The "Big Lie"

Everybody lies. You, your mother, your father, your best friend, even your significant other. Without lies, the world would cease to function. Famine, disease, and war would reign supreme. Yet, while lying may save us from the worst pain of truth, it has, in the past, lead us to somewhere worse than hell.

I am, of course, referring to the "Big Lie". The "Big Lie" is the lie Adolf Hitler told the German people; Jews are the enemy.

Sickening. Yes. Ingenious. Yes. This one man got an entire nation, an entire people to believe that their neighbors were the bringing of their pain. The baker down the street, the dressmaker that made your daughter's dress for her prom, now enemies of the state.

But how did he do it? How did he convince a people of their superiority and their "duty" to squash those "below" them? This is where the true genius lies.

I wager, there are three reasons. The first is circumstances. Next, timing. And  finally, all it takes is a little social skills.

In the nineteen twenties and thirties Germany was a ruin. Many ails plagued them. First, they were recovering from a staggering defeat in World War 1. Economically, it was the worst inflation in economic history.  Nearly half of their male population was gone. Dead. They were a people in ruin. When a man with a stunningly powerful voice, parades, and power comes and tell these people (when they are at their most vulnerable) that they are great, and better than those around them, of course they are going to believe him. Why would they not? It is too painful not too.

Nest is timing. Hitler struck when the German people were at their weakest. They were destroyed. But that is not all that timing is. At first, he told them that they should be proud of who they are. Then, to embrace Germany. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than these people. Then, they are better than the Jews. Then, the Jews are the enemy. He built up to his power, building idea upon idea. If he had come out saying "kill the Jews!!" it would not have worked out would it? Timing.

Finally, Hitler was one of the best public speakers of all time. Simply put, he could captivate an audience with his stare. If you have never listened to one of his speeches, i implore you to. They are nuts, to say the least, but captivating nonetheless.  He crescendos his voice throughout. He begins at a whisper and ends at one. Yet, by the center of his speech, he is yelling at the top of his lungs. All it takes is a nut job who can get people to follow him, and the lies spread.

DANGER! MEN ARE WORKING!!!!

It's quite simple really, men do the work, and women stay at home. That it what my father was taught when he was growing up.That is what my mother was taught when she was growing up. 

When I was growing up, my mother and father taught me differently. They taught me anyone can do anything, men do not have to grill on Sundays, watch football, or drive a truck. Women do not have to stay at home, go to book clubs, or drive their daughter to her soccer game in a mini van. 

And yet, even today, signs like this one exist. Signs that say men work and women stay at home. 

This sign communicates to the entire population, both men and women, that men are the ones to do manual labor. This sign teaches all who see it that men are more fit to do work, women are weak, and that there is no place for women at a construction site. Except perhaps to bring her man a brown paper bag lunch. 

The part of this image that stood out to me was the correction made by a random pedestrian. "People working above". Once this sign has been changed,the meaning behind it changes. Suddenly, its a pinnacle of equality. 

Of course  there probably will not be a woman working "above" anytime soon. This is because even though the sign has changed, the teachings have not. Children, in many parts of the most 'liberal and developed" place in the world are still being taught that it is not a woman's place to work in construction. But how to stop this? Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle. Those of us who are "forward thinking"  are battling hundreds of thousands of years of traditional. Wrong tradition, but tradition nonetheless. It is going to be a long fight, but I am confident that one day women will have the same rights as men and be seen as equals. 

Hell Sucks

Hell sucks. Or at least that is what we have been taught from a young age. Multiple facets of our society scare the general population into submission by monopolizing on "what happens next?"
But that is the question, what happens next?

