There was an NPR story this morning, about the indigenous peoples of
Australia, which might make a good column. Apparently they want to
preserve their culture, language, and religion because they're slowly
disappearing, which is certainly understandable. But, for some reason,
they also want more stuff — better education, housing, etc. — from the
Australian government. Isn't it odd that it never occurs to such groups
that maybe, just maybe, the reason their cultures are evaporating is
that they get too much of that stuff already? Indeed, I'm at a loss as
to how mastering algebra and biology will make aboriginal kids more
likely to believe — oh, I dunno — that hallucinogenic excretions from a
frog have spiritual value. And I'm at a loss as to how better clinics
and hospitals will do anything but make the shamans and medicine men
look more useless. And now that I think about it, that's the point I was
trying to get at a few paragraphs ago, when I was talking about the
symbiotic relationship between freedom and the hurly-burly of life.
Cultures grow on the vine of tradition. These traditions are based on
habits necessary for survival, and day-to-day problem solving. Wealth,
technology, and medicine have the power to shatter tradition because
they solve problems.
-Jonah Goldberg, National Review
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