History repeating itself

Andy lent me some books to read. The one I started last night was “Guernica: The Crucible of World War II” by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts © 1975.

The only thing I knew about Guernica was of Pablo Picasso’s 1937 oil painting of the event, said to be “one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history.” As I’m not a fan of Cubism/Surrealism art, I don’t care for his work, and this painting is especially disturbing/ugly. I just knew it was his depiction of what happened to Guernica, and war and destruction is ugly.

I thought it had something to do with the Spanish Civil War (which it did), but, after watching a PBS series on “The Rise of Fascism in Europe” and now beginning to read this book, I understand the painting and the reason behind it. (I still don’t want to look at it. It is disturbing. But I understand.) Now, I’m finding out it also had to do with Hitler and the rise of that man’s power in Germany and the eventual WWII.

(Hitler used Guernica as training for his air force in preparing his own world takeover.)

So, I read the first six sections – short clips from various people leading up to the bombings. The stories from both sides – or should I say multiple sides, from the Basques living in Guernica and that northern side of Spain, refugees swarming in from the south where Franco’s troops were moving in to take over the country. (I’m still confused as to who were the nationalists and who were the republicans.) Then there were the Germans Franco asked Hitler to send in to aid in his cause.

Now, this morning, as I’m working on my morning pages (journaling), my mind is on fire with thought. The main one being what I’m seeing from history is being repeated today in this country. And I can’t help but wonder, haven’t we learned anything from history?

My own remembrances of history class in school is sketchy. All I remember about history (vaguely) class was having to memorize dates. It wasn’t about politics or people. It was mostly about wars, bad guys against good guys. How much of what was taught kids in the ‘60s and ‘70s is the real truth?

Looking back now, it was about reading a (b-o-r-i-n-g) history book and having to take tests on stuff that felt meaningless. I don’t remember people stories, their personal horrors (except for “The Diary of Anne Frank). We learned the names of leaders and officers and some of the battles and names of wars and dates.

But what I was taught in school, isn’t important now. Especially knowing what we were taught back then wasn’t necessarily the truth. So, I’m wondering how history could be taught differently (I’ve also heard it isn’t taught in schools anymore).

History does repeat! All you have to do is look back through the ages and see similar things happening over and over. Times change, technology changes, but some things repeat – like one group of people wanting to take control over others. I guess it’s human nature.

Go back to the ancient Egyptians, the Romans, the Vikings, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Japan, China, the Soviet Union. There are so many similarities. History shows us leaders look to expand, especially when resources in their own countries get low. The Vikings, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal traveled across oceans and “conquered” the indigenous peoples. African tribes warred amongst one another. All the victorious nations enslaved the losing survivors and stole their precious resources.

Whomever had the bigger military. Whichever leaders used their own charisma to set themselves up as gods and convince their people they knew what was best. Then once they had full power … their greed and egomania … and they’d start eliminating anyone who disagreed. They were/are all human.

Great leaders (and great in this context doesn’t necessarily mean good people) know how to manipulate the masses. Tell people what they want to hear and win their votes. It doesn’t matter if the leaders actually do what they promise. People believe the promises. Look at Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin – heck, consider Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon … Charles Manson, for that matter.

If people were taught the truths (and not the propaganda), because, after all, isn’t one point of history is to learn from past mistakes? We shouldn’t be erasing history. We should be learning from it.

No one person or group ever has all the answers. Humans are humans. We all need freedom of thought, speech, and creativity. And there will always be good and evil. It’s human nature. I also don’t believe there will ever be “true” peace. Again, it’s because of human nature and there are always some who want to take what someone else has.  (I put “true” in quotes because the only way for total peace would be to take away every person’s right to think and act for themselves.)

Good versus evil. Perhaps this is part of the human condition, too. Maybe it’s part of our lessons here on earth. All I know is that, for me, I just want to be a good person and do good work. I strive to live wholeheartedly, even on days when it’s a struggle to curtail anger and frustration. When I see pictures of destruction and riots, it’s hard not to lose hope. It’s hard not to slide into hatred with what I’m seeing. 

