Allistair Cooke: 'Decadence vs. Vitality'

[bscottb8]

"Liberty is the luxury of self-discipline."

[mayflowerstein]

History will repeat itself.

[xarophti]

even more timely now than when originally filmed.

[Zappowx]

Always enjoyed his programe in the BBC

[fishbob1193]

I listened to his audiobook, was a full 24hours on American History, everything from Bull Run to WW2, from Spanish Colonization to De Salle's travel down the Mississippi River. Truly fantastic man and truly brilliant I advise anyone who has the means to do so get that audiobook it is fascinating. Also his talk here really does have some importance today, he was talking of the fall of America, well what one must say to that is that it is not a question of will it fall, but when.

[footballmafia62]

Unfortunately Alistair Cooke's remains were illegaly used for medical purposes.

Google 'Body snatchers of New York'.

[watayapupuya]

Little did he know what the filthy right-wing fascists (so- called "conservatives") would do to our society over the next 3 decades.He really wasn't as sharp as he seemed.

[garybsg]

Obama and Washington are winning and freedom and vitality are losing.

[watayapupuya]

@garybsg

But the filthy Cheney-Bush regime,and the stinking Republicans in general,were far worse than the pathetic Democrats.

[garybsg]

@watayapupuya we'll see what you think of Bush and Cheney when communist China takes over Taiwan and America is no longer free simply shrugs

[watayapupuya]

@garybsg Typical "conservative"(wink-wink) deviation.

Just what the hell does"communist" China have to do with the Fascist politicians who control the U.S.A.?

[garybsg]

@watayapupuya Bush is a fascist? Why? That's news to me.

[watayapupuya]

@garybsg

Well ,if its news to you,golly gee,I guess it really is time for you to wake-up finally,and start to learn how to educate yourself.There's LOADS of info out there.Real,verifiable ,documented facts.No.#1; Stop believing all the shit you hear on T.V. ,not only on FOX ,obviously,but all of that shit.Anyway,I do not have time to educate you.Do it for yourself!Good luck.

[garybsg]

@watayapupuya you should stop believing everything you hear on CBS, NBC, PBS and the New York Times. Learn to critically think and stop with the tired left-wing platitudes.

[watayapupuya]

@garybsg

I!!!!! should stop....????Left-wing platitudes?Ha ha ,you hopelessly incurable pathetic stupid fool.Hurry back to your Hannity and Beck before you miss any more of their insightful advice on how to think critically!

[garybsg]

@watayapupuya LOL just as I totally predicted my little leftist friend, you have no ideas just a head full of platitudes. "Bush is an idiot" "Cheney and Hallaburton are crooks" "hope and change" Oh no that's from the Obama fascist. LOL

[watayapupuya]

@garybsg

You pitiful fucking moron idiot!You are rambling incoherently.Deviating from the real issues , as is so typical of you so-called "conservatives"(wink-wink) .How the Hell do you get the idea that I am pro-Obama,you stupid cunt?Try to un-jam your head from your rectum,or rather ,your hero's, Hannity's!

[garybsg]

@watayapupuya "the first sign a man has no argument is when he begins to insult" :)

[findjinn]

Fantastic summation of our current internal polticial climate.

[clarkewi]

Wow. Is that prophetic or what???? The decadence won - as evidenced by passage of "Gay rights" in the military.

[Lamashtar]

@clarkewi Hardly. The desire to suppress those people are uncomfortable with--women, blacks, homosexuals--is just backward prejudice. The 'good old boys' are no longer wanted. The military emphasizes being professional now, in other words, self-restraint. We can't afford stupid cowboyism anymore. The stakes are higher than simple Empire.

[SteampunkPagan]

I think He puts a fine point on it. The sad thing most people will use his points to support their "Side".

Sadly "sides" do not fix problems.

[Bullettube]

The end is not near, nor is it especially inevitable, the American people may seem asleep, but the vast majority still have the dream.

Liberalism, the idea that people are more important then institutions, may be under attack, but sooner or later people will rally to protect their interests and not the interests of those who would defile our liberties. There are many false patriots, but the real patriots are those that believe that if some are not free then all of us can't be free.

[CONSVLTVS]

Today, many of the unfortunate conditions he identified have only worsened. Freakishness in the arts and dependence on government subsidies are clearly worse than they were in 1973. Worst of all, general permissiveness has grown beyond any point imaginable back then. Has there been a corresponding growth in vitality, something to balance the corrosion? I am sad to say I do not see any.

[MrPRLOWE]

That is one of the most eloquent diatribes against american and western decadence and consumerist greed i've ever heard and yet most people (sorry i meant sheeple) are totally oblivious that the age of greed and cheap produce are over. Mr Cooke could see the writing on the wall, we are finished!, i hope you all enjoy living in 'Eurabia'.

[itsaguinness]

Alistair is talking about 1973 while it really does define US in present time. sad.

[Drewh313]

The same could be said in many eras of American history. This is not new stuff. People will be saying it in eras to come.

[silverroka]

What a pity that this gentle but incisive wisdom has only been viewed 3000 times, while trash and sensation are viewed by millions. Cooke was a worthy successor to DeTocqueville.

[sosweetcaroline]

Well said.

I don't agree with everything Cooke says, but that's just the point: he invites intelligent, respectful discussion. I wish we had more of that today.

[thenickfaber]

Yikes. And they didn't even have reality TV in 1973.

[Tsuruta1]

@thenickfaber Actually, there was shows, although comedic, that were close to it, "Candid Camera", and "Kids Say The Darndest Things".

[jackster1212]

Powerful insight from *36 years ago*... wisely put.

[Ayuthya]

decline and fall, greed will get ya in the end...he has beautiful hands no?

[erroneousapostrophe]

This guy was a giant.

[jckchrstphr]

Fundamentally true.