Consider especially the last line in the Gombrich chapter.
Do we know enough of what people have done before to be able to make decisions about what they might do in the future?
How much do we understand ourselves and the role of information in our societies, our cultures, our nations?
Is our perspective of "the other" up to date, or do we still hold an outdated view of the world?
Where do we get our information about "the other"? Can we trust our sources? Is the "Economist" article to be believed?