Ignorance is not Bliss

As we enter into the new year 2008 I always take time to reflect on the outgoing year, and the ushering in of the new year. This year my thoughts are on Ignorance, apathy and indifference. A year or two ago, I along with Sabine watched a great movie by Lars Von Trier, starring Nicole Kidman called “Dogville” In the movie Nicole Kidman is exposed to all kinds of injustices by the local community of the small town of Dogville, at the end, her father finds her, and they discuss the subject of justice. Should the people of Dogville be held accountable for their actions against her, or were they innocent, because, as she tries to argue with her father, they were ignorant?

As I travel around the world, and talk with people from all walks of life, different religions, cultures, races, I find that I am shocked at the general talk of people concerning the daily conversation. People are ready to say anything like all the problems in the past were caused by religion, and that there is No God, that the whole religious thing about God is a man made, Yikes! In the last year or two, many of my English friends talk about the “immigration” problem in England, and the reaction is just a repeat of what they are conditioned and brainwashed into thinking. For example they say “England’s gone to the dogs, first it was the Pakies now its all sorts of immigrants coming in and taking over, from Poland and Romania and the eastern block, taking our jobs and living off the dole and using up all our recourses and bankrupting the social security system.” We had the same ‘nonsense talk’ by the right winger Jean Marie Le Pen, in France until the government educated the people, and showed them the facts that the immigrants are Not taking over, and that they are but a small minority, who can integrate well into our society, and that they do work well, and pay their way, just like us, and that the country is made up of a lot of immigrants in the past, and that they are a good healthy necessity for the country. People become nationalistic and borderline racist, or fascist. When I talk to them and provoke them to Think for them selves, they see the light and say, “Oh well you know, that’s what we are shown on the TV, and what we read in the papers.” It is not only the immigration problem in England or Europe, that I am talking about, when it comes to ignorance, it is just about everything, the Americans who believe that their country is the best and “greatest country in the world. America and England sent their troops into Iraq because they were told that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, never mind that they never found the weapons, but stayed in the country to violate every human right that was ever written. People around the world love to bash President Mugabe of Zimbabwe because of what they have read in the newspapers or seen on the TV, but they have never been to Zimbabwe or let alone Africa, and they have never read up, or researched the situation in Zimbabwe, but they are ready, in their Ignorance, to criticize and condemn. Not only Mugabe, or Zimbabwe, but just about every other subject that exists.

Most of humanity’s problems are rooted in centuries of misguided and often contradictory moral teachings. What, with all the injustice and cruelty of this world, society, politics, greed, lust, jealousy anger and hatred, all these human behaviors, we creatively produce, manufacture and distribute towards each other, ensnaring us all within a plastic fantastic false materialistic existence, and it eats me up, there is no room for people to care anymore, they are all trapped by this ignorance, to care, takes effort and energy, but they have all bought into this trap, and are consumed by themselves only.

That is why we are not evolving anymore, we have exceeded our species by surviving, now we are bored, and create distractions for ourselves, getting further and further away from reality, creating an illusion of entertainment for our bored minds, and bodies, we forgot to evolve spiritually, because we all know, that got perverted and twisted long ago by the higher pillars of our society, fuel to the already kindling fire of greed, power, control, domination, and final damnation and destruction!

I do not expect every one to go out and be an intellectual, and to study and research every subject they talk about, but I do expect that people stop and think, before they talk, especially when it comes to delicate political and social issues, that could grow into bitterness and anger, as a result of statements issued, based on ignorance, not true facts, based on reason.

Here is a short story (one of my many) Once upon a time, I was traveling the world and landed up on a nice small tropical paradise Island, palm trees and pure white beaches. There I met an amorous couple from Northern Island, both beautiful people. They were there on their first year anniversary, still in love. We dined together one night, and I asked the question about Ireland. “So what do you two think about the problem in Northern Ireland, Is it just political, or is it religious, as some would say, or what is your assessment of the problems in Ireland?” She shared that it was religious, and that there was no compromise, she was Protestant, he was Catholic, he vicariously disagreed, and said that it was political. That night the amorous couple fought the whole night, the next morning they separated, and she returned to Ireland. They were in love, and they were both ignorant, and naïve about the problems in the very country they live in, and because of this ignorance, they were torn apart.

A friend of mine in France from the same village, sat with me and Sabine, and told us how he was going to vote against the European Constitution because “if we voted Yes, then all the immigrants from the east block, will come in and take our jobs” I reminded him that both Sabine and I were “immigrants” that neither of us were from France, and we were working in France, He liked us, and considers us as a friend, ahh but we did not count with those “other” immigrants, because we were different, how so?? ignorance.

So here is my question, are people responsible for their ignorance, should they be held accountable, for that ignorance, and what should be the consequence for such ignorance? Can we afford in this day and age to ignore such subjects? I believe that we are in an intellectual decline, a devolution of intelligent reason, people do not want to know any more, they just want to live, as easy as possible, “less pain more gain”, and not have to think or reason things out, it is just too much. So what most people intend to do, is just throw what they have watched on the TV, or read in the trash newspapers, as subject matter around the table, and when challenged, they will shut the door and say “whatever”. Don’t embarrass me, and get me up against the wall, with reason and truth, that’s too heavy.”

And so the decline continues, and I ask to where???? Where will we finish up, another fallen civilization, like the Aztecs, Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans. How then should we react, and how should we live. Do we just let it go, and be indifferent and apathetic, or do we say, “I want to make a difference, and I want to do something.” I believe that if every one of us start to make that small commitment, to try to reach out, to ourselves first, to think and use this wonderful mind, brain, soul, that we have been given, we can make a difference. Question, use reason, and intelligence, love, peace and enlightenment.

Set the goal of the French revolution, Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality, I do not think that that is too difficult, before condemning the existence of God or Christ or for that fact any other religion, know your facts before you open your mouth, before we condemn or criticize the Jews, Arabs, Asians or Blacks, Think and know what to say. I hear so many people say the bloody Jews run the world, they have all the money, the whole mess is a Zionist plot, the fuc….ing Arabs are the problem, the stupid Americans etc. etc. it is all because of religion! I could go on and on, it is only because of Ignorance, and as I have asked, will we be held accountable for our Ignorance, and to what degree. I believe we will, and to a terrible degree.

My summery, prayer and hope for this coming year 2008, is that we can all come together and live without Ignorance, in true peace, with Love and understanding. I pray that I will not hear the racial slur from my friends, judgments against others, based on Ignorance, selfish, self centered greed. Before it is too late, let us reach out with Love, kindness, generosity, care, Equality, Fraternity, and Liberty. For you all, I wish you a blessed New Year, filled with hope, Light, Peace and Love.