Repeating History

“Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.” So wrote George Santayana in The Life of Reason. Born in Spain, in 1863, Santayana lived for forty years in the United States and later in Europe, though maintaining his Spanish citizenship. He was a philosopher, poet, literary and cultural critic, and died in 1952.

In the wake of the recent Paris attacks, some have been questioning the wisdom of accepting Syrian refugees, or talking about a Muslim takeover of Europe. The whole idea of a “Muslim Conspiracy” to take over the world is not new. Writers such as Bruce Bawer, Gisèle Litman, Oriana Fallaci, Pamela Geller and politicians such as Newt Gingrich, and most recently Donald Trump have made statements in this vein. In general, these people have not taken the time to actually research the claims they make.

It all reminds me of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” a document first published in Russia in 1903 and subsequently translated into many languages. “The Protocols” were supposedly the minutes of a meeting of Jewish leaders discussing the takeover of the world by controlling the press and world economies. Henry Ford paid for the printing of 500,000 copies for distribution in the 1920’s. The book was exposed as a forgery in 1921. Nevertheless, Adolf Hitler used it as a basis for explaining the disasters that had befallen Germany – the losses of WWI, the depression -- (a conspiracy of the Jews), and based his policy of restrictions and extermination on it.

We talk and worry about the “radicalization” of certain youth. Do we remember the Canadians who took part in the Spanish Civil War? In 1936 Franco attempted a coup in Spain to overthrow the fairly new Spanish republic. Many of the world’s governments had a policy of non-intervention, and some actively supported Franco. (Sound familiar?) Thousands of volunteers (including nearly 1700 Canadians) from around the world flocked to Spain to join The International Brigades, and support the republicans. Some of these volunteers were unemployed, living in work camps (it was the depression), some were recent immigrants and had been subjected to discrimination including anti-Semitism, and restrictive government policies. Not all fit this mold, however. Norman Bethune, a Canadian doctor, as well as writers Ted Allen and Jean Watts were among those who travelled to Spain to help – Bethune in his profession and the other two to publicize the war.

Does anyone remember Students for a Democratic University? Students for a Democratic Society? The Weather Underground? These were all much more recent movements. The Weather Underground was an American radical group founded in 1969 at Ann Arbour University, an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society. The goal of “The Weathermen” was to overthrow the U.S. government. Opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favour of Black Power, the group took part in bombings and other actions, including protests, and the jail break of Timothy Leary.

I don’t excuse or condone the killing of anyone by anyone. Not the Paris attacks, not the air strikes in Syria that have killed civilians as well as fighters. Not the shooting of blacks or First Nations by police.

I think all countries need to focus on killing as a crime and treat the perpetrators accordingly, without trying to brand large segments of our population (who are by and large peaceful and law abiding) as criminals.

All countries need to look at how they treat immigrants, find ways to engage disaffected youth, develop jobs and alternatives.  Does anyone remember The Company of Young Canadians – a short-lived organization established by the federal government in 1966 to encourage, social, community and economic development? Youth volunteered and were trained in social animation techniques, paid modest salaries and sent around the country to engage communities in worthwhile projects. I also remember government grants given to organizations to work on these kinds of issues.

It seems to me that when the world gets difficult we have choices. We can hunker down and close ourselves off, hoping to protect ourselves and our ways of life, or we can open ourselves to change, to looking at the world in new ways, to finding partnerships and alternatives.

There will likely always be criminals, but there will also be good people with good ideas. They are all around us now. Let us listen to those who make us think critically and carefully, to those who search for cooperative solutions.

Let us not be ruled by fear, and let us read history and not forget it.