History, and the Memory of Forty-Seven

It is hard to imagine that a time will come when we look back, some people fondly, some of us with horror, and remember the days we are living now, when today, this week, this month and year become history. I daresay this is something common to all generations, especially those which have seen war, pestilence and other political catastrophes, but we are living it now and that makes it special for us. The domination of society by a few hundred super rich, by dictators if not in name then in actions, and by commercial interests more interested in satisfying their shareholders with high payouts, than preserving the world they need for their, and our, futures. And aside from the political and capitalistic pressures faced by society, there is the third power rearing its ugly head again, if with a slightly new name and function: Christo-Fascism.

There should be no restrictions on religion for those who wish to follow it; their faith and the method of celebrating their faith is a matter for them, their consciences and – if such exist – their gods. Providing, of course, it does not impede the faith, the religion and the lives of others. Christo-Fascism, Christian Fundamentalism and Christo-Capitalism are, however, decidedly outside of the limited sphere of what should be acceptable, what should be tolerated. They are a plague on all humanity, and exist only to control, and to reap the benefits of their bank balances meekly fed by those whose belief is shrouded in a mist of ignorance and weakness. The belief that giving hard-earned money to those who have more than enough to supplement their own lifestyles was something banned by the Christian Church centuries ago: the buying of pardons; forgiving of all sins; the guarantee of a place on the right hand side of some deity in an afterlife. The only pardons which should be available are for those who repent, seek forgiveness and mend their ways – in or out of custody – and not those who pay their way into a television church or the party and personal political coffers of Washington D. C.

And yet we see this in the most obnoxious way high in the realms of power: false doctrines; money for jets, champagne and prostitution; hands stretched out to bless a man whose sole claim to religious fame appears to be that he can either hold a holy book upside down, or will sign it for a price. The person who prays in public, it should be remembered, prays to be seen, not to be heard by any higher authority (Matthew 6:5-15). And the reasons for praying go back much further, but are summed up by other well-known and respected, authenticated sources from the same time period:

Our ancestors in their wisdom, Conscript Fathers, laid down the excellent rule that a speech no less than a course of action should take its start from prayers: thinking that nothing could be properly and prudently begun by mortal men without the aid and counsel of the immortal gods and the honour due to them. Who should duly observe this custom if not the consul? And what occasion could be more appropriate for doing so than the day when by the Senate’s command we are called on to express thanks in the name of our country to the best of emperors?

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (Pliny the Younger, 61 – ca 113 CE) to the Emperor Trajan (Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 53 – 117 CE) in Panegyricus

To be honest, though, when we take a normal look – a magnifying glass is not necessary in this instance – and glance over events of the last few years, or further back if one will, the signs have been obvious. Subterfuge, money-grabbing, dishonesty in business and personal areas. In private life and public. Racism; disrespect for ordinary people; wilful disregard for the law; sexism; misogyny; sexual abuse, the simple subject headers belie a depth many cannot begin to believe. And then comes the period(s) of power, in the highest office in the land, with dictatorial control gained over not just the one country, but forced upon others. The opposite to all the good advice bandied about for two thousand years and more:

Here your chief concern was the public interest and not your reputation, for an emperor must learn to balance accounts with his empire, to go abroad and return with the knowledge that he must publish his expenses and account for his movements, so that he will not spend what he is ashamed to make known to all.

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, ibid.

But history is not the same without some memorial, and world history shows us countless examples of those who have achieved something great, and been recorded in the annals to have their name, actions and exemplary lives passed down from generation to generation, respected by many if not venerated by the masses. Every city has its monuments, its public record, often completed long after the subject has departed this life, left the earthy coil, and can gain no benefit whatsoever. Admittedly, there are plenty who raised their own memorials, be they tombs for all eternity, or philanthropic works for the public good, from their own funds, of course. And then we have those, rare, really few and far between, who have achieved nothing, or less than nothing, who have oppressed, stolen, cheated, lied even without political office, enslaved and murdered, and then erected some over-magnificent monstrosity in their own name. Their names are remembered not through the pristine annals of history with fondness and awe, but with shame. They are held up as examples of a way of life not to follow. They are the ones whose name we utter only when we need to show others that there is a good way, and there are the horrors remembered and linked to one name or another. Fortunately, compared to the accepted Good side of life, they are few and far between but, for all that, worse than many could ever have imagined. There are names throughout history used to denote the personification of Evil.

This, I think, is more splendid than any inscription, since your name is engraved not on beams of wood or blocks of stone but in the records of imperishable glory.

Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, ibid.

For those names we do not need stone memorials, arches, banners, buildings or art centres. The names, uttered reverently, are enough to conjure up an image of what is right and good. And in this one case, no matter how we look at it, when today becomes history in a few years time, we will add a name to the wrong side of the list. We will look back, those of us who have lived through this historical era, with a sense of hatred and resolve. Resolve never – in our lifetime at least – to let this happen again. And, if we are lucky, that period where it is to be assigned to the history books began this last weekend, and will be reinforced over the coming weeks. It may be a while before the final chapter is closed, but we can see, we can anticipate the ending of this grisly tale already. Providing, of course, the other characters now being introduced into the timeline, do their part and live up to the promises they have made.