Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it?

Question

Are we falling victim to this as a society today?

Serious answers only please.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I've always believed this to be a saying of great worth. Not only in the world, but in our personal relationships, our everyday life...
I believe we are falling victim to the mistakes of the past, in a way. Though we tend to always focus on the large events, ie the holocaust, apartheid....we tend to lose sight of the smalled events that led to them.
From early school age on we learn about, say, Rome...how it rose, and how it fell. We look at this as ancient history. Yet, in our own society today, we suffer the same internal conflicts, the same economic disparity. Why? Because that was then....
we cite our high level of technology, and the ease in which our citizens live, our advanced medicine, etc. as a base for our society being so much more whole, more attuned to the needs of man.
Yet, in the end, we overlook the small things, the discrimination that is rampant in our society, the capitalistic nature of our society which creates a very large barrier between our social classes. We focus on the poor, the ill, the downtordden of other nations (which is not a bad thing) but forget that our own nation suffers these same things. We rale against the abuses of foreign governments, never looking to our own which is full of special interests groups, and has come under scrutiny in a thousand ways, which we sit back and shake our heads at, yet do nothing about because we feel so powerless against the "power brokers" that infest it.
Take a look at Viet Nam and Iraq. Did we learn anything at all from our experience in Viet Nam? If so, why are we in the Middle East? Thats one good example.

Answer 2

In some ways, yes. I don't think you can really commit the same mistakes, however, given that technology (especially today) changes so rapidly, along with ideologies and (some) perspectives.

Rest assured that the while certain characteristics will remain in events such as revolutions or wars, different mistakes will certainly be made. It doesn't matter how much one studies history, because we are going to smack right into a "rock or hard place" situation eventually. It's a human problem.

Answer 3

All societies fall prey to this. It's sad, really, but so true.

Look at today's school climate. Of all the serious disciplines, social studies is the least respected. States test math and reading and now even science, but no one wants to step up and devise a standard social studies curriculum. No one wants to tell schools what kids should know. It's every school for itself, and while most schools do a great job, kids are still left with huge gaps.

We need longer school years, and more serious study. And it has to start in grade school. This "projects" that pass for social studies in grade school are leaving kids sorely devoid of any ground work in history, geography, or political science.

I had to define monarch to high school students!!!

Answer 4

Occasionally true, but not true nearly as often as many think. For the most part, I don't see this happening at any significant level. The exception is the global warming hysteria being stirred up, reminding me of the communist conspiracy days of the 1950's. A sliver of truth expanded into "facts" that have no serious substance, with immediate accusation of conspiracy against any who oppose the "movement", regardless of their merit.

Answer 5

Spot on.