
We have an f-word rule in my house. My impulsive 10-year-old will get surprised and yell 'Fuck!' I'm ok with that, as long as he understands the consequences of saying it in public. As soon as he trots out the word 'Fair,' though, we've got problems. At least 90% of our public and political discourse today boils down to "but it's not fair!"
The only correct answer is - "You're right. It's not fair. Never has been, never will be." Fair is a subjective concept. What seems fair to me, won't be fair to you.
If I could suggest a way out of the very real collective guilt dilemma you describe, it would be to decide collectively what future we want together, and then (only then) acknowledge the past, accept the present, and talk about ways to get there. Guilt is corrosive, and we have really important and urgent work to do.
I think one should avoid collective guild by taking responsibility. In this case, the collective responsibility of living up to the mistakes, horrors, errors and intentional bad behavior of your ancestors. You have this responsibility by virtue of having been born, which you had no choice about, so the burden may seem unfair, but it is unavoidable. In short, leave the world a better place by struggling and sacrificing and trying to avoid the mistakes of the past, this is the best way to overcome the burden.
This makes me ponder those who do the reverse, as a badge of honour. I am referencing people who believe they are "antifascist" because their grandparents fought the Nazis so they transpose this "heroism" upon themselves as if violence for a political goal is difficult and requires bravery. I am, however, quick to point out that while fighting Nazis was a good thing it did not automatically confer greatness/goodness on those who did so. The USA, at the time, was an apartheid country. Essentially we had soldiers of an apartheid nation whom would lynch a black man for drinking out of the wrong water fountain, because they thought him inferior, fighting Nazis who put Jews in death camps because they too thought them inferior. Who was the "good" guy? Who was the "bad" guy? Answer: History is written by the victors...hence neither side was good merely varying flavours of bad with a similar base motivator of foisting their minority groups to the "gallows" for society's failings. Bestowing honour or guilt upon one's self for the actions of the past is pure folly grounded in fanciful notions of the past.
Excellent article. However, I think the warnings contained within are now, as in the past, being ignored. Laws and policies that were enacted as a result of one of the worst time periods in history are being ignored. Specifically the Nuremberg Code that prohibited medical experimentation without consent, and make no mistake the vaccines that have proven to be failures are experimental.
As to the the issue of collective responsibility. Whether an individual be the descendent of slave holders, murderers, mass murderers, or perpetrators of genocide the corruption of blood is no more rational than licking a frozen galvanized flag pole, again. Corruption of blood is a moronic relic of tribal culture that is being recycled like virtually ever other past crime of ignorance and pure evil. Worse still is those efforting to legislate it ignore the fact that every race in existence has a one time been both Master & Slave.
This is really elegantly stated - it feels like a mine field best avoided, but to do that we need another framework.
We have an f-word rule in my house. My impulsive 10-year-old will get surprised and yell 'Fuck!' I'm ok with that, as long as he understands the consequences of saying it in public. As soon as he trots out the word 'Fair,' though, we've got problems. At least 90% of our public and political discourse today boils down to "but it's not fair!"
The only correct answer is - "You're right. It's not fair. Never has been, never will be." Fair is a subjective concept. What seems fair to me, won't be fair to you.
If I could suggest a way out of the very real collective guilt dilemma you describe, it would be to decide collectively what future we want together, and then (only then) acknowledge the past, accept the present, and talk about ways to get there. Guilt is corrosive, and we have really important and urgent work to do.