#What's Old Is New Again - Sacrifice To The Population Control Throughout History

[jbk405]

The worst retcons in Star Wars

While I’m riding high on the finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (No I am not crying....I cried it all out last night) I have decided to compile a list of the worst retcons to the Star Wars franchise.

Why?  I dunno, I’m a crotchety old nerd who likes to complain about decades-old stories.  Do I need another reason?

In no particular order:

Making Emperor Palpatine a Sith

It’s been 21 years since The Phantom Menace came out, so for an entire generation of nerds he’s always been “Darth Sidious”, but we old-timers remember that for the 22 years before that there was no connection between the Emperor and the Sith.  The term “Sith” itself was present from the earliest iterations of the first film and was used in some promotional materials and tie-ins and toys, but it was solely connected to Darth Vader as a Dark Lord of the Sith.  The Expanded Universe built a specific philosophy and history around the Sith as a concept, not just as a catch-all term for darksider, and that history explicitly didn’t include the Emperor.  There was even hate and schism between the Sith and some other Dark Side philosophies, and even those who didn’t use the Force at all.  In The Truce at Bakura, an EU novel that began the day after Return of the Jedi, an Imperial governor initially dismisses the Rebels’ claims that the Emperor is dead as propaganda until they say that Vader is the one who killed him.  That he believes, and even says how foolish it was for the Emperor to have trusted a Sith.

Even without going into what Dark Side philosophy the Emperor did follow, having Vader as a Sith and the Emperor not helped flesh out the universe by showing that even amongst the totalitarian despots there were different factions.  Just like Hitler and Mussolini each had their own brands of Fascism, they can work together while still being distinct.

Introducing the concept of the Chosen One

People often forget that Darth Vader wasn’t the main antagonist of the original Star Wars film, Grand Moff Tarkin was.  Vader filled the role described as “The Dragon”, the enforcer and primary legman, and the threat they had to bypass so that they could destroy the real threat.  He was a lackey.  A cool lackey absolutely, who grew into the primary antagonist in The Empire Strikes Back, but still a lackey.  And despite how cool and badass he is (And don’t get me wrong, he is a fantastic character and one of the best villains in history) there’s nothing “special” about him within the context of the Jedi and Force users in general.  He does not have any significant advantage over Obi-Wan Kenobi in their duel and is obviously completely unprepared for Kenobi to become One with the Force at his loss (And it is debatable if he even “won” at all given Kenobi’s deliberate self-sacrifice).  When he and Luke duel in ESB he definitely has the upper hand throughout their entire fight, but only as somebody with more experience and training, not because he is Magically Superior.  By the time of ROTJ Luke has even surpassed him despite only three years of experience.

In the Original Trilogy Vader is portrayed as a dangerous, powerful, and skilled opponent, but never as somebody POWERFUL.  Never as somebody whose strength or control over the Force is legendary, who is heralded in prophecy.  Yoda performs feats with the Force that Vader never comes close to equaling.

To go back and say that actually his affinity the Force is the greatest that the Jedi have ever seen, even greater than Yoda himself (BTW, I’m including the midi-chlorians under this header) makes no sense.  To say that he was the Emperor’s #2, helping run the entire Empire right from the moment of its founding, contradicts the original film itself where he was lower on the chain of command.

Darth Vader, and by proxy Anakin Skywalker, was a good enough character without trying to shill his background all to hell.

The impending threat of the Yuuzhan Vong

I’ll be upfront, I never liked the stories with the Yuuzhan Vong in and of themselves (When they started coming in is right about when I stopped reading new EU material).  The New Jedi Order just didn’t grab my attention.  But what really riled me up was the way the EU tried to backfill the Vong into the franchise history by saying that the entire rise of the Galactic Empire was to prepare for their arrival.  That Palpatine knew they were coming, and since the Republic would have been incapable of standing against them he took over so that the galaxy could present a strong, unified front against them.

This is something I actually see a lot of in fiction, and it pisses me off each time: The evil despot actually had noble goals because they knew of an even greater threat and they needed to take control in order to deal with it, because a dictatorship gets things done.  You even see this in real life when people try to say that for all Hitler’s faults you have to respect that he made Germany a powerhouse that was this close to conquering the world, and that Mussolini made the trains run on time.  Not only are these examples patently false (Nazi Germany never was “this” close to winning the war, and the trains never did run on time in Italy), but they come with the tacit endorsement that maybe their evilness would be worth it for the benefits.

The Galactic Empire explicitly wasn’t a Super Efficient Society.  We saw time and again how wasteful the Empire was with its resources as it squandered them on inefficient superweapon after superweapon, how it laid waste to planet after planet for the purposes of propaganda.  The Empire was so inefficient that it was able to be toppled by a ragtag band of rebels who had nowhere near the resources, population, wealth, or control it had.  If the Empire couldn’t even defeat the Rebellion, just how was it supposed to stand against the Vong?  And if the explanation is that the Emperor had been seduced by his own ambition and forgotten his original “noble” goals, why would other characters who knew the truth have gone along with his wanton oppression even after his death?

Trying to give the Empire a “reason” for existing was self-contradictory and borderline offensive.

Having the Clones fight for the Republic

I’m very much in two minds over this one, because as bad as the original retcon was other creators have managed to turn it into genius (Looking at you Clone Wars and The Clone Wars).  But I’m nothing if not petty, so...

The Clone Wars were one of the eras that had not been discussed in great detail in the EU before the Prequels came out, instead only being vaguely alluded to.  George Lucas was already talking about making more movies and they didn’t want to contradict what was to come.  But even with only those vague allusions, it was established that the Clones were the bad guys.  The Clonemasters were regarded monsters who unleashed hordes upon the Republic like a swarm of locusts or a plague.  The Clones themselves were often unstable, and regarded by the populace as soulless duplicates overwhelming the galaxy.  The clones were held in such fear by the populace that Mara Jade -- an Old Empire loyalist (Sort-of) -- decided to switch from passively assisting the New Republic because her boss told her to to actively assisting them at the thought of the Empire starting the Clone Wars again.

Even the name of the conflict implies that the Clones were the enemy: People don’t name a war after their own soldiers.  The Droid War, Separatist Secession, Clone & Droid Conflict, Jedi Aggression, etc. all would have made more sense for the war as depicted.

Getting into philosophy, the idea of cloning soldiers expressly for war is morally abhorrent.  It’s mass slavery.  And I am far from the first person to point this out, but that aspect is not even mentioned in the Prequel films.  The Jedi accepting this clone army is repugnant, and some people have used this to show that the Jedi Order was already corrupt at the time of the rise of the Empire, but this wasn’t explored at all in the films that introduced the clones as the Grand Army of the Republic.

