Jun 1, 2004

Kurt Vonnegut on America

Kurt Vonnegut has some interesting ideas that I mostly agree with.

One point on which I disagree: He says that there is “not a chance in hell of America’s becoming humane and reasonable.” This is one of many issues on which I don’t have a definite stand, but I can’t believe that we have no chance at all. I believe in the basic decency of humanity. Surely someday people will wake up and realize that they’re wrong.

I can hope, can’t I?

Posted at 10:03 PM in The World

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2 Comments

Matt at 9:23 AM on 6/2/04

Well, let’s try to remember here that Kurt Vonnegut has made a career out of being cynical. Humans are pretty homogenous; we’re all basically the same.

When Kurt says rather imprecisely that America doesn’t have “a chance in hell of..becoming humane and reasonable”, what he’s really saying is that humanity itself doesn’t stand a chance.

And he’s probably right.

By the way, I like the look.

Loden at 10:00 PM on 6/2/04

You make a good point, but the optimistic part of me still thinks that people, whether they’re Americans or other Earth-dwellers, will improve.

Thanks!