(My last blog post while at Punganur...)
I was reading history this morning... just because it was so enticing. The text was about the situation in Europe just prior and during the two World Wars. Of course, was aware that history is never as plain and direct as it appears on paper. There are many dimensions to it and not all get recorded. Much depends on the one who is writing it. But all the same, history is always fascinating.
Reading the text in hand made me realize that we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We learn basically nothing from the past. Just one point about wars. The same today, as it was then. The decision for going to war (either within the country or with the neighbour) which subsequently led to the World Wars, was of the leaders. And who paid the price for it? The common citizen! And he/she paid it dearly. And what was the reason for going to war with some other group or nation? Mere trifles! While people of the country suffered for want of food, medicine and peace, the rulers (one after another) sustained the war. Perhaps if the political leaders were a bit more educated and humane, they would have realised the difference between merely being good and being great.
I was reading history this morning... just because it was so enticing. The text was about the situation in Europe just prior and during the two World Wars. Of course, was aware that history is never as plain and direct as it appears on paper. There are many dimensions to it and not all get recorded. Much depends on the one who is writing it. But all the same, history is always fascinating.
Reading the text in hand made me realize that we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We learn basically nothing from the past. Just one point about wars. The same today, as it was then. The decision for going to war (either within the country or with the neighbour) which subsequently led to the World Wars, was of the leaders. And who paid the price for it? The common citizen! And he/she paid it dearly. And what was the reason for going to war with some other group or nation? Mere trifles! While people of the country suffered for want of food, medicine and peace, the rulers (one after another) sustained the war. Perhaps if the political leaders were a bit more educated and humane, they would have realised the difference between merely being good and being great.
A good man would act boldly and courageously, bring victory and spare lives. A great man would have stopped the attack from happening at all... a great man would have stopped what he knew to be wrong, no matter who was ordering it. (from the movie, Prince of Persia, The Sands of Time)
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