To forgo the game of having you guess my religious affiliation, I am Catholic. That is, I was baptized Catholic at a young age.  My personal opinion differs from the Church a great deal. I am agnostic. No, that is not a cream for canker sores. I believe in a higher power, however I believe to try and understand that power is pointless.
I have always wanted to have good thoughts about the after life. Seeing all those that were lost to me, unlimited happiness, eternal glory; however, to be honest, what I am afraid of most is that there is nothing. I am afraid that this is it. There is nothing more. The life we live on Earth is all we get.
This scares me because for every regret I have, every mistake I make, every moment I spend unhappy is time wasted. It is like I am on a ticking clock.
Now let us say there is a Hell and a Heaven. My version of Heaven is probably similar to yours. However, my Hell may be a bit different. To me, Hell is a type of Purgatory. I often laugh when physical punishments are used in Hell, as the physical can only do so much. Hell for me is always being on the verge, but never getting something. Surrounded by unlimited knowledge, but never being able to open a book. Watching the woman you love fall for another man. Having words to say but not being able to speak. For me, having these dangling in front of me, but never being able to grab them would be the most cruel kind of Hell.
Let us say now that there is not a Hell and a Heaven. Then what?
I have grappled with this question before, many times, and like many of those who have done the same, I cannot come to a definitive answer. Is it some type of reincarnation? Are we born to a greater life if we "did well" in the previous? That seems a little far fetched. Well, where does the soul go? Into the cosmos? If we are all made of atoms, it would make sense that when our specific make up is destroyed, we would be come a part of everything else. We would become a part of everything.
I think I will leave it there.

Damn Internet You Scary

Under what umbrella am I writing this post on? What are you reading this from? The Internet. While "What, Me Care? Young Are Less Empathetic" makes some very good points about the severe drop in empathy in American culture, there is one facet they completely leave out.

On the Internet, I can type, blog, and vlog anything I want. I might get a raft of (insert naughty word here) for it, but I can say it none the less. In the 1980's, in which the studies mentioned were taken, the internet was not live. People had to say things face to face. Which means, if you had something to say that lacked empathy, you would have to say it to another person....five feet away. This would cause backlash, social or physical. 

Now, as I already stated, I can say whatever I want on here. And so can the American people. Now, if you have something to say that lacks empathy, you can post it right on here. No backlash, social or physical. 

My point here is that the "surprising" lack of empathy exerted by this generation is not so "surprising". This lack of empathy has always been there, it just has not been out spoken.Now that there is an outlet, it has shown itself to the world, in all its ugliness.

My opinion is not alone, the issue of the Internet's role as a drainage pipe for people's angry thoughts has been talked about to no end. The "American Thinker" sums up the moral decline of our nation, and attributes it to the Internet. The United States is not alone, Ima Wowser writes of Australia's youth going through a similar experience in this article.

In short, the Internet is a dark, scary place, that had proceeded to suck the empathy out of our current generation.

Fear or Compassion? Which will drive a reader more?

First of all let me preface this by saying that it is a Tuesday night. It's late, and there is a lot to do. On top of that, I'm writng this on my IPhone 4. Which, unfortunately sounds like a "First World Problem" (and it is), it is still tough. However, even though this is an assignment, there is so much to each of these essays (Barbara Ascher's "On Compassion" and Jonathan Kotzol's "Human Cost Of an Illiterate Society") that I am obliged to discuss them.
 In Ascher's example based essay, the subject of empathy and compassion, as well as how they are intertwined is discussed. Ascher uses examples to emotionally move the reader to the emotions she discusses. Kotzol uses a similar tactic to move his reader, but instead to scare them. This begs the question, is this use of emotional examples the best method?
It is. Examples are used to provide concrete evidence to further clarify an idea or point. When these examples invoke emotion, the point sticks. Furthermore, when these examples are emotional, they had a larger chance of being relatable to the reader. When a reader relates to an example, they go "ah! I know that feeling!" Creating a metaphysical path that similar ideas can be wrought upon.
Well, now that it has been established that emotion based examples are effective, what emotion causes the most response? Kotzol uses fear; he uses the fear of not being ale to read. Ascher uses compassion to get across her idea.
I argue that fear is more effective. Fear has been used not just in essays, but in politics as well. Fear is a powerful motivator, and it is simple strategy to force a reader  to understand the  point. My argument here is that while compassion is heart warming and fuzzy, and may insight a small amount emotional connection, it is no fear. Fear is universal, every one has felt it. It is entirely possible that some may not have felt true compassion, but every one has felt fear.
There are, however, draw backs to this method. Negative reinforcement against  positive. Compassion spurts something more than fear. The drive caused by compassion is stronger than fear. Those who experience compassion on either end have a higher ceiling to feel and to provide more compassion to the world. While compassion is stronger, fear is more direct.
Emotion based examples that have a root in fear. Kotzol uses examples to their full potential.