Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 2:02am
Winking at immorality when it suits us
Column: Spiritual Psychology
We don't like anything that rains on our pleasurable parades, be they fantasy parades or real ones. In the steroid "scandal" athletes have been morally condemned by the media, the sports establishment and the fans for trashing the "authentic" records of past sports champions that stood on the firm foundation of raw natural ability unblemished by artificial enhancers. At the same time, though, we have conveniently neglected the information that casts at least a question mark about the use of enhancers in the past — were the "clean records" real or fantasy? As I pointed out last week, athletes throughout history have sought to improve stamina, strength and muscle mass by whatever means were available. And the fact that one of the earliest sanctions against baseball players was for sloshing down whiskey from a bottle or flask during games certainly should make us wonder about the "all-American" image of yesteryear's heroes — at least some of them.
Also, the current indictments, driven by a narrow vision that focuses on one aspect of the problem of performance enhancers, have not incorporated the perspective of the athletes who after retirement (or earlier) are left with lifelong disabilities, compromised lifestyles, and in some instances (football players, in particular) shortened life expectances due to injuries from the abnormal demands on their bodies.
The primary consideration of the sports establishment is to please the fans at whatever cost to athletes, while taking the moral stance of concern for the health of athletes, and the children who might copy their immoral and unhealthy behavior. But is this really about morality and taking the moral high road? Or is it about playing to the crowd to fill seats while neglecting the real health needs and interests of players (as I outlined last week). We want our entertainment and are quick to ignore or dismiss whatever interferes with it — we readily wink at immorality when it suits us.
I was reminded of that popular human quirk a few years ago on a tour of Turkey, when I visited the popular Istanbul tourist attraction the St. Sophia Church. Built by the Christian Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD, it is also revered by Muslims — it became a mosque after the Turkish conquest in 1453. Now it's a museum. This huge masterpiece of Byzantine architecture was a 10,000-slave job requiring the participation of 400 slave masters. It was completed in the record time of five years. Given enough slaves, there's no telling what superhuman feats you can achieve.
St. Sophia is just one example. There's a mind-boggling number of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Arabic monuments strewn all over Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa — mostly slave-constructed.
Some estimates say that upwards of 100,000 slaves worked as forced labor for decades to build the Great Pyramid at Giza.
The Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful architectural works in the world, was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Construction started in1634 and was competed 22 years later. Built at an enormous cost (equivalent to more than $500 million by today's market price for gold), it employed a huge workforce — probably not slaves — that labored under harsh and dangerous conditions for measly pay — and there were no bonuses at the end. Much to the contrary: "So delighted was Shah Jahan with the result, that he ordered that the hands or thumbs of many of the builders be amputated, so that they'd never be able to build a monument more perfect than his wife's mausoleum."
Another revered wonder of the world — the Great Wall of China — was begun during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) using slave labor: Emperor Zhou "used peasants, captured enemies, criminals, scholars, and anyone else who irritated him, and put them all to work building the Great Wall. Laborers were not paid for their work. It was slave labor." The construction of the wall proceeded through the Han, Jin and Ming Dynasties, spanning a total of 1,700 years for completion of the 3,700-mile wall. Over the centuries other emperors followed in the tradition of using slave labor. The astonishing number of workers that were enlisted for the project is indicated by the equally astonishing death rate: "Historians believe that the emperor's feat was accomplished at a cost of perhaps as many as a million laborers' lives. It was also achieved at the cost of great economic suffering on the part of the peasants." We can now understand the sound reason for the old Chinese saying "Each stone in the wall represents a life lost in the wall's construction."
The ancient Greeks, as well, gave "civilization" dazzling architectural wonders. And the Greeks were undaunted by the inaccessible terrain where they often built — modern builders wouldn't dare. But for the Greeks, difficult had an entirely different meaning than today. Difficult only meant more slaves. And everyone benefited from these projects — except the slaves. Slave masters financed wars to get more slaves and were paid by the emperors who got immortality; for the generals there was glory and power. Perks for the soldiers were your usual routine murdering, pillaging and raping, with some sport beheading and disemboweling thrown in for fun.
Tourists today travel the world to witness and celebrate the wonders of "civilization" largely founded on immorality. But who can think about that during a pleasant stroll along the Great Wall or while imbibing the intoxicating fragrances in the magnificent gardens of the Taj Mahal? Will you pain over the suffering of slaves on your exciting climb to the temple of Apollo in the mountains of Delphi, or when beholding the awesome pyramids at Giza? And who cares about the human cost when many of these projects were for "the greater glory of God," or the delight of humankind?
Back in our world we are ready to tear down records based on violations of "natural ability." But are we ready to tear down structures built on unnatural punishment and torture — and construct over them repentant memorials using union labor?
Perhaps Capt. Louis Renault at the end of the film "Casablanca" offers the best guidance. After witnessing Rick (Humphrey Bogart) kill the Nazi officer, he instructs his police to "round up the usual suspects." But in the case of our moral lapses, who are the usual suspects?
