Heroes Not Zombies

Now feels a good time to share this old clip from Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” movie.

We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

This is such a positive view of humanity. Quite different from the one we are fed daily in the media. We have lost our way (maybe we were never on it?), but we can find our way now. The reality is that this is one small shared planet. Everything we do is dependent on contributions from others, past, present and future. Everything we do affects others. We are not separate, self-standing, “units”, surviving only by being stronger and more violent than anyone else.

You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural!

We are not machines. We are not machine-like. The organisations we create to educate and care for each other are not factories. They shouldn’t be run on the principles of industrial capitalism. But rather on the basis of humanity, compassion, and even, yes, even that old idea of professionalism and a “calling”.

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Dictators, and, I’ll add, “Strong men leaders”, “free themselves but they enslave the people”.

Ultimately this is a positive, hopeful rallying call to live our lives differently, and to create the political and social structures which will counter greed, hate and intolerance, structures which will promote happiness, compassion and beauty.