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Dark Age Ahead (new book by Jane Jacobs)

Oct 22, 2004 06:22 AM
by kpauljohnson


Hey,

People obsess over the oddest things, while blithely ignoring real 
dangers. This new book addresses something I find hard not to obsess 
about-- the possibility that we face the coming of a new Dark Age 
for Western civilization and humanity as a whole. As recently as the 
mid-90s, progress seemed to be an unquestionable reality; now 
pessimistic notions like the Kali Yuga seem all too plausible. Less 
than two weeks away is an event that will have a huge impact on the 
direction of the planet for decades to come. Here is no place to 
argue about that, but I will share some of Jacobs's ideas, which 
apply to the decline of the Theosophical movement as well as to the 
possible decline of the USA and Western civilization:

Cultural xenophobia is a frequent sequel to a society's decline from 
cultural vigor. Someone has aptly called self-imposed isolation a 
fortress mentality. Armstrong describes it as a shift from faith in 
logos, reason, with its future-oriented spirit, "always... seeking to 
know more and to extend...areas of competence and control of the 
environment," to mythos, meaning conservatism that looks backward to 
fundamentalist beliefs for guidance and a worldview."(p. 17)

Jacobs, author of the acclaimed The Death and Life of Great American 
Cities, evaluates serious signs of decay in five pillars of our 
society: community and family, higher education, science and 
technology, governmental representation, and self-regulation of the 
learned professions.

I find it astonishing that anyone could be obsessed with how a ten 
year old book he had never read was guilty of spiritual lese-majeste 
for asking the questions it did, for which the author was deserving 
of eternal damnation, doled out in regular doses of abuse. But that 
is far less astonishing than the fact that someone could be obsessed 
with how thoroughly an author replied in 1997 to criticisms made in 
1996 of books published in 1994 and 1995, criticisms reposted here 
frequently throughout 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and now 
2004. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance, and you're worrying 
about bosh and piffle like this? 

Seeing those obsessions expressed in bullying and cyberstalking ways 
on a regular basis here is reason enough to vacate theos-talk for 
good. But the majority of active posters seem uninterested in the 
obsessions of the resident fanatics, and are enjoyable and 
interesting people to discuss spiritual matters with.

So my policy henceforth will be to post only about new nonfiction 
books-- which I have privileged access to thanks to my job-- that 
have theosophical or Theosophical implications. Those who obsess 
over ten year old books or hundred and ten year old books will keep 
reposting the same stale material, and those who don't like fresh air 
will welcome it. But from time to time I will open a window and let 
some fresh air in, in the form of information about new books that 
may be of interest to theos-talkers.

So, could a Dark Age be ahead, as Jacobs argues?

Paul






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