Eduardo Stefani

Thanks to a south-African friend's indication, I appreciated an article named “Sarah Palin'v War on Science” and it inspired me to write this text. Actually, it was the missing piece for me to resume some observation I have been doing these last months. The article describes the conservative level that the republican lady exudes in her speeches and I couldn't escape from an observation:

It's unbelievable how we have at present an incredible poor quality of speeches and a setback in some crucial concepts, specially to the western civilization, so advanced and owner of the modern reason. We must feel for the brilliant scientists, who witnessed an incredible scientific and civilizing advances. The optimism was so big, that on the turn of the century, they think we haven't anything to invent.

Maybe the beginning of those poor speeches began with the big world wars. They, in a sense, have collaborated to destroy the sense of advanced civilization built during many centuries. Maybe it has destroyed the dignity and faith of noble and sophisticated concepts. Mankind, after the medieval delay, could get a level of peace and intellectuality patterns, however in a short time we saw every thing destroyed with two big sweeping world wars who finished with any attempt of civilizing modes, specially in the last one, a personal war, of the common people and not only to the uniform men.

At the turn of the century, we saw science moving forward. On the Origin of Species, the notion of universe beyond our small globe, anthropology, sociology and the physical revolution. The discovery that we live on a planet resulting from millions of consecutive years of an evolution process.

From the cyclical destruction and creation process. From the appearing and hiding of species and entire areas. The reality around us. It's hard to escape from the fact that our world is made of sand and stone, even though we like to believe in the existence of other dimensions between our simple quotidian life.

The election process of north has been marked by discussion about basic religious concepts, brought up normally by conservatives or almost fundamentalists. Subjects which should have long been resolved, specially in that part of the globe, which has contributed so much to the western civilization's advances in the twenty century.

We must not limit ourselves only to religious subjects. On the table we always have terrorism as a psychological weapon to frighten the common people. Now the financial crises. Also something should have long been resolved with a modern international market. It seems we are going backwards and will not be a surprise if we have to discuss the navigation of dangerous seas.

Our level is too low. The speech is poor and futile. It does remember me a classical film named “The Decline of the American Empire”. The civilizing seemed languish when we pass to latch in futile, morons and poor concepts, or any mean we would like. When our concerns going to be cheaper and most important of the collective survival.

Is it the beginning of the end ? Are we loose front our evolution and we are to come back to old values ? How in a modern time are the minds purchased for fundamentalists with sticky speeches.

[], Eduardo Stefani – 28/10/2008

Link to the article: http://www.slate.com/id/2203120