The following is the intro of a rather long & involved post that touches on human depravity, humane impulses, and the utopian impulse.
The author echoes much of my belief in the imperfection and imperfectability of humanity and the inhumane results from the utopian impulse let loose from paper into reality.
http://www.mrsdutoit.com/index.php/main/single/3673/The United States of America: The MiniseriesMrs. du Toit
This post is long and windy, with polish edits
to come at some future date.It would be interesting, at some future time, to watch a series on the U.S. It would be like watching a series on Ancient Rome or Greece, with the mistakes that caused their greatness to disappear obvious to the viewer, through the wisdom of hindsight, and knowing how it turned out, before the show began.
Episode I, The Early Years: This would include Columbus arriving on American shores, the pilgrims, and details about the Mayflower Compact.
Episode II, The Revolution: This would detail the events leading up to the American Revolution and the first decades of creating a nation.
Episode III, The First 100 Years: This would chronicle the people and the events leading up to the Civil War and the Reconstruction Period, following up with the anarchists in the Northern cities and the seeds of discontent they sowed, and explain the concept of:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Episode IV, The War Years: This would detail our participation in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War I. What would be most interesting about this episode would be the social changes that took place as a result of those wars, with the establishment of FDR’s policies, the rise of the “The Worker” to noble status, and to the irresponsible libertines of the 1960s.
Episode V, A New Century: We haven’t lived that chapter of our history yet, but we know the episode would begin with the attack of 9/11. What follows would be how the reformation of the Middle East turned out, based on American’s resolve (or lack thereof).
This is where my whimsy of my miniseries ends, but what becomes interesting is how one forecasts what happens next, or what they want to happen next.
How many episodes would there be? Is Episode 5 the last in the series, detailing our fall from Grace?
I think the discussion of that is an interesting one, as a hypothetical, and begins to categorize people into various political and social boxes:
1. One World Box: America as a separate nation is defeated gradually, adopting the government trends of the EU, and becoming a latecomer member.
2. Muddle Along Box: Do whatever we can and as best as we can to sway the country to allow us to have many dozens of episodes.
3. Destroy To Rebuild Box: Throw in the towel, but douse it in gasoline first, abandoning gradualist improvements, and choose all-out war instead.
[to read the rest, mash the link provided above]