Getting into just simple common sense...HOW FUCKING DENSE DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO JUST ACCEPT A MYSTERIOUS ARMY THAT APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE?!?!

That makes no sense.  It never made sense.  The idea that nobody in the Republic, from the government to the military to the populace at large, questioned the very existence of the clone army....it was too much.  The exploration of just how ridiculous this is made for great fodder in The Clone Wars, but only because they had to paper over the GIANT GAPING CHASMS that the concept created.

Making the Jedi a cult

In the old EU, the Jedi of the Old Republic were described as allowed to have families, even being encouraged to do so.  They were allowed to pursue lives and interests and careers outside of the order itself, and didn’t need to forsake who they used to be.  The Jedi Council didn’t have legal authority over the lives of its members, and didn’t try to mandate personal lifestyle.

People started training in their teens when they were old enough to at least understand the concept, and if they were taken as children it was in unusual extraneous circumstances.

While there were Jedi customs, and Jedi Codes, and they had rules and regulations to follow, but they addressed how they should act as Jedi.  They didn’t care what kind of clothing you wore.

Starting with The Phantom Menace, Jedi were taken at such young ages to begin their training that they could not give any consent to their enlistment, nor were they offered any alternatives when they had grown up and may be able to decide for themselves.  They are indoctrinated into a singular Jedi philosophy, not allowed to even debate the dogma of the Council without ostracism, let alone actually defy it.  The Jedi Council unilaterally makes decisions for the entire Order galaxy-wide without any apparent method for dissent or appeal, or any devolution of authority.

Taking (Abducting) children as infants, not allowing them any contact with their families, mandating an isolated ascetic existence...the Jedi Order became a cult.

That’s a cult, plain and simple.

These changes didn’t make the Jedi “complex”, didn’t make the conflict “shades of grey”, they’re just creepy and nonsensical.

#Star Wars #Retroactive Continuity #Retcons #Original Trilogy #Expanded Universe #Prequel Trilogy #Clone Wars #The Clone Wars #Sith #Jedi #Jedi Order #Clone Army #Yuuzhan Vong #Cult

[grapefruitsketches]

Chapter 6, Bliss (Day 28)

Part of my Songxiao post-canon fix-it fic series, started under the Untamed Spring Fest 2020 event:

Please see the reblogged version of this under the my-writing and songxiao-fix-it-series tags on my blog - soon to be a pinned post once I figure that out - for links to previous chapters/the Ao3 version!

3,302 words

Chapter 6: Life on the mountain now seemed more like a story he knew rather than a memory he had lived.

Wei Wuxian sometimes referred to his post-revival life as a second life. Xiao Xingchen had found himself thinking in those terms too, even though he placed the division between his first and second life earlier than might have been expected.

Placing the end of his first life at the moment his body stopped breathing, or starting his second life when it started again in Cloud Recesses, was unfair, too convenient. His years in the spirit pouch had not been what made him who he was now, nor had it been his reawakening to a community of strangers, thrust into a family like a newborn. These were certainly important experiences in this second life, but the formative years began before all that, sometime after he had met a cheerful young pickpocket, and before he had turned Shuanghua’s blade on himself. Sometime between those two points, his first life had ended, and this life had begun. The Xiao Xingchen he remembered, that this new family admired, that Zichen loved? That Xiao Xingchen had died. And he was now living as whatever had been reborn his place, wondering how long he could keep pretending nothing had changed before the others realized that he was an imposter. For unlike the first Xiao Xingchen, he had not been raised in a place of immortality, but rather a place known best for death.

--

Life on the mountain now seemed more like a story he knew rather than a memory he had lived. He knew it had been a peaceful time. It had been a life full of hard work and involved a tough training regiment, to be sure, but it was consistent, predictable. Xingchen knew what would happen each day, and recognized each face he saw. Xingchen liked the routine, woke each morning knowing what to expect, and went to bed comfortable that his expectations had been met. He had existed mostly at a distance from his fellow disciples, friendly, but never close. He supposed some would have called him a friend, but the word always seemed too intimate for the simple casual conversations, shared chores, and sparring practices that had defined most of his interactions with fellow disciples. Baoshan Sanren ensured she had frequent one-on-one discussions with each of her disciples, and Xingchen supposed that these progress checks meant he had shared more about himself to Baoshan Sanren than he had revealed to anyone else, but she was their immortal sect leader, not to mention the closest thing most of the disciples had to a parent. He had no doubt that she cared about him, but their relationship could hardly have been described as friendship. He tried to avoid burdening her with any of his struggles, knowing she had so many other disciples to deal with, but still, he would go to her if there was ever anything too big for him to deal with alone. Meanwhile, she certainly had never shared her innermost thoughts or biggest troubles with him.

Baoshan Sanren sometimes asked if he felt lonely, but he always shook his head, smiling. He spent a lot of time alone, but loneliness had never seemed to be much of a problem for him. Baoshan Sanren nodded approvingly each time. She spoke often about the dangers of investing one’s self too much with others, that one could control oneself, but couldn’t control the actions of others. That getting involved could affect your judgment. Xingchen sometimes felt guilty in accepting her approval. He privately harboured certain romantic ideas about companionship, ones that ran counter to these teachings. He was endlessly intrigued by the kind of companionship he learned about in the history books and stories he read at night. He liked his disciple siblings well enough, and certainly cared about them, but he never felt any deeper resonance that would draw him closer to one or another. So keeping himself at a distance had never been a problem. But reading about intimate understandings between two people, bonds that led them to do extraordinary things, to dedicate or sacrifice themselves to greater deeds than either could have accomplished alone, he could not help but feel a sense of longing. He read of soulmates, of people inevitably drawn to each other’s sides, whose fates were so intricately linked that the history of one could not be told without including the other’s. These stories seemed fantastical to him, though, and so he was able to set them aside, filing them away with other childish dreams about impossible things. 

He noticed, as he grew older, that some disciples spoke almost as though they had experienced such a connection. Baoshan Sanren never disapproved, and never contradicted these assertions, she merely cautioned and advised. But Xingchen privately wondered if these disciples truly felt something so extraordinary as what they and his books described, or if this was merely wishful thinking, hyperbole inspired by the very same stories that called to him. Or perhaps, he thought, somewhat more grimly, that closeness was meant for other people, but not for him. He supposed he was ok with that. Perhaps he was meant to always stay on friendly, not intimate, terms with those around him. It made it easier to focus on his cultivation, and that was something he thought could truly help him ease, even if in a small way, the troubles of the world outside the mountain one day. He did not need a partner to help him achieve these goals, even if he believed it would be nice to share a union like that with another.

