In Warren's Words

Evil as Entertainment

The further in time one gets from World War 2, its savagery and ruthlessness, the horrors of the holocaust, the destruction of cities and the senseless massacre of millions of soldiers and civilians, the more the memory begins to resemble a filmed entertainment complete with make believe pain and what passes for realism and authenticity.

One begins to see a growing army of doubters and deniers alleging that the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis were exaggerations for purposes of propaganda by the allies who needed to portray the Nazis as Neanderthals.

The changes in perceptions, despite all the historical data, the endless documentaries and books attesting to the abject cruelty of the Nazis and their allies, the laws that Germany has enacted to prevent such a bestial catastrophe from happening again, are beginning to find traction in the old and new media. We no longer turn away in horror, but often observe these events merely as spectacle, a performance by others for our entertainment.

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In Warren's Words

We Have All Been Googleized

When no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq, a segment of the American public called then President George W. Bush a liar. His administration countered that most intelligence agencies of our principal allies believed, too, that Saddam Hussein had such weapons.

I do not believe that President Bush was lying. But I do believe that some cunning character in the intelligence chain had contrived the falsehood in such a way that it gained credence throughout the world, aided and abetted by Saddam who must have been enjoying the charade until it blew up in his face.

That was eight years ago. Since that time technology has moved ahead at warp speed and it would be doubtful that such a lie could be perpetrated so flawlessly. Indeed, the recent killing of Osama Bin Laden illustrates the point. Technology is making it increasingly difficult to get away with a cunning lie.

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In Warren's Words

Can I Please Talk with Someone who Speaks American English?

Has anyone out there had this experience?

You put in a call to customer service of a company whose stated goals are to correct problems, field complaints, offer instructions or make reservations for airlines or hotels or whatever. This service is advertised heavily and assures the customer that all inquiries will be prompt, efficient and helpful.

An automated voice will prompt you to make decisions that will hasten your inquiry and either attempt to correct your problem by pushing buttons or, if a live agent is busy, politely ask you to wait. Many of these automated services will give you a heads up on how long it will be before you are connected with a live operator.

Most of us have accepted this impersonal process and have put up with it despite the frustrations and one-sided inability to react to a human voice connected to a human intelligence.

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