Wednesday.....Culture.....Information

Benjamin Disraeli was twice Prime Minister of England in the 19th century, and the only person of Jewish heritage to hold that office. His writings generated numerous quotes, one of which was As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information. Generally speaking, to stay in the same vein, the information that we receive in our society, through our culture, is destroying us. Entertainment is one of the culprits. We tend to learn from Hollywood directors. Oliver Stone has bestowed upon himself an honorary doctorate in American history. James Cameron's Avatar instructs the willing mind, as do many films each year of this genre, and Michael Moore has made a mockery of the documentary. Television tells us what a man is and what a woman should be, what the purpose of life is, what we need to own, and reinforces in us, that which we really want, that there is no judgement, and if there is it will be on the curve. The television news, along with PBS, give one side of the story. Our children's textbooks have long since promoted a secular world, and using revisionist history have failed to admire the good in American history and failed also to condemn ideologies that produce havoc in the world. Ask a young person about Nathan Hale and Che Guevara. They probably never heard of the former and might even admire the latter. Far too often, our universities elevate learning over what is learned, seeking over what might be found, and challenging over reasoning. To add insult to injury, outright deception in politics is so commonplace that challenging this brings a charge of being divisive. Being politically correct is the new golden rule. So what is the best information that Disraeli speaks of? I would think that it would have a strong foundation in observation and reporting of what is observed, and labeling opinion as such. Ultimately, the responsibility is ours in what information, in this information age, that we take in. There is a need for great introspection today. What is the successful man that Disraeli refers to? What is success? How about this thought, the beginning of success is in defining it and being able to defend that definition? For it would force one to admit where their heart is, and the difficulty in defending it might just coax one to reassess and redirect their goals.