When he had left the mountain, he was scared. He knew that Baoshan Sanren wanted him to stay – to continue to cultivate towards immortality in her way. She had never been shy in expressing her feelings on such matters. He remembered how she spoke of the corrupting influences of politics, of power, of methods of cultivation that drew even the strongest and most righteous to their downfall. He had overheard her after she had received news of Cangse Sanren’s death, had quietly beckoned younger disciples away from her chambers so they wouldn’t hear. But he had heard her mournful wails, could never forget them. They had lasted precisely twelve hours before she had emerged, looking as though nothing had happened, not a puffy face or red eye in sight, and had simply asked him how his poetry recitation was faring.

So of course he had been scared. Scared that if he made the wrong move, he would be the cause of more grief, canceling out his efforts to only be a help, not a hindrance, to his master. But the very dangers and struggles of the outside that Baoshan Sanren warned of were precisely what drew him away from the safety of his home. He wanted to share her teachings with the world, to pass them on to anyone who wanted to hear them, and if not, to otherwise help however he could. So when he was confident enough in his values, he decided it was time to leave. He was painfully aware of how few disciples had left the mountain, of how little the outside world knew of his sect leader, and of how much awe what little they did know of her inspired. As long as he could keep himself from the corruption she so feared, as long as he lived by her principles, ensuring that the corruption she spoke of could not reach her through him, he could only hope to avoid bringing her shame, and, if he worked hard, perhaps he could bring her pride. Maybe he could show her that there was less to fear than she seemed to believe.

The fear was overwhelmed by his determination and excitement. Based on the maps he had perused, on the histories he had studied, his sect, his whole world, was smaller than some of the wealthier residences. And multiple such residences could exist within one city. There would be so many people out there. So much space. So much to see, to learn. So many ways he could help. He felt like the hero at the beginning of the tales that would be shared over dinner, or recorded in old scrolls – not knowing what adventures lay before him, but knowing that there must be some where he was going. He didn’t deign to consider himself a hero, of course, but hoped that in the vastness of the world he would newly adopt as his own, he could find a way that he could make some small difference.

Baoshan Sanren’s last words to him as he departed would echo often in his mind throughout his first life: I believe in you, but not in the world you are leaving us for. The words at first made him wary, jumping at every unfamiliar rustle, reaching for his sword as he turned every blind corner. But eventually, he would be both amused and saddened by her fears. The world he encountered throughout his travels was strange and imposing in its vastness, but always beautiful.

Unfortunately, it would only be in his second life, when he was reborn in the very world she mistrusted, that her words truly made sense.

And so, Shuanghua slung onto his back, he left the mountain. He wandered. He did make a difference in the lives of individuals. He was easily able to find little problems he could fix, troubled spirits to heal or violent ghosts to disperse. It crossed his mind as he did so that he had not run into any of the cultivators he understood to be populating this world. He found it odd, but assumed that it must be because this world was so unimaginably large that he would be very lucky indeed to run into another cultivator. Perhaps they had not heard about all these struggles faced by the people he helped. Or worse, perhaps this world had so many troubles that the various sects were too overwhelmed to address even a small portion of them.

Zichen had laughed when Xingchen had first wondered this aloud to him. Xingchen could only laugh along, happy to have inspired the affectionate burst of laughter from his newfound travelling companion, but not yet getting the joke.

Zichen.

It had been the night of his first meeting with Zichen when he had realized, with a shock, that conversation with Zichen flowed more easily than any he had had before. Zichen, unlike some of the nobility Xingchen had encountered so far, didn’t seem annoyed by Xingchen’s blunt style of speech, or his inattention or ignorance to courtesies that hadn’t existed on the mountain. He, in fact, remarked on Xingchen’s politeness, his kindness, on how rare it was to run into another cultivator also working in these small villages. He had been intrigued to hear Xingchen’s philosophies, ideas Xingchen had grown up believing commonplace. Xingchen, in turn, had been fascinated to hear about Zichen’s travels, the differences between Zichen’s childhood and his own. They had talked for hours on their first meeting, and Xingchen could only blink in surprise when Zichen softly suggested they each return to their respective inn rooms. Xingchen had not realized until then that it had gotten dark, or that the inn’s tea shop was nearly vacant.

It had seemed natural for the two of them to leave the small town together. They had both heard the same rumours from just one town over, and it did seem like a job better suited to two cultivators. Of course they should go together. They travelled in this way for months, Xingchen relieved each time Zichen just happened to be traveling the same way, or Xingchen was curious about the mysteries whispered of from one town over and Zichen offered to provide back up, just in case. After a while, Xingchen finally felt comfortable admitting to himself that their companionship was no longer incidental, convenient, and perhaps never had been. That they both had chose and were choosing to follow in each other’s paths. Slowly, he began to understand that perhaps this, was what being truly close to someone felt like. Instinctual, unquestioning trust. Mutual respect and knowledge that if one ever needed assistance, the other would be there. A desire for companionship that trumped any question of purpose or convenience in remaining side by side.

He had been surprised the first time they had been recognized in a town they had never visited before. Especially surprised, given how recently he had himself had realized this, that the two had been recognized as a pair. (Shuanghua?? Fuxue?? The other inn guest had remarked reverently to his companion, who had turned and gasped, Could it be… the Gentle Breeze and the Cold Frost??) But Xingchen had simply smiled at the two guests and affirmed their assumptions, introducing himself and Zichen and inviting them for a drink if they would like. Zichen had seemed amused, and Xingchen understood that this meant that this was another thing that was Not Usually Done, but the excitement and gratitude with which the other guests had accepted his invitation made it worth it. Still, Xingchen as always made sure not to ever leave Zichen alone with even friendly strangers, knowing that Zichen’s amusement and admiration of Xingchen’s quirks would be strained if they led to any need for Zichen to make small talk.

And so they moved through the world together. Meeting Zichen’s friends and family at Baixue Temple. Meeting the occasional cultivators, some even seeming to share their ideals, an occurrence which Xingchen was increasingly understanding the rarity of. He remembered the night when he and Zichen had quietly, excitedly, first whispered ideas about the sect they would build together one day. The slow journey to letting himself admit to himself that the love he felt for Zichen was different from what he felt for other friends he had made. The even slower, sometimes painful, but ultimately joyful realization that Zichen held this same distinction for him. These moments were the ones he reflected on when he reminisced about this first life.  Sometimes the teasing laughter of a young girl pretending to be more blind than she was entered his memories, but memories of her were far too close to… It was dangerous to think on her for too long. Dwelling on those memories for too long inevitably lead to memories surrounding events that had ended this first, idyllic life.  

