New "ethnic cleansing" going on in the world, which in tone is not much different from our (i.e. white Americans of European descent) own policy of disguised genocide against Native Americans. I've been doing a lot of reading and re-reading in this area, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (both book and HBO film, which is not based on the book), the classic Custer study by Evan Connell (author of my favorite American novel, Mrs. Bridge), AIM stuff. It's a consistently depressing story.
Do governments, countries, ever own up to their atrocities? History revision is the ticket, not confession. But Norman O. Brown comes as close as anyone I've read to make sense of all this, in the big picture, and his perspective finds individual but not social salvation for our sins. My perspective is the zero-sum universe. Given all the extraordinary music and literature and art in the world, given all the random acts of human kindness, genocide, torture and other atrocities give the universe its proper balance.
One has to be selfish and protective of one's blessings. Or go crazy trying to "save the world." Or be Mother Theresa and try to save it anyway.
After I finish the Life Is A Nice Place To Visit chamber opera animation, if the gods grant me time, I may explore something I've been brooding about for a long time, putting Brown's themes to music and drama. I'd need more time than I may get. We'll find out.
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