First in an irregular series)
Presentism
Presentism is the most corrosive of all –isms. Practitioners, mostly the Woke, use it in their zeal to destroy the basic meaning of words, history, philosophy, traditions, economics, the law, and cornerstones of civilization with toddler-like simplification. Their worldview is seen through their rose-colored glasses, distorted by aggressive ignorance, and biased “education”, void of even a residue of intellectual discipline. Liberal drivel are their psalms; liberal icons are their saints. Their shield of arrogance and the sword of equivocation protect them from even a glimmer of enlightenment. That would destroy their creed of flailing authoritarianism. As one writer put it, ”They feel that their light will shine brighter if they blow out the candles of others.”
Presentism interprets the past through the lens of present-day ideas and perspectives. One result is the corrosion of facts via cultural bias inevitably leading to oversimplification and misrepresentation. Presentism often encourages moral complacency. When historical actors are judged based on modern norms, the Woke see themselves as morally superior. Their oversimplified judgments brought on the temper tantrums that displaced or destroyed famous statues and works of art dedicated to historical figures who, due to their ‘flaws of imperfection’ measured by today’s politically correct standards, don’t measure up to today’s Woke idealism. Not unlike the clichéd “Monday morning quarterbacking”, it’s easy for the adolescent mentality of the Woke to criticize history ‘after the fact’ without consideration of the historical circumstances.
Our ancestors were each a part of the era in which they lived, not ours. History should be something we learn from, not run from. When analyzed through a ‘Presentist’s prism’, the cultural environment in which our ancestors lived and acted is dismissed.
Presentism requires our undivided attention. That shouldn’t be difficult since the Woke are everywhere and bring their virus with them. If Presentism becomes conventional wisdom, history will be corrupted and erased as if Orwell’s Winston Smith had been appointed our national historian. Some say any people who judge the past by the present will in the future be harshly judged themselves. That’s of little comfort for all of us who will be forced to live with the results in real-time.
Thanks for reading this far!
If you like the mug, order yours here.
While you’re here, snag a (still) Free Subscription simply by unmercifully pounding the Button below!
Up next: the “Two and Only” ride again!
At first I thought "Presentism" was about giving presents (tribute) to the Woke. But I see that Presentism is about the Woke destroying the past. It's a damned shame this removing of Civil War statues. There was a beautiful orange stone statue in the large meridian of Ward Parkway in Kansas City. The Daughters of the Confederacy? I think it was them, built the large statue. The tableau was of women consoling fallen civil war soldiers. The memorial was for both sides in the war. The large Battle of Westport took place in Kansas City. Rooster Cogburn's cat was named after the Confederate General Price in the battle.
The mug confused me a bit (I am easily confused). Is it too late because the State already stepped on the snake? Or is it too late for the snake to strike the bastard who stepped on it?
When I was young, I'd hike in the North Cascade Mountains often. One lovely day I was climbing Mt. McGregor. As I made my way slowly up a trail about 8" wide with a cliff below and a cliff above with rock crumbling off in my hands, I came upon a ledge at head height.
As I gazed towards it I saw a rattlesnake! I damn near fell. Then I noticed that some bastard had coiled a shed rattlesnake skin and put a rubber snake head on it.
Very funny. I left the snakeskin there for the next hiker to enjoy.