My remedy to protect myself from depression is to look out at the brook (even though there’s very little water flow), enjoy what’s left of my gardens now the summer season is over, have great conversations with friend, snuggle with my fluffy Pele fur ball, add spots of beauty around my house, and spend time painting in the studio.

Thinking for Ourselves

Thinking for Ourselves and What's Past History Got to do with Today

Yesterday started off with a great blog from Eric Rhoads saying to question everything. He talked about fear, changing beliefs, and not relying on the comfortable past.

He said, “This isn't a time for comfort, it's a time for critical thinking, for questioning everything we believe, for questioning everything others tell us and questioning who we trust to load our brains. It's also not a time to seek reinforcement of what we already believe, but a time to deeply question ourselves and what we are clinging to from our past. 

“Answers always lie in our questions.”

Then last night, I turned on a PBS show about “Ken Burns – Storyteller,” only it wasn’t about Burns, it was a Rick Steve’s segment on the rise of Fascism in Europe. (Why lately is PBS listing shows and when I go to watch, it isn’t the show listed in the guide?) Below are some basics:

Both Mussolini and Hitler used the disaster after WWI to rally the people of their countries by telling them what they wanted to hear. Both men were charismatic and good actors, putting on great shows promoting nationalism and promising better lives. They used democracy to obtain power and once they had it, became totalitarian rulers. They created fear to promote fascism.

And for a while, they did do good things. They re-built the infrastructures of their countries (which had been destroyed during the war) with roads and buildings which provided jobs and hope for the demoralized nations. They promised the expansion into other countries would provide more homes, materials, and better life.

But they further promoted fear while making all the false promises – and when people are afraid, they listen to the promises. (People tend to believe the words/promises and not what they see actually happening.) And millions of people did believe – mob mentality with both leaders holding huge rallies with speeches geared to work people into an excited frenzy of what they were being told.

Then when they had people believing and supporting those promises, the noose tightened. There were government/military induced riots with burning and looting (usually of Jewish and those as perceived as against the new regimes). Those who spoke out against them were – eliminated – either imprisoned or killed. 

Their dictates were everything was for the state. Everyone worked for the greatness of the state. There was no privacy, no individualism. Freedom of speech was banned. People were told what they could say and what they could read. Even art was relegated to a certain style. The media was government controlled, so people reading the news or listening to radio was only hearing what the leaders wanted them to hear – over and over and over. (Think brainwashing.)

The leaders capitalized on people’s fears using fear to promote their regimes. They promoted themselves as loving, caring leaders to the masses. Hitler had the Hitler Youth groups, brainwashing the young to his beliefs. He made movies showing himself in a loving, family-oriented atmosphere. And many people believed. Many people didn’t see the real horrors of what was happening (until it was too late). They believed what they were being told … that it was all for the best for the country.

Spain and Portugal were also fascist countries. Franco, Spain’s dictator, had Germany bomb Guernica, but he never joined the Axis … and remained Spain’s leader after WWII. (Pablo Picasso’s most famous painting “Guernica” is considered “one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history,” according to Wikipedia. 

The program ended with advice to not trust people who promise easy answers for complicated problems, to educate and promote independent thinking not based on the media, and to maintain critical independence. 

Maybe we should all be listening to, reading, and watching some of these history programs. What are we being told compared to what is really happening? What’s the whole picture? A snippet can be taken far out of context (and happens all the time).

Are promises being made actually able to become reality?

When do new laws and rules, combined with all the past laws and rules, become the noose on America’s freedoms?

And, my big question is always, “Where’s the money for all the so-called wonderful programs coming from?”

Yes, I believe changes need to be made, but I also believe this war between the Democrats and Republicans isn’t about the American people, or the United States, as a whole. (And it is a war! It’s no longer about American citizens. It’s about the political parties.) It’s about power and dictatorship. Imagine if the millions of dollars spent in this governmental war was used on programs to help Americans, if the money was put back into the economy? What if the millions used to promote candidates was put to better over-all use?

Just thinking about this all …