Thirty five years ago I dated a young women (I was young myself then) who couldn't tell me what century World War II was fought in. I lost interest very quickly. And she was by no means stupid. Ignorant yes. Stupid no.
You are a Progressive, Mr. Keillor, you are not a reactionary. You don't look back to mostly imaginary "good old days" that for the most part didn't exist. You look ahead. We, your loyal listeners know Lake Wobegon is a contemporary myth.
Ovid was perhaps the first reactionary in Western literature looking back to his "Golden Age" in "The Metamorphosis" Plato was another reactionary in his later dialogues of "Laws" and "The Republic" positing a Golden race while relegating much of humanity to the lesser bronze race
Thomas Jefferson was among the great Progressives when he said, "We hold these truths to be self evident...that all men are created equal..." Granted his outlook had not yet reached our level of inclusion -- he accepted slavery -- but that supports my argument that we do indeed "progress."
Today certain nations of the world deny that simple axiom instead claiming some "chosen people" are superior while others can be bombed and obliterated into non existence.
Apparently there are those among us who will never, and have no desire to, learn and will therefore always be reactionaries, never able to progress..
That's a big issue with the hopelessly (as well as mindless) reactionary MAGA movement around Trump. It looked backed to a mostly non-existent, idealized American past; as Noam Chomsky said, "What's so great about America;s past? Slavery, genocide of the natives?"
One might recall that after the Second Industrial Revolution (c.1870 to1900) American capital cracked down on American labor more ruthlessly than what occurred in any other nation with the possible exception of Czarist Russia. It was the original Progressives such as Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, (The Jungle),Sinclair Lewis (It Can't Happen Here) and the Jurist Lewis Brandeis who turned the tide toward progress.
"Today certain nations of the world deny that simple axiom instead claiming some 'chosen people' are superior while others can be bombed and obliterated into non existence." Nietzsche was right: the will to power governs the dark side of human nature.
Odd, Canada was mentioned by whoever wrote the teaser and not at all, as I recall, in the monologue, which matters far more. These days, everything presented to the public as "entertainment" must be examined by many eyes before it's "released", and purged of material unacceptable to the censors of the moment.
Just now I heard your deep voice and cadence and it’s Saturday night. I’m sitting in the living room of my vegetarian feminist cooperative house in Boston with Laurel, Scott, Betsy, Kiko, Suzanne, Jason listening to Prairie Home Companion. It’s 1982, I’m 24 and going to Harvard Divinity School... a blink of an eye into the present. Many rivers still to cross... Thank you for giving of your gratitude and wisdom!
I caught a parade like that once, north of the border! Of course, it was "Dominion Day," not July 4th. It was in a small mountain town in the southern Canadian Rockies. It was totally "Do It Yourself!" No marching bands, no folks with batons in the air pointing "Follow Me, Boys! And, the folks I recall the most were the mothers, pushing their infants and toddlers in baby strollers! It was so HOME TOWN!
I think with all our "BETTER THAN THE BEST" instincts to outdo previous parades, some of us may have gotten to the point where folks have to be "special" to be allowed in the festivities. Those moms, with kids in strollers, seemed to be proclaiming that Everyone In Town could be Significant!
I'd not spend time worrying about either the economics or the environment. History will always repeat itself in one way or another. Before mass media, most people didn't, and life went on day after day without their worry, as it does now and will until the end of time. Il faut cultiver son jardin.
Great, funny, poignant, as always.
Oh, my.
Thirty five years ago I dated a young women (I was young myself then) who couldn't tell me what century World War II was fought in. I lost interest very quickly. And she was by no means stupid. Ignorant yes. Stupid no.
You are a Progressive, Mr. Keillor, you are not a reactionary. You don't look back to mostly imaginary "good old days" that for the most part didn't exist. You look ahead. We, your loyal listeners know Lake Wobegon is a contemporary myth.
Ovid was perhaps the first reactionary in Western literature looking back to his "Golden Age" in "The Metamorphosis" Plato was another reactionary in his later dialogues of "Laws" and "The Republic" positing a Golden race while relegating much of humanity to the lesser bronze race
Thomas Jefferson was among the great Progressives when he said, "We hold these truths to be self evident...that all men are created equal..." Granted his outlook had not yet reached our level of inclusion -- he accepted slavery -- but that supports my argument that we do indeed "progress."
Today certain nations of the world deny that simple axiom instead claiming some "chosen people" are superior while others can be bombed and obliterated into non existence.
Apparently there are those among us who will never, and have no desire to, learn and will therefore always be reactionaries, never able to progress..
That's a big issue with the hopelessly (as well as mindless) reactionary MAGA movement around Trump. It looked backed to a mostly non-existent, idealized American past; as Noam Chomsky said, "What's so great about America;s past? Slavery, genocide of the natives?"
One might recall that after the Second Industrial Revolution (c.1870 to1900) American capital cracked down on American labor more ruthlessly than what occurred in any other nation with the possible exception of Czarist Russia. It was the original Progressives such as Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, (The Jungle),Sinclair Lewis (It Can't Happen Here) and the Jurist Lewis Brandeis who turned the tide toward progress.
"Today certain nations of the world deny that simple axiom instead claiming some 'chosen people' are superior while others can be bombed and obliterated into non existence." Nietzsche was right: the will to power governs the dark side of human nature.
Good, but nothing about Canada, if I was a REAL Canadian I would be more than a little upset…
Odd, Canada was mentioned by whoever wrote the teaser and not at all, as I recall, in the monologue, which matters far more. These days, everything presented to the public as "entertainment" must be examined by many eyes before it's "released", and purged of material unacceptable to the censors of the moment.
It's great to hear you again!
Where can I get a full manuscript of this podcast?
I read "Cheerfulness." Tell your publisher that I said that title is a clever marketing ploy. But I think it should be titled "Gratitudemy."
// Where can I get a full manuscript of this podcast? //
I imagine there's an app for that :o)
Just now I heard your deep voice and cadence and it’s Saturday night. I’m sitting in the living room of my vegetarian feminist cooperative house in Boston with Laurel, Scott, Betsy, Kiko, Suzanne, Jason listening to Prairie Home Companion. It’s 1982, I’m 24 and going to Harvard Divinity School... a blink of an eye into the present. Many rivers still to cross... Thank you for giving of your gratitude and wisdom!
Why would you eat a cheeseburger at the Oyster Bar? The seafood is excellent there.
While seated at The Chicago Chop House
(early 1990s) my father condescendingly stated, "...never order fish, at a steakhouse...".
I sent my poorly-done salmon back, and ordered a 10-oz. cut of steak.
I caught a parade like that once, north of the border! Of course, it was "Dominion Day," not July 4th. It was in a small mountain town in the southern Canadian Rockies. It was totally "Do It Yourself!" No marching bands, no folks with batons in the air pointing "Follow Me, Boys! And, the folks I recall the most were the mothers, pushing their infants and toddlers in baby strollers! It was so HOME TOWN!
I think with all our "BETTER THAN THE BEST" instincts to outdo previous parades, some of us may have gotten to the point where folks have to be "special" to be allowed in the festivities. Those moms, with kids in strollers, seemed to be proclaiming that Everyone In Town could be Significant!
I'd not spend time worrying about either the economics or the environment. History will always repeat itself in one way or another. Before mass media, most people didn't, and life went on day after day without their worry, as it does now and will until the end of time. Il faut cultiver son jardin.