Anthropocene Apocalypse – Aldous Huxley quotes on environmental catastrophe in 1944 – very prophetic.

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in 1944, in his book ‘Time Must Have a Stop’, Aldous Huxley clearly stated his philosophy on how we were acting like madmen in the short-sighted destruction of the environment for greed and wealth.

It starts with a statement about religious fanatics and politicians who are prepared to embark on war to create their version of a perfect political or religious state. Both of which are equally diabolic and repugnant. These enterprises all run on idealistic basis with uncertain results. Yet they sacrifice millions for an unpredictable outcome.

The bigotry, ignorance and fanaticism that rules our world is exemplified in the Islamic State and US Foreign policy, in the Israeli’s and Palestinians, the factions in Syria, Iran and Yemen, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Yet with the environment the results of are actions are utterly predictable.

Seventy years ago Aldous was explaining all this:

‘In politics we have so firm a faith in the manifestly unknowable future that we are prepared to sacrifice millions of lives in an opium smokers dream of utopia or world domination or perpetual security. But where natural resources are concerned, we sacrifice a pretty accurate predictable future to present greed. We know for example, that if we massacre the forests, our children will lack timber and see their uplands eroded, their valleys swept by floods. Nevertheless, we continue to abuse the soil and massacre the forests.’

‘Where we know quite well what is likely to happen.’

‘Those who the Gods would destroy they first make mad.’

 

Aldous Huxley – Quote about how religion and science are used for power, profit and trivia.

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Aldous Huxley Quote: Triumphs of Religion and Science

In his novel ‘Time Must Have a Stop’ Aldous displays his cynicism at how the greatest wisdom and achievements of man are perverted and twisted for political or commercial profit. He talks of religion becoming a tool for power and making money. He also speaks about how scientific invention, instead of being used to educate and advance our knowledge, is often used to produce trivial entertainment or disseminate political lies.

Faraday and Clerk Maxwell are two geniuses whose pioneering work on electromagnetism in the nineteenth century has given birth to the age of television and radio.

Here is the quote from Aldous:

‘Francis of Assisi miraculously upholding a Mystical Body that was also a political machine and business concern.’

‘Faraday and Clerk Maxwell working indefatigably that the ether might at last become a vehicle for lies and imbecility.’

It seems that the work of geniuses is always used to create profit by the shrewd and uncaring. The greatest inventions used to create mountains of rust instead of diamonds, the highest thoughts used to bolster personal gain and political lies.

 

Aldous Huxley – Middle East, ISIL, Palestinians, fanatics, jihads, crusades and revenge.

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Aldous Huxley – Time Must Have a Stop – 1944 – extract 2

This is another short extract from the novel ‘Time Must Have a Stop’ which Aldous wrote in 1944. It is also extremely revealing and still as pertinent today as it was seventy years ago – if not more so!

I completed a reread of this novel on the way back from London yesterday. It made me think.

He could be describing the hatreds, vengeance and continuing cruelty and bloodshed of the Middle East. Violence and atrocity breeds violence and atrocity. The hatred resounds down the centuries. The injustices are piled up in never ending heaps to fester down the centuries. Each new outrage is stored away for use when the opportunity arises.

Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Kuwait, Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Islamic State, the USA, Britain and the rest. One after another in a plethora of inhumanity, bigotry and unending revenge.

Here’s what Aldous had to say way back in 1944:

‘And all those treasures of knowledge placed so unhesitatingly at the service of passion. All the genius and intelligence dedicated to the attempt to achieve ends either impossible or diabolic.’

‘All the problems inherited from from the last crusade and solved by methods that automatically created a hundred new problems. And each new problem would require a new crusade, would leave fresh problems for yet further crusades to solve and multiply in the same old way.’

Aldous Huxley – Islamic State, the USA, Britain, hatred and revenge.

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Aldous Huxley – Time Must Have a Stop – 1944

This is a short extract from the novel ‘Time Must Have a Stop’ which Aldous wrote in 1944. It is extremely revealing and still as pertinent today as it was seventy years ago – if not more so!

It was as if Aldous was looking back through history, through all the wars, crusades, jihads, pogroms, revolutions and bloody massacres and then into the future.

We are that future and the picture has not changed. There are the same idealists, fanatics and idealists believing they can bring their own brand of utopia into being throught violence, cruelty and destruction.

Utopia never comes out of violence, hatred , power or greed; it comes from peace, love and happiness.

Strange isn’t it?

This is what Aldous had to say way back in 1944:

‘Silliness and murder, stupidity and destruction. And the motive was always idealism, the instruments were always courage and loyalty – the heroic courage and loyalty without which men and women would never be able to persevere in their long drawn suicides and assassinations.’

He might have been talking about the brainwashed armies of the Islamic State with their lust for war, revenge and wish to impose their views. He might have been referring to the suicide bombers, and the cruelty, greed and hatred that fuel their vicious campaign. He might have been referring to the intolerance, bigotry and perverted dogma deployed as the power seekers manipulate the fanatics.

 

The dirty work is always carried out by idealistic believers duped by the evil powerful. It was always thus.