Theos-Talk Archives (April 2004 Message tt00350)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Morten Nymann Olesen" <global-
theosophy@a...> wrote:


> b) And to me the book "Man: Whence, How and Whither" is nonsense
> and are filled with way to many errors. It will NEVER be accepted 
by me
> unless I am allowed as a "christian Thomas" to get a clear proof of 
that his
> predictions in it
> were absolutely true and didn't stimulate uwanted fanatical 
behaviour.
> I think, that Remarks about the future really never were 
Leadbeaters strong
> side.

Morten:

One of the fair principles regarding published works is that they are 
to be judged on their merit. Without apologising for CWL's writings 
nor trying to prove them right and true, I would like to bring to 
your attention two passages of the book mentioned by you. It is a 
record of investigations done at Adyar in the summer of 1910 by both 
Besant and Leadbeater, although the parts I am quoting refer to his 
vision of the future:

"The daily newspaper has disappeared - or perhaps we may rather say 
that it survives in a much amended form. To make it comprehensible it 
must be premised that in each house there is a machine which is a 
kind of combination of a telephone and recording tape-machine. This 
is in connection with a central office in the capital city, and is so 
arranged that not only can one speak through it as through a 
telephone, but that anything written or drawn upon a specially 
prepared plate and put into the box of the large machine at the 
central office will reproduce itself automatically upon slips which 
fall into the box of the machine in each of the houses. What takes 
the place of the morning newspaper is managed in this way. It may be 
said that each person has his newspaper printed in his own house. 
When any news of importance arrives at any time it is instantly 
forwarded in this way to every house in the community; but a special 
collection of such news is sent early each morning and is commonly 
called *Community Breakfast Chat*." (chapter xxvi)

Was he describing, in the language of his time, what we now call the 
Internet?

"Practically the whole world has federated itself politically. Europe 
seems to be a Confederation with a kind of Reichstag, to which all 
countries send representatives. This central body adjusts matters, 
and Kings of the various countries are Presidents of the 
Confederation in rotation." (chapter xxvii)

Was he describing what we know as the European Union and the European 
Parliament?

Pedro