I remember talking with a guy who had been a plant manager in East Germany before the Wall fell. Afterwards, the new German government allowed anyone who had a Stasi file on them (most of the population) to view their files. He said he made a big mistake in doing so - most of the info. in his file was inconsequential but he was more bothered by the informants. These included: his mother (he didn’t blame her, she was old and kind of out of it); his ex-wife (to be expected); his brother, who had always been extremely jealous. But the one that really hurt was his own daughter, whom he trusted implicitly. I also remember taking a relative to work daily at a local restaurant that was open 24 hours; the owner was extremely hard working and successful Greek guy who came to the US as a dishwasher and ended up being on Bank boards. I asked him why I always saw either him or his wife at the cash register - he replied that in “this business, you trust only your immediate family around cash”. I guess it comes down to the phrase I see occasionally in corner stores: “In God We Trust, all others pay cash”.
I remember reading a story about two twin sisters in Russia before the Wall came down. They were like 70 years old and both spinsters who lived together all their lives. Both were active in some sort of anti communist undergraduate “resistance” for decades. Because no one could trust anyone neither of them knew about the others activities. Apparently conditions can become so odious one cannot even trust a twin sibling. Sobering.
It almost seems as if the concept of trust is under assault. As we head down to path to being like East Germany, will the circle of trust decline to just ourselves and God? And after a few genrations of iron rule, will even that go?
Doom and gloom. Feh. TGIF. I’ll buy more ammo :-), but what do I do about the guns I lost in a boating accident? I guess I’ll have to use a slingshot...or go trolling for them ;-)