I just heard an interesting quote - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart occasionally surprises me! The quote's by this fellow Ambrose Bierce who I'm sure every one on Earth's heard of but me:
"War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."
Speaking from my own experience, there may be some truth behind this quote. At the last millenium's close I had only begun to be aware of the world, its peoples' geography and vast interconnected history. And the events of the past several years, largely defined by war, may have quickened my curiosity and learning curve. My pursuit of knowledge may have been more lackadaisical if these events had not occured. But, to be fair to myself, I am speaking hypothetically.
At any rate, and without a long-winded rhetorical flourish (not feeling particularly prosodic), meditating upon my research project is leading me to believe that there is, and has been, another way for Americans to learn geography: curiosity, academic or otherwise. A cause for hope? - Don't know; just meditating here. But I am ever grateful to programs (such as UNH's IROP, which I must plug in a later entry) that encourages such (here, academic) curiosity, not only broadening the horizons' of young students but building strong connections across borders.
This Bierce fellow has a number of interesting quotes, some very similar to the aphorisms of Nietzche or Montaigne. Two more:
"What is a democrat? One who believes that the republicans have ruined the country. What is a republican? One who believes that the democrats would ruin the country."
"A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms agains himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it."
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