The local news was just talk, the result of Port William's never-ceasing observation of its own doings and its listening to itself. The other news, The News of the World, seemed to have to do principally with The War and The Economy.
I know it is somewhat objectionable to capitalize such things and speak of them as if they were freestanding creatures. But The War and The Economy were seeming more and more to be independent operators. The War, I thought, was just the single Hell that is always astir in the world, always going on in modest ways even when it has not broken out in full force. And the nations were always preparing funds of weapons and machines and people to be used up whenever The War did break out in full force, which meant that sooner or later it would. - Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow
I agree with that sentiment! The surreality of the Local against the News of the World is more and more palpable. Yet, even here I find a question in myself.
“The War is the single Hell that is always astir in the world…”
Is that true? Is that True? Does there always need to be Hell stirring? I worry that in describing/critiquing Empire we have to take care not to tell stories that inadvertently perpetuate its underlying causes…
What will it take for us to see the lack of any true necessity here?
Though also I appreciate the need to not turn a blind eye to the way that our nations’ current actions are ensuring the very futures we want the most to avoid (most of us anyway).
Is it for the first machine, or the second one? I am struggling with that same question - and do not have an answer to it. Thank you for sharing this Ian. Your first paragraph: I very much relate to that feeling. Humanity's ways of working with what is being sent worry me. And then there is the big question: who/what exactly *is* 'sending' it, and to what means? Big, difficult questions that I do not have an answer to but feel the massive weight of every day. Thank you for writing about this. It's important.
Thank you so much for your reflection! I’m so glad it spoke to you. I certainly don’t have answers either, but yeah, if we don’t hold these kinds of questions, I think we’re not doing all that we can, as little as that all may still seem.
The local news was just talk, the result of Port William's never-ceasing observation of its own doings and its listening to itself. The other news, The News of the World, seemed to have to do principally with The War and The Economy.
I know it is somewhat objectionable to capitalize such things and speak of them as if they were freestanding creatures. But The War and The Economy were seeming more and more to be independent operators. The War, I thought, was just the single Hell that is always astir in the world, always going on in modest ways even when it has not broken out in full force. And the nations were always preparing funds of weapons and machines and people to be used up whenever The War did break out in full force, which meant that sooner or later it would. - Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow
I agree with that sentiment! The surreality of the Local against the News of the World is more and more palpable. Yet, even here I find a question in myself.
“The War is the single Hell that is always astir in the world…”
Is that true? Is that True? Does there always need to be Hell stirring? I worry that in describing/critiquing Empire we have to take care not to tell stories that inadvertently perpetuate its underlying causes…
What will it take for us to see the lack of any true necessity here?
Though also I appreciate the need to not turn a blind eye to the way that our nations’ current actions are ensuring the very futures we want the most to avoid (most of us anyway).
I don't know whether war is the 'default mode' for humans. I'd like to think that it's not, but history seems to suggest otherwise...
I feel that too. But then, history is written by the victor and victory is usually edifying enough to justify the conflict in the telling of it.
I guess, can we trust our histories? Can we afford not to?
Thanks for this, it’s really good food for thought.
Excellent. I'm gonna go with peace as the unsung, quiet default mode of human existence. Not interesting enough to fill history books.
Is it for the first machine, or the second one? I am struggling with that same question - and do not have an answer to it. Thank you for sharing this Ian. Your first paragraph: I very much relate to that feeling. Humanity's ways of working with what is being sent worry me. And then there is the big question: who/what exactly *is* 'sending' it, and to what means? Big, difficult questions that I do not have an answer to but feel the massive weight of every day. Thank you for writing about this. It's important.
Thank you so much for your reflection! I’m so glad it spoke to you. I certainly don’t have answers either, but yeah, if we don’t hold these kinds of questions, I think we’re not doing all that we can, as little as that all may still seem.