There had of course been moments, even before the very end, of his first life that were not happy. But he could not regret those. After he had separated from Zichen, there was not a moment that he didn’t miss the easy companionship in the day, the warm presence in their bed at night, the constancy and understanding and trust that had marked their years together. But if Zichen did not want him by his side, Xingchen could make sure to be anywhere else in this world, unable to make things right but able to avoid further damage. He always smiled as he readjusted the bandages on his face, knowing that it meant that Zichen would not have to do the same. He learned to navigate by touch, by sound, by smell, to appreciate these senses that he had previously taken for granted. It was like he was entering a new world yet again, and there was a certain excitement to this new experience too. There was always a slight twinge in his chest when he remembered his last moments of sight. Baoshan Sanren’s face looking discomposed, tearful. She had not looked angry or disapproving, just deeply mournful. It was the first time he had seen her looking anything short of noble, regal and would be the last time he would ever see her at all. She seemed resigned to his decision, apparently understanding well that nothing she could say to change his mind.

But his last moments of sight had also included Zichen lying prone in front of him, unconscious, waking only in short bursts of pained delirium. And if Baoshan Sanren’s expression had inspired any second thoughts at all, Zichen’s feverish cries for help, cries for the pain to stop, cries for his Shifu, had quashed such thoughts in short order.

These moments in his first life had been unfortunate, of course. Xingchen wished they hadn’t had to happen, but given the events preceding these decisions, he couldn’t contemplate a world where he didn’t repeat the same decisions every time.

This was Zichen. And it had been in Xingchen’s name that he had suffered.

I could do just one. Baoshan Sanren had whispered, hesitantly hopeful, He would regain his sight and you would not have to lose yours.

No. Xingchen had said resolutely, looking into the empty places where Zichen’s eyes should be, My whole sight is the least I can give up, his whole sight is the least I can give back, after what he’s lost for me.

Baoshan Sanren had, on his request, sedated Zichen before sedating him, and Xingchen had gently moved Zichen’s eyelids to cover the place where Xingchen’s eyes would live from now on. The lids sagged a bit unnaturally without the support of eyes behind them, but ignoring the small indiscrepency, Xingchen was able to smile. The last thing he ever saw was a Zichen who seemed to be peacefully slumbering. And for Xingchen, as Baoshan Sanren skillfully administered the needles to sedate him as well, it was the most beautiful final image he could hope for.

His first life had continued for some time, devoid of a specific purpose, and he had admittedly foolishly hoped to hear an affectionate “Xingchen!” call after him as he moved along a lonely path, or traveled through a remote village. But at some point, even this imitation of peaceful wandering had ended. And shortly after, so had his first life. He was not sure when, but he knew how. He could not accept that a child raised as Baoshan Sanren’s disciple, a man meant to defend her principles, a representative among so few of what ideals his master had shared, could have performed the acts he learned had been done by Shuanghua, by his hand. So the Xiao Xingchen who had benefited from the kindnesses and the privileges of a childhood on Baoshan Sanren’s mountain must have died the moment such actions were taken. The subsequent physical death was only the natural and merciful confirmation that this Xiao Xingchen was long gone.

And so his second life had begun, with violence.

And now, lying as he was now next to Zichen once again, nestled cozily in bed in a farmhouse owned by a pair he had crossed paths with only once in his first life, he realized how naïve he had been. How could he have believed that the eleven years he had spent slowly reassembling himself, the months of physical recovery and readapting the world he had worked through, that these insignificant trials supported by uncountable luxuries could have possibly mitigate his abhorrent beginning? Now that he could walk, could smile, could help tend to a garden, now that a rhythm had established itself in his second life, he even dared to remember moments of his first life, moments he didn’t regret. When they were alone in their room at night, he would brush a hand over Zichen’s face, over his closed eyes, feeling the resistance offered by eyes that had once been his, and would smile. But he still had to work to maintain his smile when he let his hands travel down to Zichen’s lips, aware of the space behind them. Further evidence of the things Zichen had given up, had lost, and that Xingchen had taken, in his second and current life.

Things he could never repay.

Next: Chapter 7, Stream: Xiao Xingchen has some long needed one-on-one treatment sessions with Wen Ning, where Wen Ning will try to get Xingchen to talk about his experiences back in Yi City.

Also: I’m sure many of you have forgotten about this fic since it’s been so long! But I’m happy to report that part of fixing the issues I was having with this chapter was fully finishing and editing the remaining 2 chapters as well, which I will post this Wednesday and Friday! We’re in the home stretch <3

#songxiao #the untamed #cql #xiao xingchen #song lan #also featuring baoshan sanren very briefly but I love her #my writing #songxiao fix it series

[covid10-blog]

coronavirus

coronavirus

Possesses Globalization Helped Corona Trojan to Spread Rapidly? You will find a myth going on within many portions of the globe, that because of the positive effect, the Covid-19 virus might spread easily and influence many around the planet. Although it can be real, that because of rapid distance coverage by surroundings, water and other solutions, the sickness spread, laying typically the entire responsibility on syndication is incorrect. There tend to be many instances in record, exactly where epidemics have distributed to result in loss of human being lives in thousands ahead of air transportation possibly endured. In this article upon possesses globalization helped halo trojan to spread speedily, i want to look at often the details.

coronavirus

Restrict Internationalization rapid What is the Plan?

The actual supports of deglobalization desire to build walls this sort of as the Wonderful Wall membrane of China, limit trips and travel, reduce the stock trading between countries. Sure, inside these times of Reino anxiety, it is required to put a brief enclosure, but long time significance of isolation among international locations can trigger a economical crease. In short, the actual most required component in the present time is actually co-operation of countries as well as definitely, not seclusion.

Record and Epidemics

Epidemics for example plague and small pox have destroyed many cultures around the globe. Right now there were times, when folks utilized to leave the whole area and villages, transfer to the latest place for you to start a new lifestyle. From the ancient ages, right now there were zero proper signifies of transport like cruises and airplanes. However the particular epidemics happened. Like only notice the Black Loss of life epidemic of 14th hundred years. The death toll relates to millions from countries from the Western Europe to Far east Asia. Nearly more compared to 20 million people missing their own lives.

It had been in 1520, the little pox started in Key America and wiped close to a fourth of the native population.

A fatal flu started in 1918, and also spread to numerous corners of driving. The entire population lost has been hundred million. When compared to help life lost in Initial Entire world War, the tarif is far more.

How Our Forebears Encountered An Epidemic

For you to be honest, that they experimented with every measure along with process to control the outbreak. Many methods were dirty and did not take an improvement. Some cultures observed in superstition and assumed typically the epidemic was the curse or even punishment through the Gods. In most places, the healthy individuals applied to shift to some other spots leaving behind often the dead, sick and tired and undeserving livestock. Another highlight is proof involving human sacrifice in order to conciliate the Gods as an approach connected with warding off the high incidence.

