Humanity at a Crossroads

Third Saturday Seminar 2005-2006 – Second Meeting

Saturday 15 June 2005; 9:30am-12:00 noon, Room B-102, Montgomery College, 3200 College Park Drive, Conroe, TX 77384.  See links to maps at bottom of this email.

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief thatthe only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. FDR, First Inaugural Address

What motivates us?

Do we always consider the facts and then make a decisions.  Do we assure ourselves that the facts behind decisions or policies or our leaders are largely true? or do we tend to follow their lead because they are in power?

In our lives, in what ways are we persuaded to take certain actions, buy certain things, go along with the decisions of “higher authority?”

Why do we buy certain brands, pay extra taxes?

Two of the strongest human emotions are fear and greed.

If fear is the motive, what are the results?

Does the end justify the means?  Should “fear” be used as a motivation even if it must be embellished, just to get the people to “move.”

Have our victories (the ends) always justified the means.  Are we keeping score?  for example, “We were told this, then this is what happened.”

Do we hold our leaders, our educators, our professional advisers and our spiritual advisers to high standards of not only integrity but also accurate knowledge of the facts?

How do we respond to the words like, “Terrorist”, “WMD”, “Hurricane”, “Tsunami”, “Armageddon”, “Avian Flu”, “Illegal Alien”, “Same-Sex Marriages”, “National Debt”, “Trade Deficit”, “Cancer”, “Inflation”, “Global Warming”, “Ice Age”, “Nuclear Energy”

I have never felt the “onrush of history” as I do now.  That includes three trips to Vietnam, the end of the Soviet Union (The end of the “cold war”).  I feel the ideological tension building which is fueled by fear.   We sustained the “cold war” for 40 years by sustaining our fear against what per perceived to be our ideological opposites.  We very close (see Robert S. McNamara, The Fog of War)on a couple of occasions of making war turning very very hot.  We invented MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction, thinking that no one would see a benefit from ending life as we know it.  We spend an incredible amount of money, and lost many of our people in Korea, Vietnam and other adventures.  Was the investment worth it? (This is an open question and probably has different answers for differentinstances and

Never before have had such power and resources and access as available as they are today. to the whims of the few from the most to the least powerful.  Never has foreign policy had such great potential consequences, good and bad.

Bring yourself and your thoughts to share.

Current Events: (We always talk about current events to start out)