Alan S. Austin
Arizona Playwright • Writer • Poet
  

TEACHING HOW SOCIETY COLLAPSED (7/20)

Governor Ducey signed legislation requiring our students to be taught about the Holocaust which is a welcome move, though a little late. It is also ironic given that this tragedy came about after Germany's leader had destroyed democracy with his brown-shirted thugs, burned down the German Parliament, co-opted the willing military into his plan to make Germany Great Again and rose to power on a wave of hatred for those not true blooded Germans. For someone who gave his support to a political leader trying to repeat such an exercise in the United States, I wonder what the Governor's motives are. Perhaps in a hundred year's time, an Arizona Governor, if there is one and a few people left who have survived the Great Drought, students will be taught how global warming came about which led to more pandemics, how melting ice-caps and glaciers completely altered the weather and water systems of the planet, how the coastal cities were flooded, how mass migration brought about the destruction of our oil-based society and led to millions of deaths. Lessons on the willful stupidity of the leaders might help. Like teaching the Holocaust, it should be a useful exercise for the survivors.