From: ed@somewhere.in.the.uk   
      
   I meet a lot of people who say" Ah, the past is past. It's no more than   
   a hindrance to all we want to do. Let it go."   
   I always say "No". Hold on to it; it's your best guide".   
   Take the Soviet Union; dedicated to reforming human nature, from   
   selfishness to social togetherness. And what happened when it collapsed?   
   Oligarchs and capitalist nest-builders swamped the nation.   
      
   Those who know nothing of history are condemned to repeat it. That   
   sounds very Jean Paul Sartre, but in fact is was George Santayana' best   
   maxim.   
      
   New humans sprout from seeds unaffected by a knowledge of history. They   
   have other concerns; how to thrive and flourish in this world of   
   downtrodden-ideals. And that doesn't include any knowledge of previous   
   rises and falls. They fashion their upward-momentum with scant knowledge   
   of human history.   
      
   What pays dividends is the goal. First knock out the opposition, then   
   bellow loudly.   
      
   I'd appreciate the opinions of other people who've given time and grey   
   matter to this question.   
      
   Ed   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)