History and Dubya

So, as I drifted off to sleep last night, I was composing an indignant letter to my "elected representative" about the oxymoron of "homeland security." But, this morning, I heard a bit on a morning news radio program that spares you folks from getting a preview of said letter. The news commenter said that Dubya is focused on being remembered in history. She continued to say that Dubya sees his legacy as one of being remembered for "spreading democracy." Immediately, the cynic in me scoffed (yes, actually made an audible scoffing sound) and muttered something about not being able to spread democracy if you're trampling all over at home. But then, I had a most horrifying thought -- Dubya and I aren't so different in our wanting to be remembered. Of course, I have my tiddy little work in my social change organization and my blog -- he gets people killed.

Having taken on the position of "observer" of the human state - I frequently wonder how the anthropologists of the future will interpret and regard the life we live now. Will they think we worshipped the televisions we had in every room? Will they think that we were lawless and violent due to our many "killings" for reasons as shallow as someone having cooler tennis shoes? What will they think of our society as a whole when they delve into our obsession with computers, child pornography, and personal web sites?

A side track: I read an article today about how increasingly parents and law enforcement types are becoming alarmed over the "easy pickings" for child molesters on web sites like MySpace and FaceBook. Apparently, these web sites are geared to teens and young adults by offering free and easy personal web sites. A local news station was able to fill out a story about a couple of young people who met a tragic end with information from their FaceBook sites. With MySpace, people who have sites are able to join "interest groups" and are connected with literally hundreds of other "young people" who have similar interests. Perverts posing as young people are joining, connecting with youth, building their trusts, and then violating them.

When I read about this, it made me think of someone I know who has a web site on one of these freebie sites -- this person is something of a loner who is socially awkward and lacking in close friends who last beyond the superficial. I instantly understood the appeal -- by having this site, this person can spend the hours others might spend with actual friends devoted to working on the site and "chatting" with people who will never know them beyond the superficial. You can state anything about yourself - make others and yourself think you have friends, social skills, and a life.

Back to the original line of thinking: so, what will anthropologists think of a whole generation of humans who substitute real relationships for fantasy ones? What will they write about our society that on one hand seems to ignore the less attractive bits of the human condition but can be rallied to donate to specific causes in the billions?

I wish I could be around long enough to see it. I suspect that my own little life will be too insignificant to worry about how history will record it. There is freedom in knowing that once I'm gone, I'm actually gone. Poor Dubya - I suspect, hope, that history will not be kind to him.