Beware of mirrors that may provide the answer.
In case you missed the last two articles on the sports "scandal":
What is 'natural ability'?
The psychology that pushes steroids
(My book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" is now available at Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble.com and other major book outlets.)
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the president of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy and is the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Bernard Starr.
Also, the current indictments, driven by a narrow vision that focuses on one aspect of the problem of performance enhancers, have not incorporated the perspective of the athletes who after retirement (or earlier) are left with lifelong disabilities, compromised lifestyles, and in some instances (football players, in particular) shortened life expectances due to injuries from the abnormal demands on their bodies.
The primary consideration of the sports establishment is to please the fans at whatever cost to athletes, while taking the moral stance of concern for the health of athletes, and the children who might copy their immoral and unhealthy behavior. But is this really about morality and taking the moral high road? Or is it about playing to the crowd to fill seats while neglecting the real health needs and interests of players (as I outlined last week). We want our entertainment and are quick to ignore or dismiss whatever interferes with it — we readily wink at immorality when it suits us.
I was reminded of that popular human quirk a few years ago on a tour of Turkey, when I visited the popular Istanbul tourist attraction the St. Sophia Church. Built by the Christian Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD, it is also revered by Muslims — it became a mosque after the Turkish conquest in 1453. Now it's a museum. This huge masterpiece of Byzantine architecture was a 10,000-slave job requiring the participation of 400 slave masters. It was completed in the record time of five years. Given enough slaves, there's no telling what superhuman feats you can achieve.
St. Sophia is just one example. There's a mind-boggling number of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Arabic monuments strewn all over Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa — mostly slave-constructed.
Some estimates say that upwards of 100,000 slaves worked as forced labor for decades to build the Great Pyramid at Giza.
The Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful architectural works in the world, was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Construction started in1634 and was competed 22 years later. Built at an enormous cost (equivalent to more than $500 million by today's market price for gold), it employed a huge workforce — probably not slaves — that labored under harsh and dangerous conditions for measly pay — and there were no bonuses at the end. Much to the contrary: "So delighted was Shah Jahan with the result, that he ordered that the hands or thumbs of many of the builders be amputated, so that they'd never be able to build a monument more perfect than his wife's mausoleum."
Another revered wonder of the world — the Great Wall of China — was begun during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) using slave labor: Emperor Zhou "used peasants, captured enemies, criminals, scholars, and anyone else who irritated him, and put them all to work building the Great Wall. Laborers were not paid for their work. It was slave labor." The construction of the wall proceeded through the Han, Jin and Ming Dynasties, spanning a total of 1,700 years for completion of the 3,700-mile wall. Over the centuries other emperors followed in the tradition of using slave labor. The astonishing number of workers that were enlisted for the project is indicated by the equally astonishing death rate: "Historians believe that the emperor's feat was accomplished at a cost of perhaps as many as a million laborers' lives. It was also achieved at the cost of great economic suffering on the part of the peasants." We can now understand the sound reason for the old Chinese saying "Each stone in the wall represents a life lost in the wall's construction."
The ancient Greeks, as well, gave "civilization" dazzling architectural wonders. And the Greeks were undaunted by the inaccessible terrain where they often built — modern builders wouldn't dare. But for the Greeks, difficult had an entirely different meaning than today. Difficult only meant more slaves. And everyone benefited from these projects — except the slaves. Slave masters financed wars to get more slaves and were paid by the emperors who got immortality; for the generals there was glory and power. Perks for the soldiers were your usual routine murdering, pillaging and raping, with some sport beheading and disemboweling thrown in for fun.
Tourists today travel the world to witness and celebrate the wonders of "civilization" largely founded on immorality. But who can think about that during a pleasant stroll along the Great Wall or while imbibing the intoxicating fragrances in the magnificent gardens of the Taj Mahal? Will you pain over the suffering of slaves on your exciting climb to the temple of Apollo in the mountains of Delphi, or when beholding the awesome pyramids at Giza? And who cares about the human cost when many of these projects were for "the greater glory of God," or the delight of humankind?
Back in our world we are ready to tear down records based on violations of "natural ability." But are we ready to tear down structures built on unnatural punishment and torture — and construct over them repentant memorials using union labor?
Perhaps Capt. Louis Renault at the end of the film "Casablanca" offers the best guidance. After witnessing Rick (Humphrey Bogart) kill the Nazi officer, he instructs his police to "round up the usual suspects." But in the case of our moral lapses, who are the usual suspects?
Beware of mirrors that may provide the answer.
In case you missed the last two articles on the sports "scandal":
What is 'natural ability'?
The psychology that pushes steroids
(My book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" is now available at Amazon.com,Barnes & Noble.com and other major book outlets.)
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches "Spirituality in Film" and leads "The Spiritual Forum" at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the president of the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy and is the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" has been published by Rowman & Littlefield. He can be reached at {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Bernard Starr.