As IF Times

Source: Muhammad Ali ushered in the era of preening, swaggering athletes: Ted Diadiun | cleveland.com

Clearly, Ali was one of the greatest influences of his time and that influence carries past his generation to this present day.  As this is written, memorial services abound in honor of Ali’s life.  As far as fame and influence, it’s hard to argue with his worldwide recognition.  He was ground zero for today’s brash, swaggering athlete as the linked author notes.  He was the progenitor of that display of “in your face” bravado that is aped today by many pro sports personalities, from Richard Sherman and Cam Newton, to entertainers such as Kanye West.  It can’t be argued that Ali was the hero of most black kids of that era whose last great idol was probably Hank Aaron.

There is another perspective however.  Many will say that the coarseness  and brashness commonly displayed by sporting participants today diminishes the spirit of sport.  Maybe; but that’s what sells, so there’s no reason to back off as long as it pays.   There’s classy and there’s brassy; both work if you’re good enough.  It can be argued that the roots of aggressive Rap culture may have been inadvertantly influenced by Ali’s prose and demeanor.

Apart from bravado, Ali’s most controversial notes concerned his joining the Nation Of Islam and the related refusal to obey his draft orders.   This made Ali a hero to many constituencies.  Although he would later abandon the radical Nation of Islam to support a more passive Muslim ideology, his association gave that group credence and legitimacy because of his membership.  It can also be argued that Ali’s refusal of military service sparked the rethinking of the national conscience on sending  kids to war.

The preceding narrative are matters of fact.  The opinions about them are not. While at the moment, there is almost universal praise for Ali and his life, there are those that don’t think that his life achievements are as laudatory as everyone claims.   This is not, as some may posit, racist.  Years ago, an article was written exploring the nuanced aspects of Ali: Muhammed Ali, Racist.   Pointing out some of the less admirable aspects of Ali’s life does not make one a racist, any more than pointing out the many shortcomings of Donald Trump is racist.

In the reading of the flood of commentaries post Ali’s death, the majority are kind to his legacy.  History will properly remember him as a transformative figure.  That doesn’t make the detractors racists or haters.  Ali went through a very bad period and made some unambiguously offensive statements.   Many of history’s notable figures had significant character faults that were overlooked in consideration of their greater contributions.  People like John Kennedy, Winston Churchill and even the well loved Dalai Lama were/are just people.  People who knew them well enough will most certainly have cause to characterize them as sons of female dogs.  That’s not racism.  Oddly race never comes up in criticism of them. The constant use of that label as an argument trump card has eroded that label of any edge.  It usually means that the user has run out of legitimate rebuttals.

During his eventful life, Ali was involved with dubious people and voiced all kinds of things, not all of them admirable.  He was a boxer and as he famously said, “I just happen to beat people up for a living”.  He wound up being much more than just a boxer though; his actions elevated him to icon status.  Despite his formidable life accomplishments, he took many wrong  turns along the way like everyone else.  Idol or not, he will be blamed by me for giving birth to rap music.  As a final send off, I pen this little homage:

Hey you fools, my name is Ali,

I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,

I also make rhymes, ’cause I’m so smart,

It’s intellectual poetry, linguistic art,

Y’all can try, to do me better,

Not likely ’cause I’m the master of letters,

During my lifetime, I was the best,

Now I’m done, I’m laid to rest.

link Doomsday clock set at 5 to midnight – CBS News.

We last visited this doomsday clock back in 2010. http://asiftimes.com/2010/01/14/thats-a-relief/  Over the many years since they first brought out this metaphorical measure of human extinction back in the early 1950’s, you’d think that the purveyors would have worn out the skin on their hands from all the wringing.

While it’s hard to argue with the reality that since the 1950’s when only two parties had access to the big kaboom, today there are many nations with nuclear bomb making capability.  No longer the exclusive domain of the Americans and the Soviets, the new players include the 17th century nations of North Korea and Pakistan.  Pakistan of course got the bomb because arch rival India got it years ago.  Nations that house their people in tin roofed shanties nevertheless have the capability to ixnay their neighbors if they were to go all Richard Sherman one day.  Iran has aspirations to join this exclusive circle as well, so the players keep a-comin’.   Despite this arms buildup, it’s unlikely that any of them would be dumb enough to fire the first shot, since that would likely mean a large mushroom shaped cloud would in turn be directed their way in minutes not days.

The stated reason for the metaphorical clock is to warn against a “civilization threatening catastrophe” which in the day meant an atomic bomb event.  If you ask me, the word “civilization” strictly speaking  doesn’t just mean people in general, as those living in Syria, the Sudan or North Korea will attest.  There is no civilization if people are oppressed, enslaved, starved and unable to enact free will.  There is just a large majority being pushed around by a very small minority.

In nations such as those, there is no long history of democratic free will or the establishment of ‘civilized’ protocols for its citizens.  Education and information flow is both low and controlled, so people can be more easily repressed.   Instead, their histories are marked by autocratic rulers who determined the rules of society as they saw fit to enact.  Typically, violence is the preferred method of enforcement.  Life is miserable anyway, so nuclear angst is probably low.

Therefore when they talk about ‘civilization ending catastrophe’, they really mean western civilization, because in parts of the world where despotism prevails, no one spends their days worrying about anything other than getting through their day alive and fed.  However, even in the ‘enlightened’ western world, the angst of imminent doomsday, nuclear or otherwise, is a bit down the list of concerns for the average Joe, perhaps adjacent to how they get the caramel in a Caramilk bar.

Unless of course you are in the professional doomsday business.  While nuclear warfare may exist as a theoretical possibility, that dynamic has evolved into a circular firing squad, so the chances of an event are slim.  Over the years, numerous other imminent world ending scenarios have had their turn in the spotlight as the pending disaster du jour.   Remember global overpopulation?  Bioterrorism?  Today, there is  the possibility of the earth colliding with a wayward asteroid; massive volcanic eruption; or solar flares.  Let’s not rule out alien invasion.  Of course we can’t forget the current imminent disaster headliner; climate change.

I think that the doomsday crowd should pay some attention to the real civilization ending event(s) that are going on right now.  This dynamic has been going on forever and is as prevalent now as it has ever been.  As mentioned above, this is where the small minority are pushing around and enslaving the large majority.   It’s the dumb preying on the dumber.