Kennedy Lecture Incites Cynicism

---

   Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave a talk in the Fine Arts Building last Thursday, since he’s a noted environmental lawyer, his talk centered on the abuses that he is seeing regarding environmental abuses that he knows of in the United States.  

   The reactions after his talk ranged from an immediate discounting of his assertions (something I’m sure he expected since he is in a red state), to people asking why this was kept from them (statements that Kennedy predicted during his talk, I did mourn for the innocence that these people had to discard), to an immediate acceptance of everything he said (this was probably made up of people who came of their own volition, rather than those who came for extra points, I fit in both categories).  

   My own reaction was one of resignation and a dawning realization. Nothing he said came as any surprise, and nothing was so fantastic to me that I rejected it or even questioned it. I accepted everything he said as fact. The dawning realization was that the U.S. is in serious danger of becoming a dangerous joke. 

   Kennedy talked about how the U.S. has gone from being the most beloved country in the world, to the most hated. He gave no qualifiers, such as one of the most hated, we are the most hated country in the world, and we have become so in the last six years, since 9-11. Mr. Kennedy’s statement that the people of Tehran, Iran held candlelight vigils for the people who died during the bombing of the World Trade Center for three weeks-Tehran. Now Iran is in the “Axis of Evil” and is treated as such. The U.S. has and is now conducting itself like a gunslinger from the Wild West. Swaggering down the street, filled with arrogance, with the expectation that all would get out of their path or follow, through fear or respect.  

   A superpower that could be compassionate, slow to anger, but at the same time, a terrible force to reckon with if angered. Except now our compassion is waning, we anger more easily, but we’re still a terrible force if we’re angered. As in the case of the gunslinger in the West, they eventually found themselves seen as a danger and encumbrance to society’s progressing. As such, they were either phased out, or if need be, were violently removed from the equation. The U.S. is in danger of being seen, or is being seen the same way, a danger and an encumbrance to the rest of the world.  

   Make no mistake about it, if the rest of the world decides to confront the U.S. and there are some indications that this is happening to some extent, either militarily or economically, we’ll lose. No longer can we stand alone financially, if all the other countries withdraw their financial support (factories, banking, technical help, etc) the U.S. will collapse.

   However, we can collapse and take the rest of the world with us. How? We can continue as we have, with little or no regard for the natural world, or other countries, stubbornly maintaining that it (the natural world) only exists for America’s financial benefit, to petulantly demand that we receive more than our fair share of all resources, and if the rest of the world doesn’t like it, it can go to hell. It was an attitude that served the U. S. well during the latter half of the 20^th century, now it is quickly becoming antiquated and quaint.

   This is also what Mr. Kennedy and, since he’s also involved in conserving the environment, Al Gore allude to. But, let’s say, for reasons of argument, that Kennedy and Gore are wrong, but we react as if they’re right. The consequences will be that we will have cleaner water, air, and our natural resources will be protected. Yes, there probably be some immediate financial repercussions, but eventually those will be overcome, as we have overcome past financial crises.

   Now let’s look at what happens if they are both right. If humans survive, civilization will not go on as we know it. We are now entering a new society, the Information Society, and leaving the Industrial Society behind, it would not surprise me to find that the world digresses to either a horticultural or an agrarian society, in the event of the dire warnings of Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Gore are correct, since survival would be the world’s main consideration. 

   The rape of the Earth’s natural resources has to stop, and rape it is, forcible, controlling, and with no regard for the victim-the earth. I resent having the world’s natural resources stripped so that I can have a cell phone with a camera, $2.00 a gallon gas, so a CEO can get a million dollar or more bonus, so a company can boast about obscene profits, while at the same time justifying their strategies as being beneficial to everyone, or whining about their treatment when their hand gets caught in the cookie jar.

   My own personal opinion is cynicism about whether or not the U.S. will manage to stop their arrogant lifestyle and join the rest of the world before it is too late. Luckily, since I’m 53, I’ll probably be dead before any major negative repercussions hit the U.S., but those students who are in their late teens, twenties, could quite possibly find that that English, Psychology, Criminal Justice, etc. degrees are useless when your main concern is whether or not you’ll live through the day.

   For my part, cynical as I am, I will act as if Mr. Kennedy’s and Mr. Gore’s assertions are incontrovertible facts, and try to protect our natural resources, even if it’s only driving less, or recycling more. I will do my part to ensure that my children and grandchildren inherit a world worth having.

   For everyone’s benefit, I hope I’m being melodramatic, that Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Gore are wrong, that my cynicism is proved wrong, and that the world unites, including the U.S. and China (the other big polluter), in understanding that the Earth, as we know it, survives.

   Make no mistake about it, the world will survive, life will probably continue on, but humankind will either be extinct, or reduced to a very minor role. If this happens, then I can only say, good luck, to whatever comes after us, and hopefully they learn from our mistakes, we don’t seem to be doing so.

Have a comment? Please e-mail us.