In a BOOKWORM post about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Book’s mother was in a Japanese concentration camp at the time–read the link), the discussion turned to the Japanese maltreatment of prisoners. I noted that Japanese treatment of Russian POWs in the Russo-Japanese war (1904) seems to have been quite decent, in strong contrast with their abominable treatment of just about all prisoners in the period…only 30 years later…beginning with the invasion of Manchuria and continuing through the Second World War, and I said:
“It is interesting and frightening how quickly a culture can change. If you were looking for a place to live in Europe in 1913, Germany would have looked pretty good…even (especially?) if you were Jewish. Only 20 years later, a significant % of the population was barking mad, and almost all of the rest were clueless or cowed into submission.”
Commenter Danny Lemieux, agreeing with the point about culture change, cited a Cherokee legend: the story of the two wolves.
One of the main reasons why Barack Obama is such a disaster as a leader is that he always chooses to feed the Bad Wolf.
Very good, thanks.
This book I read details how the Nazis changed German society – but then, using the Cherokee analogy most of the Germans wanted to feed the bad wolf.
http://www.amazon.com/In-Garden-Beasts-American-Hitlers/dp/030740885X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376151490&sr=8-1&keywords=the+garden+of+the+beasts
Didn’t realize in 1933 the SA had 100 locations around Berlin where they would torture – even kill – dissidents. And of course the SA was itself later devoured.
I have often thought of that Cherokee story – and how wise it is.
OBAMA HAS HIS FINGER ON THE NUCLEAR TRIGGER. HE HAS MADE SURE THE MEN IN THE SILOS WILL OBEY HIS ORDERS BY ELIMINATING THOSE WHO HAVE DOUBTS.
If he presses the botton, millions of white people will die, partially atoning for slavery. He will become President for Life.
He can think of no reason not to push the button. He and His family has a bunker. They will be safe.
Grey Eagle, I think that’s quite a stretch. Nuclear weapons don’t discriminate by race or ethnicity.
George Orwell, in “Looking Back on the Spanish War”, written during World War II:
“Before writing off the totalitarian world as a nightmare that can’t come true, just remember that in 1925 the world of today would have seemed a nightmare that couldn’t come true.”
and, a paragraph later,
“Consider for instance the re-institution of slavery. Who could have imagined twenty years ago that slavery would return to Europe? Well, slavery has been restored under our noses. The forced-labour camps all over Europe and North Africa where Poles, Russians, Jews and political prisoners of every race toil at road-making or swamp-draining for their bare rations, are simple chattle slavery. The most one can say is that the buying and selling of slaves by individuals is not yet permitted. In other ways — the breaking-up of families, for instance — the conditions are probably worse than they were on the American cotton plantations. ”
Note that even he did not guess the full extent of the change that had taken place.
And at the turn of the century, Vienna Austria may have been the most sophisticated, educated, cultured enclave on the planet. How quickly things can go to hell, eh? Civilization is a veneer. It is very easily damaged beyond repair.
}}} he always chooses to feed the Bad Wolf.
…And where’s The Doctor when you really need him…?
}}} Grey Eagle, I think that’s quite a stretch. Nuclear weapons don’t discriminate by race or ethnicity.
Reed Richards only WISHES he could stretch that much. *snort*
}}} And at the turn of the century, Vienna Austria may have been the most sophisticated, educated, cultured enclave on the planet. How quickly things can go to hell, eh? Civilization is a veneer. It is very easily damaged beyond repair.
Civilization is not a veneer. It is an ingrained aspect of what and who you are. A civilized person can, possibly, throw off the mantle in an uncivilized scenario, then put it back on when things return to sanity.
That not all members of civilization are civilized is not all that surprising. Civilization — especially the kind that developed in the 20th century — is a particularly NEW development in human behavioral rules.
I suspect that many of those who think it is a veneer easily tossed off would actually find people clamoring for it — usually themselves — when they experienced the lack of it. Most people couldn’t handle a life without flush toilets, much less an actual primitive situation.
It’s time for the 20th century to DIE.
The 21st should look for lessons to pre-20th.
Our own current disasterous and criminal government did not start out that way. The New Deal was well intentioned, it simply fell into the hands of monstrous children – who remain the same. The New Deal was developed and morphed from welfare state into National Security/Welfare state in response to mortal threats from Europe and Asia.
Starting in the 60s the intentions of the new stewards of the New Deal Administrative State fell into the hands of the malign and bad intentioned. It was then that politics changed: If you are in the American Majority your politics are simple:
GOD HATES YOU.
And starting 20 years ago with Clinton they branched into government as crime. The genius of Clinton was to realize government could no longer deliver and to privatise its’ core wealth transfer functions. At the same time he criminalized it – this is less known. These are the core constiuenticies that hold up our Court Party in DC.
Two Wolves Review: Grandfather LOST. EVERYTHING.
The identical mechanisms sans the military, which they do not trust to use against their own, are being employed to reduce us by divided sections to the identical state of utter and comprehensive impoverishment of soul and possessions of said Cherokee.
Or said urban enclaves – the Black Community.
Or increasing said Trailer Parks of whites.
All of us.
Remember the doom of the American Indian was written in 1675-1676 with King Philip’s War, when New England Puritans realizing they cannot be saved, they must be destroyed. A pattern followed again with the American south, Europe, Japan, the Rust Belt, the worlds money, and on and on until their is nothing left. For when the Puritans cannot save, they level. For these are the Levelers that were expelled by Cromwell and England and came here.
Now the Majority is openly in their sights, their counsels, their governance. Along with our precious liberties we sell for brass farthings of the dole.
So whatever the Cherokee and the others did, do not.
Without the Bad Wolf, there is no Wolf. There is a lapdog, a shell. The Fight is what makes the Wolf a Wolf. So step off Grandpa. You had your chance.
Feed.Bad.Wolf. He has work to do.
I doubt if Grandfather intended the two wolves to represent the Pacifist and the Warrior. Surely, the Bad Wolf is the one who preys on fellow members of the pack/tribe, not the one that one who defends the pack or tribe against outside predators.
Kinda at the point where any wolf will do.
We are not fed on by wolves, we’re fed on by bugs.
Good. Bad. As long as the indifference ceases.
And it was exactly Grandpa who surrendered the Republic. Exactly him. Except when he was the Grandpa who stole it.
Then sired monstorous children as heirs, whom he indulged until the end. They spit on and scorned every lesson he tried to teach them, tearing up the rules for ruling classes. He should have imprisoned them or sent them to the scaffold, he did not.
They learned Rules for Radicals when after all, they were the heirs. And that’s all they learned. The Great Rebellion of the 60s wasn’t, it was brats having a tantrum. Born on the In’s they are forever acting Out.
And here we are.
Most people couldn’t handle a life without flush toilets, much less an actual primitive situation.
Unless death is the alternative.
when you’ve got to poop in the woods, just make sure not to wipe with poison ivy.