What are the procedures followed over the last to fight any crisis?

Although epidemics did carry on and rear their particular head every so often, the course of action of sanitation and cleanness did help to lower the actual casualties. The principal reason for a lot of fatalities in the old age groups was due to the particular fact, our forebears does not understand the illness plus the reasons for it is spreading and so fast.

Within recent times, a disease can spread within any that same day to all areas of the globe, complimentary air travel. But just about any pandemic will not trigger deaths throughout millions, typically the reason, exchange of knowledge. The particular best defense humanity features against any disease recently time is information by means of scientific analysis and prophylactic medicine prepared at often the original.

It was with the 1900s, which medication professionals of every nation came together and changed info on diseases in each country. Subsequently, the vaccination programme started off on some sort of global scale. Due to the actual sincere efforts of the remedies professionals, some remarkably infectious diseases such as tiny pox were completely taken away as early as 79.

In the earlier nights, it was difficult to be able to collect selections from impacted people while not being infected. At this point, with current medical tools in the form associated with safety gloves and face markers, the golf pros can easily accumulate samples, examine, identify in addition to then suggest the particular probable cure in the application form of anti-bacterials. People within the old age range, can not determine the result in of disorders such while Black Death as well as passed on in millions. Whenever typically the Corona outbreak occured, health care professionals took less as compared to two weeks to identify often the virus, its genetic makeup and also the possible ways for you to discover affected people, place them inside isolation along with prevent the distributing regarding this disease on mass.

What Did You Find out In the History of Epidemics?

The actual fact, globalisation has triggered several deaths is turned out completely wrong once again. With out proper transportation, a lot of epidemics caused millions of demise in the earlier instances.

The real prevention of almost any epidemic is as soon as the region first affected need to talk about the information regarding the actual condition to its adjoining nations as soon seeing that possible. In this condition, its trust and communal which matters a good deal in preventing the particular pass on of disease. All the nations around the world should also extend a new helping hand to typically the afflicted country. Today, using Culminación virus making madness across the world, China has to help teach international locations lessons with regards to the virus.

Co-operation will be also mandatory when places try their best in order to minimize travel from individuals involving other nations through a epidemic. If nations never trust each additional, then the information concerning disorder becomes useless.

Over the previous centuries, the war towards smaller pox was earned, since every country enjoyed throughout the vaccination programme. In the event that one country had never fall in line, subsequently the modest pox would likely have remained in addition to patiently lay for the right time to strike. But the idea would not happen.

Please be aware, the entire teens from recent times needs to be able to begin a clear border range. It's not between countries as well as locations. But the brand needs to be set clearly between humans and also viruses. Viruses which get induced deaths in latest times have come coming from animals to humans. For instance , Ebola virus. So, residential areas all over the entire world have to be defined about the safety measures along with precautions. If not, every at this point and then, the national boundaries collection between virus in addition to male will be shattered because of a indication. Then the entire individual race can become sitting quail for a brand-new finder virus.

With the written content in the earlier sentences, some specifics also include to be taken with thought. There exist a number of societies in the universe, where the people are usually not just knowledgeable about standard healthcare companies. These folks may become the objectives of transmission.

Since often the very last half a millennium, medical scientific research has meant itself in order to meet the issues of epidemics. There is out there an entire army as medical professionals, nurses as well as other staff members to patrol the world and also secure from any outbreak.

Precisely what Are The Major Variables To help An Epidemic Distributed More rapidly?

True, we possess all the health features, but countries taking believe in in one another. Inside some nations around the world, corrupt political figures do not present awards to medical companies along with hamper their expansion in addition to research. There is the part of society which can not rely on scientific healthcare expert tips and hold on their lifestyles because per their will. Every one of these factors can contribute for you to dispersing of a sickness among quite a few countries.

Realization

Let us desire that will the Corona Scare can promote trust between international locations. Let us not target on the niche - offers globalization really helped corona pathogen to distribute rapidly. The idea is a painful tutorial, but let us switch this kind of unfortunate event to help an probability to make the actual bonds between places better. The brotherhood involving nations can make the complete people stand strong in opposition to any kind of catastrophe (natural or perhaps health-related). Let us help make a resolve in order to get across the planet, if necessary, any time to overcome any threat that could threaten your entire human ethnic background.

[genuine-history-blog]

The History of Norsemen, or Vikings

During the tenth century Charlemagne’s empire and Anglo-Saxon England were attacked by a new group of invaders known as Norsemen, or Vikings. They came from the far northern part of Europe now called Scandinavia. The tall, fair-skinned Vikings became known as brutal fighters and robbers. They spread fear and destruction throughout western Europe for several hundred years. At the same time, however, they opened up new trade routes and brought shipping skills to other Europeans.

The Vikings captured parts of Britain and France. They ruled cities in Russia and set up colonies on islands in the North Atlantic. They even paid a brief visit to North America. Those who went abroad married the people they conquered. They also accepted a new religion and customs. Others stayed in Scandinavia and set up the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

THE LAND

The Viking homeland of Scandinavia was an area mostly of forests and long, rugged coastlines. The southern part, known as Jutland, 0r Denmark, had many natural harbors. It also had large plains where the Vikings grew oats, barley, rye, and wheat and pastured their cattle, sheep, and pigs.

The rest of Scandinavia was not as well suited to farming. Winters were long and cold, summers short and mild, and the soil rocky. The coastline, however, had many fjords, or bays. So the people turned to the sea to making a living.

SHIPS AND TRADE

The Vikings built ships with timber from the dense forests and sailed out of the fjords onto the sea to make a living. The ships were large and well suited for long voyages. The bodies were long and narrow. The sides, where a single row of 16 oars was placed, were usually decorated with black or yellow painted shields. The tall bows were carved in the shape of a dragon’s head. This was supposed to frighten both enemies and the evil spirits of the ocean. The strongly sewn sails were square and often striped red and yellow. The ships bore names like “Snake of the Sea,” “Raven of the Wind,” and “Lion of the Waves.”

An awning in the forepart of the ship protected the sailors from bad weather. They slept in leather sleeping bags and carried bronze pots in which to cook their meals. Whenever possible, they cooked their meals ashore to avoid the danger of a fire on board ship.

The Vikings plotted their courses by the positions of the sun and stars. They sailed far out into the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in search of good fishing areas and trade. They did most of their traveling and trading in the spring after their fields were sown, or in the fall after their crops were harvested. They spent the long winters in their villages repairing their boats and weapons.

The Vikings were as successful in trade as the Phoenicians. Viking traders carried furs, hides, fish, and slaves to western Europe and the Mediterranean. They returned from these areas with silk, wine, wheat, and silver.

