Peace, love, creativity: Hope of mankind; The age of our discontent, part one

From the Great Hall of the Cooper Union in New York City. National Educational radio presents the Cooper Union forum series on peace love and creativity the hope of mankind. These programs were recorded by station WNYC. Here now is the chairman of the Cooper Union forum Dr. Johnson. A fair child. Gentlemen welcome. You know the far off your chairman just on a ferry to make you the great all of the cover you know where we are continuing with our program on peace love and creativity which we hope to do with the hope of man and the subject for discussion tonight. Is the age of Arc just coming 10. The sphincter muscle will work. As an officer radio TV the brows were broken here in the forum on previous

occasions and in addition to these brilliant performances. May I just mention background something loudy from Harvard College you know that something which I was a somebody die tomorrow what would you like to have I think I would like to have a summit called loudly from Harvard and the I don't know why. In any event the gentlemen with us tonight does have it. He earned it. His background also has to do with Baltimore with his favorite business. As you probably all know as one of the better known publishers of writers of business and comes from a long family of publishers just five years just back from the West Coast where he has been going over all kinds

of research we're very delighted to allow so we could get to the Cooper Union this evening to talk on the topic of the age of our discontent. Still well thank you. I have I want to thank Cameron. Gosh I didn't get it come out it. But it wasn't us. Come Laddie and I think that I too would like to die with some of them. Or maybe have them of come out of my eye and thought of a pack opening for this discussion of discontent and why I feel good contented but.

I became involved today with a new book that some of you ma'am heard about and it seemed to me after part of beginning on this happy you know this is the book. Report from Iron Mountain on Monday. Affability and desirability of peace and it was revealed that diet time to love the way deals next Sunday and the time that it is not part of a report that is made by a Washington study which winds up with the bullion that paved might be profitable but it is not desirable from any point of ills such as economics and it doesn't do a great deal of detail the report it is done to a realistic way that many people thought it was real. The New York Times revealed on Sunday with the security of the

time it was morning and the next Sunday. Thought I had enough that it doesn't quite say whether they think it's real or not but it is a full on let down on the kind of survey that we're getting there. And at the same time it's kind of been a factor. On the world that we live in the car the fact is and then I just want to give you the benefit of the tone of it in the final hour. They have a review that comes out next Monday on this peculiar report that is enough for the app I have chosen an app for all. But the expression of an enormous pessimism about the drift of the fire is that a part of the grim joke of his book that he may only think that here that invented his study such a group may in truth even now be working once the fact

that in the immediate aftermath of a nuclear war the committees will be creeping out of their shelters to upset the consequences of map massive. Social power somehow or other this. Time don't report being with the guy is that him. Oh and some of the vast. Discontent that exists in our world today and that fact way in America. Who did it and and what. I would say that to die we are living as never before in an era where almost everybody is just contended that nothing and I mean deeply deeply and basically I think we'd get them turned the map to the new level. After that no let it get contended that everything

in a factory. Anything that smacks of being the Savage Land the right the new right. I might at least pretend the big conservative a really hear them rather than the new right is against mightily against saving our own. From subversion and the time of two of them if they read that letter from the New Right and they center. Is a little bit upset everybody left and right. Little bit of sanity and I think a little bit of a tentative complaint. So there we have my kind of cross section of what we're looking at and we see there's good content flooding up in a violent lighting up in riots on the street lighting up in my discontented you know

proud of the darkness and that makes a great Sunday for the rest of the world a lot lately. Protest marches them that it is Bryan and leave clubbing in plastic bags. We've killed the old Think of all of them long as these things are right. Sure they're frightening to everybody and everybody will go into telling you what the cause and a mob of the all do agree we can agree that there was a lot of thought that involved the ground right now. And I would have waited. They have they can really say they're going to save a lot of money by cutting out more and I think that when you're not to think they don't

look carefully you'll see how logical we live in an era where we have lived in the world. Except the death of a crowded under crowded with good teachers that are going to pot. And I do mean we have an economy that is almost totally today on war and credit. And I would not be surprised. One day that the than advertising and planned a new kind of revolving credit plan. That when you've got a war don't use it out of. The other night. I'm not trying to be flippant. I am a little bit you know the other night and I will do it. Active can you can learn a lot from cab drivers. And this one was a very angry angry of women. I'm a mess down there right now but women.

