http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1966
As always, Alex Shrugged's opinions are his own. Other people's work are their own. I include them here for the sake of completeness and to provide a second method of access to the material for the TSP history segment.
* Mao's Cultural Revolution is the End of Culture -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* Tarsis leaves the USSR -- Contributed by Southpaw Ben
* Time Magazine Asks, "Is God Dead?" -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* Notable Births -- See below.
* This Year in Film -- See below.
* This Year in Music -- See below.
* In Other News -- See below.
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Mao's Cultural Revolution is the End of Culture
Contributed by Alex ShruggedMao Tse-tung has become increasingly paranoid but even paranoids have enemies. Mao is the Chairman of Red China and he is trying to modernize his country, but he is doing it by killing off all the people he doesn't like. The current tally is running into the millions. (at this point figure 45 million.) As you can imagine, his subordinates are nervous. Will they be next? Yes. Mao is deeply suspicious of 4 members of the Polit Bureau and has them arrested for treason. They admit it because... I'm not sure why, but my sense is that they are so beaten down, they see no point in going on. Mao is freaking out. He wants only the most trusted around him, so he starts a purge. It's called the Cultural Revolution, but it is not a promotion of culture. It is a revolution AGAINST culture, and it begins at the schools. He accuses teachers of filling the student's heads with culture that will destroy Chairman Mao. He also makes exams illegal, and hands out free food to the students. It's a riot! Teachers are dragged out and beaten. Women are raped. Even at the middle schools, the kids are ready to fight to save Mao! This didn't happen all at once. He has been building a cult of personality aimed at young people, and now its paying off... for Mao anyway. [1] [2] [3] [4]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Some people suggest that Mao was reasserting his power with the purge. A dictator cannot exercise his power without subordinates that will carry out his orders, so he attacked them to bring them back in line. When President Obama took office I was worried that he was a Mao wanna be. He surrounded himself with political radicals like his communications direction, Anita Dunn, who praised Mao, and Ron Bloom who said that he agreed with Mao that power came from the barrel of a gun. (And wasn't there a Mao Christmas ornament on the White House tree?) I was also freaked out when little kids were singing songs about Obama.... just like for Mao. I was worried, but I wouldn't have to worry so much if the President (ANY President of ANY Party) didn't have so much power. So when I call for limiting the power of the Presidency, it is not because I distrust the CURRENT President. It's because I might not trust the NEXT President who will have the same power. [5] [6]
Some people suggest that Mao was reasserting his power with the purge. A dictator cannot exercise his power without subordinates that will carry out his orders, so he attacked them to bring them back in line. When President Obama took office I was worried that he was a Mao wanna be. He surrounded himself with political radicals like his communications direction, Anita Dunn, who praised Mao, and Ron Bloom who said that he agreed with Mao that power came from the barrel of a gun. (And wasn't there a Mao Christmas ornament on the White House tree?) I was also freaked out when little kids were singing songs about Obama.... just like for Mao. I was worried, but I wouldn't have to worry so much if the President (ANY President of ANY Party) didn't have so much power. So when I call for limiting the power of the Presidency, it is not because I distrust the CURRENT President. It's because I might not trust the NEXT President who will have the same power. [5] [6]
Tarsis leaves the USSR
Contributed by Southpaw BenValery Tarsis was a Russian writer who had become disillusioned with the Communist party in the USSR and wrote multiple books critical of it's practices. In 1966, he was permitted to emigrate to the West, and then had his Soviet citizenship revoked.[7] His best known book, "Ward No. 7", was a personal account of the realities of the Soviet mental institutions.[8] In it, he talks about how the doctors are abusing the patients, who are mostly political dissidents, rather than actual mental patients. He talks about how they are given random diagnosis, and then all treated with either the anti-psychotic drug aminozin, or an algogenic injection. After he was allowed to leave the USSR, KGB agents attempted to discredit him by attempting to make him appear to be mentally ill to western observers, thereby discrediting his scathing critique of the communist regime and it's "mental health" practices.
My Take by Southpaw Ben
I first heard about the idea of the USSR using mental health institutes as means of imprisoning dissenters from Prof CJ from the Dangerous History Podcast.[9] This reminds me of the modern US's mental health program taken to an extreme length. Like Jack, I find it absurd that we would dope our kids to make them sit still in class, while the schools do things such as cut recess from the schedule. I was recently talking to my 2nd grade teacher, and she was telling me how they only have one short recess a day, compared to the two we had when I was in elementary school, and how they have to follow an exact curriculum and have removed all the creativity from the job. She tries to help manage the kids by having yoga balls that kids take turns using instead of chairs. I look at this and wonder how doctors could be so blind to these aspects of the child's life, and just blindly prescribe them medication, instead of treating the core issues. But then again, I guess saying let kids be kids doesn't pay quite as much as the drug companies do.
