The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-26
PLAN OFFERED
TO END DRIFT
OF DEMOCRACY
Sociologist Mainta min g
Minds of People Are
Bar to Progress

NEW YORK, Feb. 26.-(uP)
America can save itself from Fas-
cism or Communism by setting up
a real democracy, DR.. Joseph K,
Hart of Columbia university be-
lieveS. -.
But the United States is not yet
a democracy, and has a long way
to 90 to attain the goal Of l776,
Dr.. Hart, an eminent socloloslst,
concludes in new book, Mind IN
Transition" published by CoVlcl-
Friede.
DR.. Hart is angry at the COM
mon statement that America has
only two alternatives: Fascism or
Communism. Why not, instead OF
resorting to these extremes, give
democracy a chance? he asks. In
q careful and scientific exposition,
DR.. Hart traces the history of the
human mind, and concludes it is
about time we stopped letting
civilization drift" and took our
destiny into our own hands. De-
mocracy, he argues, can DO lot
better lob than any social philoso-
phy the world is trying now.
PEOPLE DON'T CARE -.
The trouble is, as Hart himself
admits, that most people don't
care much what happens to the
world. What happens to them as
individuals is important. Democ-
racy, which implies an intelligent
solution to the problem of where
we as a nation are heading, IS
hard to operate. Most folks would
prefer to let some dictator DO all
the thinking for them. At least,
that's Dr.. Harris idea, which he
proved time and again in history.
Dr.. Hart argues that world evo-
luton moves so rapidly, that mans
mental capacity to absorb his des-
tiny lags. Science, created by the
mind, has become a tail wagglng
the dog. Teachers pass on to chill
dren only the pattern of a previ-
Gus existence. leaving them unable
to cope with the tremendous prob
lens which assail them in the
world. The game must be played
nv the old rules, which no longer
fit. As a result, critical mind
must be bootlegged," if it wins an
audience at all. ..
OFFERS 5-PoINT PROGRAM
So what? Dr.. Hart asks. He has
a five-point program to revitalize
American democracy so that Am
erica may work out its salvation,
accomplish an economy of abun-
dance for ALL" and maintain free
dom of speech and freedom OF
mind.
Here's the plan:
/. Draft our scientists to put
our economic house on an efficient
basis for today and for the future,
planning for the whole nation as
though it was the home commun-
ity.
g. Uproot everything undemo-
cratic from politics, and get the
people thinking about democracy
in terms of collective freedom for
everyone, rather than freedom for
individuals. No rigid legal consti-
tuition would do, of course. .s
8. Reorganize schools to teach
children how to live in their own
world when they grow up; not
how people lived in an obsolete
world.
a. Reorganize religion, discard
ing ancient traditions which DR..
Hart believes keep the people for
ever looking back, or keep them
awaiting a Saviour" instead of
saving their world themselves.
5. Reorganize minds to keep
pace with evolution, to accept ra-
Their than resist the changes con-
stantlv required by changing
world.
This last is the joker, of course,
as DR.. Hart admits. The book mar
rates time and again the fact that
human beings refuse TO allow their
lives. their religions, their tradi-
tons, and their minds to be up
rooted. But DR.. Harris plan for
| democracy would do lust that.