When history repeats itself

NBS Nightly News with Ted Philips, March 11th 1970

This excerpt from a 1970 edition of NBS Nightly News (anchored by NBS stalwart Ted Philips) features a special report from co-anchor Jim Sizemore looking back at first ten years of Dr Manhattan.

Well who was Doctor Manhattan..

After an experimental accident, scientist, Jon Osterman was transformed into something rather non-human and over a short four years he became increasingly detached from humanity as a whole. Eventually he disavowed any interest in human affairs and rejected the validity of any notion of morality. He even gradually abandoned clothes.

His ability to see the world outside of time led him to embrace determinism. Doctor Manhattan had been identified as something of a God-figure even dying once and then resurrecting himself, he gained near omniscient knowledge and almost omnipotent powers, and in his final moments with us walked on water and then left to create human life somewhere else.

For all his god-like power though, he was as flawed and human as the rest of us, having his own difficulties with his personal relationships. In some ways he personified intellect over emotion. His existence, to no small extent, shaped the entire history and society of the world since he was brought into existence. However, because of his aloofness and somewhat nihilist philosophy, he was also vilified by many, which in the end erased him from the known history and our collective memories.

Unfortunately in too many ways the overwhelming adoration that has been bestowed upon Obama, over the last two weeks, sadly reminds me of the early days of the now departed doctor.



JAWL

Video from The New Frontiersman