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Is History Relevent Anymore?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by GrandFalconRailroad (U14802912) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011

  Via the Ethan character in his book, Microserfs, Douglas Coupland points out that the history of say the War of 1809 means nothing to the charcters (meaning the world at large) c.1993-4 because the world of '93-'94 has changed so much that it simply can't be relevant any more. I think the example, off the top my head he gives include the internet, telephones, calculators, microwave cookers etc.
  
  So thought the "War of 1809" might be interesting we can't actually learn anything from it?
  
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by TheodericAur (U14260004) on Tuesday, 5th April 2011

  Hi GFR
  
  Out of the points that you have chosen a cooker still cooks food, as does a fire – just quicker and the same goes for an adding machine which can crunch numbers quicker than most human minds.
  
  So we save some time – but what do we do with this saved time?
  
  Regarding telecommunications and the internet this is indeed revolutionary as is what they rely on – computers, satellites and electricity.
  
  Pause for thought might be given when you consider what happens if electricity fails – I think that you would quickly see the need to understand the relevance of history.
  
  The support that is electricity is particularly fragile (see Japan).......and in consequence so is our society....we need to address this soon.
  
  What is happening in Libya at present is reminiscent of earlier wars where a β€œhit and run” policy is being pursued by the revolutionaries against a larger force....plenty to be learned from history there....including power broking....
  
  Afghanistan is almost a copy of Britain in the Roman Empire, with the same tribal infrastructures and insurgencies.......and deaths
  
  History certainly is relevant – mainly because people refuse to learn from it even though they feel it is interesting .......
  
  Kind Regards - TA
  

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