Monday open thread—Quick thoughts on "Book of Mormon"

Yesterday I and the Gaybrarian went to see "Book of Mormon", the Tony Award-winning musical by the creators of "South Park". If you get a chance to go see it, I highly recommend it.

The plot revolves around a Mormon mission to a village in Uganda beset by a vicious warlord who demands that all women submit to genital mutilation. Don't worry, it's not as bleak as it sounds.

Without ruining the play, the people of the village get a rather unorthodox education in Mormonism from an unlikely hero. But it's this, rather than the orthodox theology which the Church wants to be imparted, which saves the villagers. Rather than imposing something on the villagers, Elder Cunningham gave them what they really needed.

In these times, that is a good lesson to hold on to. Many people in our political life are insistent on imposing their prescriptions on us "for our own good". They don't listen. The idea of not being listened to is what leads to populism of both right and left. When people feel they're not being listened to, it's much easier to snooker them into following someone who pretends to listen, but is in fact merely using them. As I wrote last week, we have a welter of people talking, but few who stop to listen. If we're to survive not only as a country, but as a species, talking less and being more attentive would be a good place to start.

This is your open thread.