While I absolutely love every episode of Hardcore History--I usually listen to them 30 minutes at a time while cooking or cleaning at home, they are too engrossing for my usual workday routine--this recent show covers topics that keep popping up in my life; the end of the world, technological vs ethical evolution, and the obsolescence of our current political-economic paradigm.
Having just watched Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States, Dan Carlin's take on nuclear weapon proliferation struck me as rather kind to the Americans central to the story, especially Harry Truman. Stone's cold portrayal of Truman as a bitter, small-minded person comes as a shock to someone used to the historical sanctification of US presidents. I did a report on Truman in 5th grade as part of a report on the state of Missouri and I don't even think I mentioned that he was one of the world's most successful mass murderers, responsible for the unnecessary deaths of 200,000+ Japanese civilians and celebrated for it to this day.
Having just watched Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States, Dan Carlin's take on nuclear weapon proliferation struck me as rather kind to the Americans central to the story, especially Harry Truman. Stone's cold portrayal of Truman as a bitter, small-minded person comes as a shock to someone used to the historical sanctification of US presidents. I did a report on Truman in 5th grade as part of a report on the state of Missouri and I don't even think I mentioned that he was one of the world's most successful mass murderers, responsible for the unnecessary deaths of 200,000+ Japanese civilians and celebrated for it to this day.
I have a personal connection to this topic as well. My grandparents, Harvey and Margeret "Peg" Walker, met at Los Alamos while working on the Manhattan Project (they weren't high ranking scientists or anything). They are the grandparents that always lived far away so I don't know much about their story but I will try to learn more from my grandma Peg while I still can. What would you want to know?
Nuclear technology has brought some good into the world. If anything it sparked scientific innovation and forced a conversation we needed to have. Placing the power to destroy our species in the hands of a single person was one of the first leaps in our evolution toward the unification of humanity, the fatal blow to tribalism and any hope for a return to our natural past. While the threat of nuclear annihilation remains, it was just a warm-up for the challenge posed by environmental and cultural collapse. These are problems that cannot be addressed effectively within our current paradigm. Once again we are up against an evolutionary cliff, except this time we can't win by simply not pushing "the button". The button has already been pushed, we have to diffuse the situation while the bombs are in the air. This will be our largest leap.
Bonus - This relevant episode of 99% Invisible came out recently too.
Nuclear technology has brought some good into the world. If anything it sparked scientific innovation and forced a conversation we needed to have. Placing the power to destroy our species in the hands of a single person was one of the first leaps in our evolution toward the unification of humanity, the fatal blow to tribalism and any hope for a return to our natural past. While the threat of nuclear annihilation remains, it was just a warm-up for the challenge posed by environmental and cultural collapse. These are problems that cannot be addressed effectively within our current paradigm. Once again we are up against an evolutionary cliff, except this time we can't win by simply not pushing "the button". The button has already been pushed, we have to diffuse the situation while the bombs are in the air. This will be our largest leap.
Bonus - This relevant episode of 99% Invisible came out recently too.