I hate Oh I hate all of you do you know my wife you know what I do with my wife I have a Right now I put her up against a wall and I drive never drive her right. Well that's what I do with them they do only I can't because I love her. And anything I mean anything to make this. I'm going to tell you that nobody and nothing mean nothing anymore. It was all a little bit louder. I thought of that when I listened to Mr. Humphrey the other night saying how he believes in this and he said that the art of the knife and also that he didn't think we should do it and to that anybody who is opposed to life to think we really meant it. Pretty hard to take if there are logical human beings. I

actually the way I feel about things that I've I've become totally not part of. I'd like something to work out properly. And decently according to some kind of principle it seems to me to make a lot of people fight or die that this rebellion which we'd be around when they're just content is simply not part of guilt. Young people are acting like a young people already and I don't think of him a lot. I think of the challenge that we face today as opposed to a different kind of challenge and we never think. That I don't think the rebellion is just a rebellion of the young. I think if the event you know a great many people and a great many things one of the thing that really bothered me the other night at a gathering of people and one woman talking about it keep it. I just can't see a lot any young

man would not want to go out and be a hero. Why. When we're in such a great struggle against communism What difference does one human life make. And somebody said but not. Isn't that what we say we're fighting the whole thing because we believe that every human right does make a difference and they don't. And with absolute inconsistently all that wonderful life through. You know you completely did not care about a moment Pope or when we will live to die. Examining death then you know that you know that the product of a totality. Of many did it in their final revolutionary for that run deeper

than ever any we've ever had before in our country because. It involved the whole fabric of America that we've come to see that examined life into the fabric has settled. That are tearing down what we have ripping down leave the priestly role tearing down the tattered word that we used to believe in the THINK WE PUT THEM IN GOD WE TRUST is a lovely motto. And there are millions and millions of people who do really say that there are a handful of need but not much more. When you come down. To the grips with the truth. You'll find a few very brave wonderful people really mean it.

Sometimes I think of Hop and then I live with will make that. Kind of faith just taking that one little seen in God really means. You remember oh I suppose the story of the flood Kaplan who went down on a walk everywhere what to giving their life jacket for the man. Now I happen to think of the other day because I was thinking about my good friend Dan only the father of one of those chapels. Left doesn't matter what you mean the damn bowling along with the religion of any of those faithful that leave they leave off and that one thing at that moment. I turn over their life jackets for other people and they feel they're right and we will back up by telling you that I will get out of.

I'm the kind of thing that does the breath of the leaf you know thing in the day the only thing to go on. I thought of another one on the way down here and I was thinking about this and I thought I'd mention it. You remember right meant that all of a most serious business leaders bank with you. Neither of them are right nor around London today and have you looked at the newspapers have you known it. We will lend you everything I don't know I think you describe we go through an entire life without pain and think if you took all of the things that are around other people offer that then your money. I've got one for my vying for it and I hope to be married right then and everything I've learned everything that. And tonight they sent me a list of places where I figure that that's about that thick. I think you have about 50 thousand plates of the New York City that I can buy things

that I could go through I think and by the by I have a 30 or no not for anybody found out when I was doing the thimble. The idea of being ripped apart. I don't want to download at the mythic but actually it is there for world we called our. Our. Ship is denying profit the family. We don't know what will be left and will never be and reveal to me the rebirth at the present time has a red and green flashing. Psychedelic.

Biped and. A little research into the nature of the find them very amusing. Five sideline for example the left talked about the tablet and so many times when we let the left right get out somewhere again they are happy when it rears the dollar sign that our pattern time we're planning cuddling that as we lash out. We are lashing out at us now because we are the average man began to reply this is one of the peculiar irony of life. I was out in San Francisco and then I went

over to Haight Street. They'll be here where they don't call hippie and we talk to some of the people over there and one time would tell me how I'm happy that way every time. I call family I believe and Danny was one of the rails in real value one of the real happy. He kept that one day you got word that his. Father the big grand owner the wealthy have already. Found money left and now is running the tap back home with all of you. Well and Live to help. And then in that same place then another day the death

of the. Ne morrow. How would you read come up part of a community life. Particularly true in the world the more the day anything goes back the fact that our young and I was talking to some of them out there about it. One of the two that we have more than you will do it too that occasionally some of these girls get the phone. And it's true that we really don't give a damn about the O o the you know when I feel it don't you sometimes feel a little bit like I'm only a lot. But if we don't realize one what we've done and I do believe you have anything anything to anything and you know that you're going really well. Nothing of real value. The on the.