TOWNS, VlLLAGES, AND JARLS

Trade led to the growth of market towns in Scandinavia. These towns usually had two main streets that ran along the water’s edge. Buyers and sellers set up booths and displayed their wares along the streets. The towns were protected on their land side by mounds of earth surrounded by wooden walls with towers.

Most Vikings lived in villages scattered throughout the country. Their houses were made of logs or boards. The roots, which were made of sod-covered wood, slanted steeply to shed the heavy winter snows. Carvings of dragons decorated gables at either end. In front of each house was a small porch supported by carved pillars.

Distance and the cold winters isolated the people of one village from those of another. As a result, there was no central government. The people were divided into groups ruled by military Chieftains calIed jarls. Jarls either inherited their position or were elected to it. They saw to it that their group’s laws were obeyed. Sometimes a jarl became strong enough to take over and unite neighboring territories. When a jarl had enough territory under his rule, he was recognized as a king.

Most Viking adventurers, however, went to western and southern Europe in search of food and valuables. They disguised their ships to look like wooded islands by covering them with tree branches. Then they traveled far up the rivers to make surprise attacks. They stole goods, destroyed homes, burned churches, and killed or sold as slaves any people they captured. All Europe feared the Vikings. In their churches the people prayed, “From the fury of the Norsemen, Good Lord, deliver us!”

THE DANES

Some of the Danish Vikings Settled in the areas they raided. One group of Danes invaded England and set up settlements there. In 954 an heir of Alfred the Great forced them to leave the Danelaw. In 978 Ethelred, nicknamed the Unready, became king of England. The Danes saw their chance and began raiding England again. At first Ethelred was able to buy them off with silver. But in 1017 a Danish king called Knut, or Canute, took over the country and made it part of his North Sea Empire. Canute was a powerful but just ruler. He converted to Christianity and brought peace and prosperity to England. Soon after his death in 1035, however, Danish control of England came to an end. Some Danes left England. Those who remained became a part of the English people and culture.

DAILY LIFE

Family life was important to the Vikings. Most households contained 20 to 30 members including parents, grandparents, married children, and grandchildren. Families often fought bloody feuds to maintain their honor. The payment of fines later put an end to such feuds.

THE PEOPLE

Viking men were warriors called berserkers. They believed in a life of action and valued deeds that called for strength and courage. They fought to gain wealth, honor, and fame. They believed that a liking for war brought special honors from the gods.

To call their warriors to battle, the Vikings lit bonfires on the tops of mountains. Those who saw a fire would light a new one to spread the message. The warriors fought with battle axes, swords, and spears. Metal helmets decorated with animal figures protected their heads. Shirts made of iron rings and covered by a large cloth protected their bodies. The warriors preferred to die by their own hand rather than give their enemies the satisfaction of capturing or killing them.

A Viking groom bought his wife from her family on their wedding day. If he was not pleased with her, he could sell her. Yet the position of Viking women was quite high. They took complete charge of the home. They could attend public meetings and talk with men other than their husbands. They could own property and get a divorce. Many Viking women grew herbs which were used as medicine. All the women encouraged their men to fight.

Both men and women liked fine clothes. The men usually dressed in trousers and woolen shirts covered by knee-length tunics. Broad leather belts held the clothing in place. Sheepskin hoods and caps kept heads warm. For special events the men wore red cloaks with brooches and carried decorated swords and daggers. The women also wore tunics held in place by a belt. They covered their heads with woolen or linen caps, and wore large brooches, pins, and bracelets. Both men and women wore their hair long, and the men took great pride in their mustaches and beards. Calling a Viking man “beardless” was an insult that could be wiped out only by death.

The Vikings had no schools. Parents taught daughters such household skills as spinning, weaving, and sewing. They taught sons to use the bow and arrow and to be good fighters. The boys also memorized tales of heroic warriors and gods, and competed in games that tested their strength and endurance.

RELIGION

The Vikings worshipped many gods which at first were closely ”related to Germanic gods. In time they changed the names and activities of their gods to suit the harsh life 0f Scandinavia. The Vikings believed that the gods were responsible for the weather and for the growth of crops . Since the gods liked to hunt, fish, and play tricks on one another, the Vikings viewed them as extra powerful human beings.

The Vikings bargained with their gods to get what they wanted. Priests offered sacrifices of crops and animals on behalf of the whole community. Most Vikings also had small shrines in their homes where they could pray or offer sacrifices.

The Vikings were proud of their gods and told stories of their great deeds. These stories later became written poems called eddas. The Vikings also composed sagas, or epic stories. At first skilled storytellers used to recite sagas at special banquets. One such saga took 12 days to recite. After 1100 the Vikings wrote down their sagas. With the coming of Christianity, the people lost interest in these tales. Many were forgotten or were forbidden by the Church. Only the people of Iceland passed on the old tales.

At first the Vikings spoke a language similar to that of the Germans. In time the one language developed into four Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic. They were written with letters called runes, which few people except the priests could understand or use. The Vikings used the runes as magic charms. They wrote the runes in metal and carved them in bone in the hope that they would bring good luck. When the Vikings accepted Christianity, they began to write their language with Roman letters.

RAIDS AND ADVENTURERS

Scandinavia’s population kept increasing. By the end of the ninth century many Viking villages were overcrowded, and there was not enough food for everyone. Since there was no central government, the kings constantly fought one another and made life difficult for their enemies. Before long many Viking warriors began to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

Groups of warriors attacked merchant ships on the open seas. Danish Vikings began raiding the coasts of France, England, and Spain. Swedish Vikings crossed the Baltic Sea and traveled down the rivers toward Russia. They founded settlements and began to trade. They established a water route from the Baltic to the Black Sea and on to the wealthy city of Byzantium. This water route came to be known as the Varangian Route. In 862 a Swedish Chieftain named Rurik founded a Viking state that became the basis of the Russian monarchy. Norwegian Vikings established trading towns in Ireland, explored the North Atlantic, and founded a colony on the island of Iceland.

Led by an adventurer named Eric the Red, the Norwegian Vikings began to move even further west. In 986 they founded a colony on the island of Greenland. Then Eric’s son, Leif Ericson, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and landed on the northeast coast of North America. He and his followers named the spot where they landed Vinland because of the wild grapes they found growing there. Today the area is called Newfoundland. The Vikings did not set up a permanent colony in Vinland because it was so far away from home and the winters were so cold.

SUMMARY

The Vikings lived in northern Europe in an area which is today known as Scandinavia.

The Vikings were excellent warriors, sailors. and navigators who earned their living mainly by fishing and by trading with other European regions.

The Vikings lived in villages that were basically isolated from one another. The Vikings worshipped many gods and often told stories about their great deeds.

