Who are you?
Like most significant events of the past century, Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize can be seen in the context of the decline of Euro-American civilization. Obama was in essence awarded the prize for hastening this decline. He, like a relatively small group of other highly influential people, understands and is consciously guiding what is happening, whether for political, social, religious or financial reasons. Another group, which is much larger, is made up mainly of people who don't understand the big picture but who are eager participants in shaping it, either as true believers or fellow travelers. Most Czech politicians and opinion leaders fall into this category. A few in the second group understand what is happening but have almost no ability to defy it. A final group is made up of all the poor suckers who must pay the price of "progress," "just wars" and "temporary deficits." Where do you fit in?
Glossary of difficult words
to hasten - to cause something to occur sooner than it otherwise would;consciously - with knowledge or awareness of;
eager - wanting to do something very much;
the big picture - the totality of a situation;
true believer - a strict follower of a doctrine; one who adheres to a doctrine irrespective of the facts;
fellow traveler - a person who is not a member of a particular group or political party but who sympathizes with the group's aims and policies;
to defy - to openly resist;
sucker - a gullible or easily deceived person;
"just war" - used by Obama in his Nobel speech to describe the Afghan war.