Johan Galtung: Understanding, Fighting & Overcoming Racism
TRANSCEND VIDEOS, 5 Feb 2018
23 Jan 2018
What does Johan Galtung think about Racism? It is very different from what Morgenbladet published after his lecture on Racism and Antisemitism. The journalist was not capable of distinguishing Prof. Galtung’s analytical vantage point presented assuming the points elaborated were his personal views. Asked how could this happen, Galtung says, “This is either deliberate contextomy or intellectual incompetence.”
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This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 5 Feb 2018.
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We seem to be entering a time of deliberate mis-understanding and obfuscation, obscuring of issues. Intolerance, unwillingness to see other perspectives. A hasty ‘jump on the wagon’ of intellectual degradation of thoughts and ideas. The media buzzes with quick extrapolations from a launch pad that doesn’t exist, blurred visions.
I wonder if the effect, long term effect of the machine, and its needs – efficiency, precise time management, its false economics, more consumers, absense of all humane functioning – and the addition of an ever interiorizing technology, upon society, and upon our human material (Veblen) is being seen now in the minds of people, who no longer have time or space within themselves to HEAR or even to seek to understand.
Name, gain, fame, all seem tantalizingly close of attainment with the illusions of ‘audience’ created through social media. The awakening of our ethical instinct through virtues as perseverance, honesty, morality, integrity, are off the table, out of the classrooms. Creating nobility for society is now a non-media issue, no longer enhanced by literature. People seem to have less interest or even capability to thoughtfully consider, analyze – the hallmarks of philosophers and scholars.
Add to this, the destruction of the Earth garden. Although most interact with Nature now through videos, our indivisibility does not go away. What happens to Nature affects us not only in terms of material survival but also our deeper reality of an irrevocable intrinsic spiritual bond – the oneness of all life that we share. We hurt Nature, we hurt ourselves.
These may be part of the reasons for the shocking, disappointing, and extremely short-sighted responses to Johann’s talks and works. The human material is under a siege of degradation.