34

The Western world was at its peak at the end of WW II.  From the invention of the steam engine in 1712, to 1945, things had gotten better and better. True, there were some pretty big road bumps. World wars, for instance, but overall the direction was up. The big road bump was behind. The good guys had won. The bad guys had lost. International cooperation and world peace were on the agenda. Science and technology had provided wonderful war weapons. Who could doubt that peace and plenty was ahead for all?  And in that time of optimism appeared the great musical, South Pacific.

Many of that show’s songs are still with us: ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair’,  ‘Bali Hai’,  ‘Some Enchanted Evening’. The show was a triumph, as was the war, as was our democracy, as was our enlightenment culture. One song in particular showcased the optimistic view of human nature that had prevailed for two and one half centuries. In a context of wartime and racial tensions, Lt. Joe Cable sang, “You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear.” That sums up the modern view. Humans are naturally good; they have to be taught to be bad. 

Now the words ‘good’ and ‘bad’ have always been a little slippery, but in general they are clear. Cable was clear. He meant that we naturally like others no matter their color or citizenship. Hate, fear and prejudice, therefore, must be taught. What Cable does not make clear is, given that we do fear and hate, who did the teaching, how and why? 

All that can be said about Cable and his song is that he is 100% wrong. The truth of the human condition is that we must learn not to hate, but to love; not to fear, but to care; not to reject, but to treat others as we wish they “would do unto us”. If we want a better world, our guide should be, indeed must be, the words of Jesus, not the lyrics of Rodgers and Hammerstein.