At first the Vikings spoke one language, but over time it developed into four separate languages.

When the Vikings accepted Christianity, they stopped writing their languages in runes and began to write with Roman letters.

By the ninth century Scandinavia was overpopulated, so many Viking warriors began to seek their fortunes in other places.

In 862 a Swedish Viking named Rurik established a settlement, and that settlement later developed into the Russian nation.

In 986 Norwegian Vikings founded a colony on Greenland, and several years later sailed as far west as the northeast coast of North America.

In 1017 a Danish king named Canute conquered England, but after his death Danish control of England came to an end.

Other Danish Vikings, after besieging Paris, settled along the French coast in an area known as Normandy.

#Vikings #Norsemen #norse mythology #norse gods #scandinavia #Europe

[healthandfitnessrecipes-blog]

Why We Need To Stand Up To The Illuminati Together Right Now

https://healthandfitnessrecipes.com/?p=10022

In my previous 7-part series of articles on Who Lucifer Really Is & Why They Are Here, we became aware of the existence of a highly organized group of bloodline families that have essentially been ruling our planet since antiquity. There we focused on the spiritual contradictions about who Lucifer was and his ultimate purpose for being here.

Here, we will use that discussion to center ourselves in a more narrowly focused examination of our material world, of what is actually happening on the ground, ‘in the game’ as it were. Of paramount importance now is that we, as conscious individuals in the awakening community, band together to expose the hidden evils of those in power in order to achieve the particular real-world changes that we came here to instigate.

The Mission Of The Bloodline Families

For those who have not read the Lucifer series, I will state briefly the working paradigm for our discussion here. It was revealed by an anonymous source called Hidden-Hand during a set of posts to the Above Top Secret forum in 2008 that the world is run by extraterrestrial beings (individuations of the Lucifer group soul) who have incarnated throughout history into ‘family’ bloodlines that have always held the levers of power in the world. These extraterrestrial bloodlines have guided the lower human bloodlines (let us call them Illuminati bloodlines, based on the testimony of famed whistleblower Svali) to become the de facto hands-on rulers of the planet. This powerful elite group includes royal families, aristocracy, clergy, top bankers, corporate heads, military heads and people in any other important axes of power and wealth.

Hidden-Hand said that his Lucifer group soul has this particular mission:

In order to “win” (or more accurately to be successful in) the Game, we must be as Negatively Polarized as possible. Service to Self in the extreme. Violence, War, Hatred, Greed, Control, Enslavement, Genocide, Torture, Moral Degradation, Prostitution, Drugs, all these things and more, they serve our purpose. In the Game.

The human Illuminati bloodlines, numbering several million people, according to Hidden-Hand, are known to go through extremely harsh and severe training since birth in order to fulfill their mission, which for them is understood to be complete world domination through the use of fear, coercion and deception. In reality, their mission is merely an extension of the mission of the Lucifer group soul in ‘the game’: provide all manner of evil as a catalyst for human free will, and subsequently human growth and evolution.

And so, we have a basic context to understanding how, at the highest levels of power globally, there is an occult philosophy/religion taught from birth, call it Illuminism (as Svali does), Luciferianism, Satanism, or other such title, which leaves its members with the absolute conviction that conducting themselves in the most self-serving ways possible, in the complete absence of any compassion, respect, or humaneness towards human beings outside of the cult (and in some ways, within it) is the road to their collective salvation.

What Salvation?

From a spiritual angle, their salvation involves acting in full service-to-self 95% of the time, in order to ‘ascend’ from the 3rd Density to the 4th Density (again, this was all covered in the Lucifer series). At the appointed time, there was supposed to be a return of their demonic leader, and their families would openly rule the planet, putting the rest of the human population in abject slavery, a population which, as prophesied by the Georgia Guidestones, would have been reduced to a manageable 500 million.

Alas. As we concluded in the Lucifer series, the human bloodlines were actually fooled into believing this, in order that they would fulfill their mission properly. The real goal was to help prepare all of humanity for the ‘Harvest,’ which represents the ‘Ascension’ of those that become ready to move into a higher density of existence. While ascension has not yet happened, there is a growing feeling that the rule of the bloodline families has passed its expiry date, and it is time for them to step down.

In ‘An Open Letter to the Illuminati Bloodline Families‘ that comes to us from Adamu, a Pleiadian entity channeled through a healer named Zingdad, there is an assertion that some of the more spiritually inclined bloodline members are starting to realize that there is an energetic shift going on, a change about to take place, and

…that the time of your watching over humanity is at an end. Indeed, that it is ending without the return of your master, your dark god-king. And that there is no longer any real hope that he ever will return. You are on your own. Your secret prophecies have come to naught.

There is much insider testimony, from sources of David Wilcock and others, that confirms that although the Illuminati bloodlines achieved tremendous power in the world historically and seemed to be invincible, and they looked like they were on the cusp of open world rule through novus ordo seclorum only a few short years ago, things have not been working out for them of late. Adamu describes the current situation for them:

[Humanity] are almost ready to be taken and controlled. But… right here at the very last… you find yourselves losing grip here there and everywhere. You find your attention being constantly diverted by all manner of seemingly trivial, but irritating, diversions. And in concert, your energy and attention is so diverted that you can never quite act to gain total power.

There is even some contention that the entire Luciferian group soul has left the playing field, as it were, that perhaps even they were deceived by the Council of Elders as to their mission to create a ‘Negative Ascension,’ and that now the stage is set for human beings to choose what will happen next. If indeed that is the case, then what is our mission, as conscious individuals in the awakening community?

The Mission Of The Awakening Community

Our first objective needs to be awareness. Awareness is curative. And so it becomes very important that we start to fathom and then piece together what has been an all-encompassing hidden network of violence, evil, and inhumanity that the Illuminati bloodlines have had in place since long before any of us were born.

For those who would argue that we should not give credence or attention to these dark forces, for fear of giving then more ‘reality,’ I would respectfully suggest that this a rather disempowering form of ‘spiritual bypass’. Just as we must look at our own shadows for our own healing and freedom, so too do we as a collective need to acknowledge and confront the roots of darkness and evil on our planet to begin to heal ourselves and come together as a collective, a collective which ultimately will not exclude even the worst perpetrators. We need neither obsess with nor become numb to the darkness, but rather give it solemn and courageous attention in order to come to a more holistic understanding of ourselves as a species.

Related CE Podcast: How Conspiracies & Spirituality Are Intimately Connected

For The Skeptics

For those who don’t believe the Illuminati exist, but have gotten this far in the article, I first applaud you for your open-mindedness. But secondly, I would ask you if you have a better and more cohesive explanation for why humanity has been so pervasively fraught with war and destruction, economic fraud of the highest possible kind, drug abuse and trafficking, human and child sex and slave trafficking, murder and human sacrifice, mind-control and genetic experimentation, perversion of the food and water supply, chemtrails and weather warfare, and other crimes against humanity that often reveal the hand of a powerful hidden authority in action.

