Last week I thought that I would write a blog post on India as soon as I finished the one I was writing on WWI (which I struggled with). After all, India was all over the news because of its COVID crisis, and I have always been captivated by the country. Its culture. It’s history. Its religions. It was very distressing to see this wonderful, crazy, beautiful, outrageous country go through a very predictable, yet horrific health emergency.
However, by the time I turned my attention to this new post I had to search through the New York Times to find out what was currently going on in India. Did the crisis end as soon as it began? Were the 1.4 billion citizens of India vaccinated overnight? Did I just dream it all? The answer to each of those questions in no (though I have been having some weird dreams lately). India is still getting about 300,000 new cases a day, and suffering through over 4,000 daily deaths. The emergency has not moved on, but we have.
Of course, there was reason to move on. The Israeli Palestinian conflict had flared up again. Palestinian rockets. Israeli airstrikes. So many questions about the cause and nature of the Palestinian attacks, and the scope of the Israeli response. On the one hand this seems like a never-ending story, and, yet, on the other hand, there is no doubt that it too will retreat to the back pages now that a ceasefire has been agreed to and, hopefully, we have a period of relative calm (relative being the operative word).
We consider ourselves the most informed people in the history of the world. After all, the daily goings on globally are at our fingertips. We are immediately informed of a coup in Myanmar, or China landing on Mars (and probably claiming it as a historic territory of the Ming dynasty), not to mention the myriad insanities around the United States, from a police shooting in Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Representative Chaney being cancelled by the GOP (pardon me if I don’t shed tears for Liz). And yet I wonder.
The more I try and pay attention to what is going on in the world, the more I am convinced that I know very little. I feel like Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. As much as I think I may be aware of the forces at play, I cannot escape the taunts of that voice which says “You know nothing Tom Wamser”. (I just learned Ygritte and Jon are a couple in real life. It warmed the cockles of my heart!! Though don’t ask me why they got married in a cemetery).
There is no doubt that we hear more of what’s going on than at any time in human history, and we hear about it in as close to real time as possible. But the truth is that I don’t have the time, or, admittedly, the inclination, to delve deeply into any one news item, and I doubt if many people do. Plus, I am just as susceptible as anyone else to forgetting the important story of yesterday as soon as I am presented with the crucial news story of today. In many ways it seems that more news is less news.
I think that this information overload is one reason blind loyalty to certain news channels is prevalent. It is a pragmatic way to filter what is going on. Let someone you trust decide which of the myriad of stories is worth your attention. The trouble, of course, is that you are then beholden not only to their view of what is important, but also the slant put on the news you do hear. Consistency can be reassuring, but it’s rarely enlightening.
If you are ambitious, you can try and take in a variety of sources, with multiple viewpoints. Yeah, right. And you can also write the great American novel, or discover the secret of cold fusion in your spare time. There are too many stories, too many slants, too many people willing to craft any narrative to achieve their own ends.
Sometimes I fear that I am caught in the Pink Floyd approach to the news. Every now and then something happens that acts as a pinprick to wake me from my stupor, whether it be renewed violence in Syria, or the Supreme Court confronting Roe v Wade. I read a few articles in my favorite sources, catch a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye. Then I turn to look and it’s gone. Once again, I have become comfortably numb.
I must admit that I see little way around this dilemma. There is too much in life to bury oneself in every news story. More importantly, even if I could I am not sure that it would be worth doing so. News items come and go, and usually it takes time to truly evaluate what is important and what is a blip (Will this health crisis in India abate, or is it a harbinger of larger societal issues? Will this current conflict between Israelis and Palestinians lead to any change in the status quo?). Often it makes more sense to read some history to gain context than to focus on the ins and outs of today’s headlines.
I guess I will just continue to gather what surface knowledge I can about what is happening in the world, and wait for those occasional pinpricks of importance to delve deeper. Like the bombshell dropped by Luis Elizondo, former Department of Defense intelligence officer, backed by Harry Reid (who is looking a bit like an alien himself these days), that there are UFOs and they have been officially documented by our government. Now that is a story worth pursuing. I want to believe!!!!
I do find being an old, retired person, that I read the actual hard copy of the entire New York Times most days and even when a major story recedes from the front pages, they tend to cover it for a while and follow back on it. But it does take time and persistence. I can’t claim I read it as carefully as I should or as fully as I should, but it keeps one pretty informed on. most things. And these days, in the digital edition and various newsletters you can subscribe to, there are myriad links to all of this that you can delve into if you have the interest and fortitude.
On the topic of India, The yeenited states of murka could give a crap about what’s goin on India. So, right off the bat, you placed yourself in the category of ‘know more than many’. So, don’t give me that shit 😂
Back at university, in the Deep South, I ran upon an AmHist101 prof, who was apparently a tenured part of the history dept. He was all up in the ‘cause’ of the Civil War. He felt ‘States Rights’ was the real thing (I think he forgot to read the Succession Papers [really? 2 cc’s?]). He asked a question on opening day: “Who thinks America is the melting pot of the world?” Of course, all the lemmings raised their hands cuz that’s what they’ve been taught. Since I happened to be near the front (1/3 back), he noticed I had not raised my hand.
“You! You didn’t raise your hand. Why not?!”
Are you kidding me? 100+ kids in this class and you notice me? OK Mr. Prof, “I grew up in Boston. The Italians are up north and the Irish are all down in Southy. I grew up just outside Wellesley, we’re all White Anglo Saxon Poopheads in that hood. So, maybe not a ‘melting pot’ but may a stew pot?” Of course, I have a voice which projects, so the whole 100+ heard this in my best Kennedy-drawl. We became great friends & debaters throughout my minor (not really. OK I took every class he thought) in History.
Why dust off this old memory, you may ask? I dare to say that that moment for which you speak on WWI, Tom, actually occurs deeper in the history of these USofA. The Industrialist of the Union figured out right quick there was a profit to be made supplying war. Mr. Prof was all about how the Industrial War Complex ramped up then. Oscar Meyer, Roosevelt R/R, USSteel, etc. in lieu of Self-agrarianism. It’s true. Of course, all that was a result of the GD Insurrection 😳.
$,$$$,$$$ makes the world go round. The industrialist of WWI were no exception. Gosh, that list is huge and contains many of the power companies of our youth. The Biggees (shout out to John) figured out they could throw the common man out there and make money too? Pretty good gig. AND, when we really get down to brass tacks, hasn’t that ALWAYS been the case? The Golden Calf. Will we ever learn?
However, to your point of not knowing? PFFT !
That’s a great story of your Prof. I agree that the profits of war have become so integral to our economy that there is no real effort to cut our military budget. It’s interesting how Eisenhower warned of that in his farewell address, but to no avail. Every President since has kept raising the stakes, usually to universal applause.