The Middle Ages burned its heretics and the modern age threatens them with atom bombs.
Interpretation
The quote critiques society's treatment of dissenters throughout history, contrasting past and modern methods of repression.
Harold Innis highlights a grim evolution in how society deals with those who hold opposing views. While the Middle Ages resorted to physical violence by burning heretics, the modern age metaphorically threatens them with the destructive power of atom bombs, suggesting that contemporary society continues to suppress dissent, albeit in more technologically advanced and devastating ways.
In practice
During a debate on free speech, this quote could illustrate the consequences of societal intolerance.
The overwhelming pressure of mechanization evident in the newspaper and the magazine, has led to the creation of vast monopolies of communication. Their entrenched positions involve a continuous, systematic, ruthless destruction of elements of permanence essential to cultural activity.
There is no problem of human nature which is insoluble.
Memories are like mulligatawny soup in a cheap restaurant. It is wiser not to stir them.
The true objective of war is peace.
We could not guard every water pipeline from being blown up and every tree from being uprooted. We could not prevent every murder of a worker in an orchard or a family in their beds. But it was in our power to set high price for our blood, a price too high for the Arab community, the Arab army, or the Arab governments to think it worth paying... It was in our power to cause the Arab governments to renounce 'the policy of strength' toward Israel by turning it into a demonstration of weakness.
When we grasp that we are unworthy sinners saved by an infinitely costly grace, it destroys both our self-righteousn ess and our need to ridicule others.
Ever building, building to the clouds, still building higher, and never reflecting that the poor narrow basis cannot sustain the giddy tottering column.
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