Posted on 02/22/2010 1:31:37 PM PST by Talons Out
There are innumerable lessons to be mastered from the dissection of history; there have been tremendous accomplishments and horrendous misfortunes from which we can learn. It is relatively easy to predict the outcome of present and future action by consulting the records of what has been or what failed to be. My personal viewpoint on the efficacy of understanding history – in opposition of the excessively regurgitated phrase “history repeats itself” – is that human nature only goes so far: history doesn’t repeat itself per se, but rather, modern times dictate similar reactions to undefined dilemmas—things happen that mirror historic events, but for reasons inaccessible to even the most gifted of modernity’s time-travelers.
It would be easy to assert that what I have said is nothing more than a highbrow reiteration of “history repeats itself.” In a way, it is; permit me to redefine my terms, avoiding hyper-scholastic phrasing: hindsight is not foresight; looking back will not enable one to see forward; however, reflection upon humanities past undertakings – the pros and cons – does benefit the forecasting of a sagacious, cognitively vital individual.
That being said, it seems appropriate to quote one of America’s most purely sagacious minds, so that my purpose may be framed. Benjamin Franklin once said; “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom,” when he spoke of the Constitution’s strength in guarding Virtue and Freedom—constitutive parts of the Republican Ideology—which helped establish the United States of America as a sovereign Nation. Sagacious Ben’s predication following the previous quote was an ‘ah ha!’ moment for me; “As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” ...
(Excerpt) Read more at talonsout.blogspot.com ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.