Fascism is real

I've been listening to history
Tales of fascists trying to take power
But not just the oft-told tales from Germany
And, well, not just from some long past hour

The Nazis were villains. Monsters.
And it's easy to spot monsters right?
And it was evil folk that let them prosper?
And they only meet at the dead of night?

No. They had families. Many went to church.
They played sport and some sung in a choir.
They weren't deformed, didn't cackle and lurch.
But they fanned flames that were just embers, high and higher.

They told sweet lies that you weren't to blame
They gave you a scapegoat, an other to attack
They made them less human, and felt no shame
They used language that seems to be coming back

Maybe we wont take this path. We could be fine.
But Ukraine shows warfare is possible, even in the "civilized" West.
History is filled with people who did cross that line.
And I'm worried we're putting that line to the test.

***

Inspired by, well, a lot of recent events. But also specifically by "Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra", a podcast about how Nazism almost took hold in 1940s America.

Learn from History

Most times, when we learn from history, we learn from its mistakes
About the falls, about the slips, about the cracks and about the breaks
"This is the ego that lost the battle, that made the empire fall"
But let us not forget that there is more that we must call historical

We do not record in ancient tomes the smiles shared on a weary morning
And while I think that it is right that we write down all the tragedy and mourning
It should not be eccentric to look at jokes and parties and songs and plays
Or appreciate the leaps inventions had to take even if commonplace today

If we do not appreciate how smart and brilliant our ancestors have been
We may fall into the folly of ego by thinking of our ourselves with a sheen
I do not think it is purely doom to repeat that which is done in the past
Though care should be taken to ensure any repeated step is not our last

Progress is fantastic, but when we ponder why such progress was not made before
Let us find a real answer, such as the difference in technology or prevalence of war
Not simply that it was beyond our parents parents parents parents intellect
Because I've read some of their stories and I'm filled with respect

Simply know that the grandparents of grandparents were not savages
I would loved to share a tale or two despite the difference of our ages
While I'm not ignoring advances in medicine or equality that we've done
I still want to pay my tributes to the steps to help us be who we've become

History: The Day History Ended

It was one of those days where everyone remembers where they were when it happened.
The only difference between this and similar days is no one remembers where they were just before.
You'd be standing there, a day like any other you've lived recently
And then you'd forget exactly what you were standing there for.

Being akin to the universal feeling of momentary forgetfulness
You'd continue walking, hoping the situation would resolve a.s.a.p.
Nothing would come to mind though, as you'd walk further
Explanations would distort beyond a simple 'silly me'

You'd remember your name, and you're current state
You'd know who your friends were and how you felt about each one
You'd just have no idea about the experiences you'd shared
You'd forget each and everything you'd ever done

Humanity reacted unanimously in the same way
And after the chaos and glory of the following year
Life was restored to mostly normal
Or as normal as it ever really gets around here.

It was understandable though, the impulse with which we seized that year
We had the chance to re-make the fun mistakes we'd been forced to learn from as adults
The only rule for the whole year was that you weren't allowed to do anything important
As the world was no longer wise enough to deal with any catastrophic faults

Thankfully, the sewage system was fully automated, as was a surprising amount of everything else
Decay due to entropy definitely did occur, but it was not as bad as anyone had feared
Sure, there might have been a few extra fatalities, but it was fantastic for the most part
We explored ourselves and the world. Nostalgia would ensure this year was revered

We would remember with wonder the year that we forgot
With no one questioning if it was because there was something we needed to leave behind
No hints were left. We'd successfully wiped out all record of our past selves
Except a clock counting down. It's locking a sealed letter in a transparent safe. We can't wait to see what we'll find...

History: The History of Compassion

Humanity often fails to admit that its past isn't great
We've become kinda lax with learning that of late
So lets rewind to the common ancestor we share with apes
To remind us how far we've come (as of this date)

It used to be simply survival of the fittest
And though it might seem painful to admit this
The selfish gene was our means to survive
Looking out for number one is what kept us alive

But then slowly, slowly, we started to adapt and change
We realised intelligence, and something most strange
That we were stronger as a community than we were alone
And thus the seeds of civilization were finally sewn

There was still an advantage to be at the top however
Thus bred global insecurities and personal paranoia
It is clear that fear is what drove those with power
Virtuous mercies and compassions were no norm that hour

Ethics and moralities developed so we could live together
It became within our interests to shelter others from bad weather
Still acting for personal gain, but now it's not quite the same
Because we advance from helping others without shame

Now we're getting around the present day
Arguing personal responsibility in various ways
That some people were just born to thrive
Competition and battle is what makes us strive

I'm not going to say whether or not that is true
But it's important we don't sacrifice progress we've gone through
There is a beauty in compassion not often told
So let me extrapolate how our future should unfold

Quite simply, continue linearly on our path
Learn to love one another so we can chat and laugh
Emphasise how working together is how we inspire
Because compassion is what elevates humanity higher.

History: Personal Histories

I am merely the sum of my own histories
I won't bore anyone with already done stories
But know that each hi-story narrates my tale of today
Which will add to the adjective of tomorrow in it's own special way
While this consciousness is nothing less that so many temporal transactions
Each decision that's each day given leads to more important reactions

Why I acknowledge I learnt from the college of my own fair past
It seems frivolous to learn a limitless syllabus I will never outlast
Yet in my squalor of a mind I'm a scholar (but will never be a graduate)
I search these historical tomes in my cerebral home so my writing elevates
As I write the transcript of my transit through this strange wide world
I feel like a passenger on a stage as I see each page unfurled

Life is quick it doesn't stick in one place
There's no limit to the range of the danger you can face
I am just one present who is meant to rely on what I've already done
My previous tales making up the details that makes me someone
Yet, following this trend this history is soon to end and go
To add to the scroll and make the whole of the me of tomorrow

History: The Greatest Event in History

It was the oddest encounter I'd had since my birth
Many years of research had led to this point you see.
But I finally managed to make my mark on humanity.
The first human to ever speak to the Earth

I wondered what on Earth the Earth would say
Would it critique for how we treated the environment?
Would it tell us the purpose for which humanity was meant?
Or would it make small talk then go on it's way?

Would it be impressed with all we've done?
The fact we've harnessed the Earth, to power our homes
The fact we've recorded our history, written at length in tomes
Or would it hate us with a rage of the Sun?

I said my greetings, and waited for the Earth to reply
In a deep slow voice, it spoke only a few words for our existence
"Oh, I thought I felt something. I have to say I admire your persistence
Well, best of luck. But don't get your hopes too high..."

It was then silent and I realised our vanity
We need the Earth, but we're not a symbiotic pair
It's not that it doesn't want to, but that it can't care
For such fleeting an instance as humanity