Phone. That I was talking to sitting there on the Hill looking very good to know you can think of that you can remember. But. That's the way life. And I looked at them and I felt kind of funny. And just at that moment it happened that a man and woman walked by and I guess they were. Why not kill ya. All. A little ball. Maybe a little way to Maryland. But. They were holding hands and those that I looked out of the way he looked at me after they ducked by that but I mean do you realize how much they miss. I looked at the. Top. And I looked at that walking along so obviously happy and confident based on what probably lived a rich a life. And then they lived there. And I couldn't explain it away.

Well there's another kind of gift in the discontent that turned to a. Narcotic drug related of any new invention or combination of chemicals I was starting to affect prior to the night before I left about this and he said Well that is one area that will take care of itself because this form of the case has it own built in time bomb. Little did Roy. Goes through all of that. And that in turn and going to Detroit. The hippie movement and the rule that you can't buy. Now. Well now what the fuck hot. Perhaps the greatest thing seemed to me is

that in fact now our own willingness to look. AT I have failed and I have one example of that is the so called great issue. By that I mean the treatment that we have given to 20 million of our family. We have heard generation call that tells the nation Oh man I really in need and we have for those Name Generator know that this is not and never. Get into the debt. Oh we have made some progress. We have reluctantly retreated step by step in the place of the negro peoples demand

very well. We have cried the day we will legally give you the chair. We will integrate the school to take three students this year and maybe next year will take three more. Thanks gradually will work at our route. None other than the ENT and co. that we are biting and will continue to be in the middle of the battle which may get much worse. You know rape or what. We call the thing that happened in the three riot but many of the dream of one of them incorrect. Now what are we going to do about it at night. Going to do nothing nodded to the negro had done it all and I have to say that although I don't like to riot in the street and no I object to violence. No I oppose

it as any kind of method of obtaining anything. I can understand the fraud. I can understand the anger of the negro when he is one of the prime ministers of Iraq. And yet how many others have Negro read advice of how often can we really get down. And chat with a close intimate friend of another race. I bet if I were there and I get married more often than not I have to admit that I might have very ill I know that that is true of most people don't know

that. I'm glad we have a Lol that say that I have raised a lot of people are illegal. There are areas of the city where there are no white people the wrong white people are afraid of those. Other areas. Then I know the negroes are not allowed to. Have rent a pop can buy. Now this is a fact that we write about little and don't read them leave. Dan Rather daughter Mary didn't exist and it was almost. Shocking. To see and hear the fires that follow. There were no editorial saying God bless the

couple there were there was very little comment at all in the press it with is known. The tough thing that happened. Where we are we're not going to rock the boat and I'm going to play anything bad here. It's just that I keep plot and the only thing that I had with it them pretty horrible. Felt guilt about the idea that. Dean was. Like going to commit to the diving that is what I do now if somebody of another race that kind of that kind of kills but nothing that had anything but a near enough. But some of us feel deeply about human beings are a little discontented that on one side of the world we are we are telling our you to die of freedom over here we're going through a ritual of legalistic but the

violent gangs get. Our. Day over here and if you don't a little bit farther here the various areas. Of discontent in the world. For example we I just say that with the fact that the population explosion did vote for a man that there is within our lifetime the possibility of offending within that of that truth that there were rules Pemberley be on able to support the number of people who live on it. And yet one of the great religions of the world. Tragically it is a great but ended in this tragedy that religion is battling very far to wreak pain on that land.

And. Try to stop the good people of over population. Is it out. There. And so. We would. Bring a. Million people in the world. Who would die off and they're dying right now. On the three. Cities of India dying in the gutter. In the Far East and we would add to that in the name of religion or religion if our friends than the point of pride I that case try to do it just now. To. Back to our reality of chemistry of faith act the right religion has really just did it and it already did it. The olive. Until it is hardly recognizable to

death.