C. P. Snow, reviewing a book of A. L. Rowse (The New York  
Times Book Review , December 24, 1961) on Appeasement  and 
the road to Munich, describes the top level of British brains and 
experience in the 1930s. “Their I.Q.s were much higher than 
usual among political bosses. Why were they such a disaster?” 
The view of Rowse, Snow approves: “They would not listen to 
warnings because they did not wish to hear.” Being anti-Red 
made it impossible for them to read the message of Hitler. But 
their failure was as nothing compared to our present one. The 
American stake in literacy as a technology or uniformity applied 
to every level of education, government, industry, and social life 
is totally threatened by the electric technology. The threat of 
Stalin or Hitler was external. The electric technology is within 
the gates, and we are numb, deaf, blind, and mute about its 
encounter with the Gutenberg technology, on and through 
which the American way of life was formed. It is, however, no