I first heard about the idea of the USSR using mental health institutes as means of imprisoning dissenters from Prof CJ from the Dangerous History Podcast.[9] This reminds me of the modern US's mental health program taken to an extreme length. Like Jack, I find it absurd that we would dope our kids to make them sit still in class, while the schools do things such as cut recess from the schedule. I was recently talking to my 2nd grade teacher, and she was telling me how they only have one short recess a day, compared to the two we had when I was in elementary school, and how they have to follow an exact curriculum and have removed all the creativity from the job. She tries to help manage the kids by having yoga balls that kids take turns using instead of chairs. I look at this and wonder how doctors could be so blind to these aspects of the child's life, and just blindly prescribe them medication, instead of treating the core issues. But then again, I guess saying let kids be kids doesn't pay quite as much as the drug companies do.
Time Magazine Asks, "Is God Dead?"
Contributed by Alex ShruggedThe answer is "No", but since Time magazine never takes "No" for an answer, it gathers a number of theologians to address the question. There is a growing movement that believes that God is dead, and that Man has killed him. The secondary question is "If God is dead, how shall will build a theology without God?" Or if one believes in God, "How can we make God relevant in a modern world?" These are tough questions to answer definitively, but for a popular magazine to even address the subject betrays a major change in the mindset of the public. Why? Because a weekly magazine like Time isn't going to take too many chances in offending the public. Shocking the public? Sure. Offending it? No. This is also the first cover of Time magazine that appears without a picture... only red type on a field of black asking "Is God Dead?". Time concludes that it is up to the individual to determine, but most theologians are focusing on the cover, and not the content. Time marches on. [10] [11] [12]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Over the last century God has been set aside. He is still around, but now He lives in that brick building with the pretty windows. Science has taken His place. We throw a switch and "Let there be light!" When we get a disease, we run to a doctor, and not a priest. That is a good thing. Medical miracles need not destroy one's faith in God, but what does science means in relation to God? It means that God has provided a means to save ourselves if we will seek it. So what is the unbeliever to do? Well, there is no commandment to believe in God, but if you refuse to follow the commandments: thou shalt not murder, or steal, you are going to jail. (And if you commit adultery you might get shot.) Society criticizes religious pressure to conform, but secular society has its own pressure to conform. "Love you neighbor as yourself" has become "Love your neighbor or else!" I'm not going to accept everybody, but I'm willing to let them be, as long as they let me be what God wills me to be. [13]
Over the last century God has been set aside. He is still around, but now He lives in that brick building with the pretty windows. Science has taken His place. We throw a switch and "Let there be light!" When we get a disease, we run to a doctor, and not a priest. That is a good thing. Medical miracles need not destroy one's faith in God, but what does science means in relation to God? It means that God has provided a means to save ourselves if we will seek it. So what is the unbeliever to do? Well, there is no commandment to believe in God, but if you refuse to follow the commandments: thou shalt not murder, or steal, you are going to jail. (And if you commit adultery you might get shot.) Society criticizes religious pressure to conform, but secular society has its own pressure to conform. "Love you neighbor as yourself" has become "Love your neighbor or else!" I'm not going to accept everybody, but I'm willing to let them be, as long as they let me be what God wills me to be. [13]
Notable Births
- David Cameron: Conservative UK Prime Minister until recently. [14]
- Matt Drudge: Internet news pioneer. [14]
- Cindy Crawford: A supermodel who now sells furniture. [14]
- Shmuley Boteach Pronounced shih-MOO-lee boh-TAY-ahk: Orthodox rabbi, TV host and author of Kosher Sex. (A reasonable book--alexshrugged) [14]
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- -- In Music: Janet Jackson. [14]
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- -- In Comedy: Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live. [14]
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- -- In Sports: Mike Tyson and Troy Aikman. [14]
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- -- In Movies: Adam Sandler, Kiefer Sutherland and J.J. Abrams (director of the Star Trek reboot). [14]
This Year in Film
- The Bible: In the Beginning...: From Adam and Eve to the Binding of Issac. [15]
- Fantastic Voyage: Miniaturized scientists travel through the human body. Isaac Asimov does the novelization.. [15]
- The Trouble with Angels: Teenage girls are sent to a Catholic boarding school. Comedy ensues. [15]
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Narrated by Boris Karloff. [15]
This Year in TV
- Star Trek: It begins as real sci-fi, but soon becomes unreal. (I love it, but it does get silly at times.--alexshrugged) [16]
- Batman: A campy version of the dark comic book character. [16]
- Dr. Who (the Second): He transforms into the actor Patrick Troughton! [16]
- The 700 Club: A Christian variety program hosted by Pat Robertson. [16]
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- -- In Comedy: That Girl (Marlo Thomas), and The Monkees. [16]
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- -- In Game Shows: The Newlywed Game, and Hollywood Squares. [16]
This Year in Music
- Strangers in the Night: Frank Sinatra. [17]
- Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys. [17]
- And the Beatles dominate: "We Can Work It Out", "Yellow Submarine" and "Paperback Writer". [17]
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