If you don’t have a better explanation, then let’s agree to the use of the term ‘Illuminati’ to represent the central brain and network of these activities, whether or not the real central power identifies itself fully or partially as such. And then let’s look at all the clues, events, and testimony and see if there’s a way we can piece together the puzzle and gain a big-picture understanding. This will be the purpose of subsequent articles I will be writing on this subject. From this understanding, we can prepare ourselves for the appropriate actions that we can take in the world as part of our mission.

End Times

I truly believe we are in the prophesied ‘End Times’ right now. But this does not mean our world is going to be destroyed. It means the old order will fall, and there are many signs of this happening already. The watershed moment awaits our readiness to put a new order in its place, with values catalyzed by but antithetical to those of the old order; a new order founded on our highest and most positive collective ambitions as a species.

Watch our most recent interview with Franco DeNicola about ‘The Shift In Consciousness‘ we are experiencing.

https://cdn3.collective-evolution.com/assets/uploads/2018/08/illuminati-1024x538.jpg Credits: Original Content Source

[jtownarch]

Old City, New Perspective

When studying Jerusalem, there is no better place to start than in the Old City.

About a kilometer squared in area, the walled in Old City that -fun fact- originally made up the whole of the City of Jerusalem now acts as a religious, political and social hub. As new interns we went on a free walking tour offered by Sandeman Tours at the entrance to  the Old City by Jaffa Gate (highly recommend btw). While we have both been lucky enough to live in the Old City, this tour gave us a unique opportunity to speak to and learn from the perspective of a certified tour guide. Um, hello Maya and Racheli, what have you been doing there till now...?! Yea, we get it..

If ya didn’t know the Old City of Jerusalem currently holds four quarters: The Muslim, Christian, Armenian, and Jewish quarters. Our tour began outside Jaffa Gate, from which we headed into The Armenian Quarter…

Not so far away from Israel, in a land between Turkey and Georgia, sits Armenia. The Armenians that have been living in the Old City for centuries are predominantly of Christian faith and consider their quarter to be a subsection of The Christian Quarter. Though the Armenian Quarter is small in size and population, with around only 500 residents, they feel very connected to the land because they’ve immigrated here for religious reasons as well as to seek safety from the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 1900s. (Why so many genocides people come on.) On our tour we visited mostly residential buildings which were easily identifiable by the last names we saw at their doors. If you’re wondering what little identifier can help with Armenian names, think KardashIAN. The “ian” at the end of a name makes it pretty obvious that the person is Armenian. Most, if not all of the architecture in this quarter resembles those in the other quarters in addition to also having its own architectural landmarks and historical structures. However, it is easy to see when you have crossed over into the next quarter... The Jewish Quarter.

With a little under 3,000 residents, the Jewish Quarter is rich in both history and contemporary life. Between 1948 and 1967, the Jewish Quarter was under Jordanian control, and the Jordanian government did little to explore or develop the area. However, after Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967 War AKA the 6-Day War the first thing the government did in this area was dig, research and develop.

We observed both the excavations and modern day life that exists there (which included  multiple face-plants because of the slippery stone floors), one can see the layers of development, planning and improvement that have taken place. Discoveries include the fortification walls, AKA the Cardo, around the ancient old city that were built in order to withstand the Assyrian siege around 701 BC. The ruins of the Cardo indicate the ancient layout of the Roman market that ran through the quarter millenia  before any of the restaurants we see now existed. Dayum.

Today a main draw of going through the quarter is to reach the Western Wall, AKA The Kotel, a holy site to many religions. To the Jews it is the last standing piece of the Second Holy Temple, and people come from all over the world to pray at this spot. Throughout the Old City, but especially in the Jewish Quarter, are many lookouts in which you can see The Golden Dome, the most current structure on top of the Temple Mount. The Jewish significance of the Temple Mount dates back to when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac in this spot as a test of allegiance to God; according to Jewish tradition, it’s also thought to be the point from which the universe was created! Two Jewish temples have stood on the Temple Mount; the first built by King Solomon and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar with the Babylonian army; the second built by King Herod and destroyed by King Titus with the Roman army. The history is so intense!

When looking at the Temple Mount today from any of the many viewpoints in the Quarter, you can see the huge platform King Herod built in order to expand the foundation of Har Moriah, AKA the Temple Mount, so that he could build a more glorious Second Temple. That is why the excavations of the Hizkiyahu tunnels next to and underneath the Western Wall are so far down underground. You can see all the archeological layers of earth and the aqueducts that are there, which represent the level at which ancient villages and life existed at a particular time. It’s like going back in time..! Similar to these layers of earth, over the centuries, each layer of history has added up to reach what we call today ‘ground level’.  

 Continuing through the Muslim Quarter’s narrow alleys, past its market filled with stalls of merchants selling jewelry and spices, and down more slippery slopes, we reached a viewing point that overlooks the Western Wall. From this view we saw the whole expanse of the wall including the the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque which lies behind it. In Islamic culture the Dome of the Rock signifies one of their three most holy sites. It is believed to be the spot in which Mohammed came to from Mecca on his flying horse to receive the 5 pillars of Islam and from where he then returned to Mecca in the same night. Taking a closer look, you can see a plethora of arabesques and geometry simultaneously and seamlessly working together to create the pattern that is easily recognizable today as classic Islamic design. They additionally create a juxtaposition that is meant to signify that the Quran is organized and should be read and followed as a guide to living life similar to the Indian Kamasutra, Jewish Torah, and Christian New Testament. The building of the Dome of the Rock was initially completed in 691 CE, however the first structure collapsed and so had to be rebuilt 1023, which is what we see today. Food for thought… why did it collapse? Considering all the politics and religious tension what would happen if it collapsed again today…?

After this we walked to and stopped in front of a Muslim home. A poster hung from the arch above the door. On it were images of the 3 holiest sites in Islamic culture: the Kaaba, the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi. A Muslim family hangs this poster by their home after they have visited all 3 sites, completing the Hajj, and they are given a tremendous honor for doing so. They are symbolically knighted, and given a term signifying their journey that is added to their last name. In addition to hanging this poster it is common to see a picture of the face of Saladin who is a prominent figure in their history, the Ayyubid Sultan who led the army that defeated the Crusaders in 1187. Muslims that live in this area are very proud of their local history as well as the aesthetic that has developed.

Interestingly from an urban design and planning point of view, the Arab shuk that lines the main roads within the Muslim Quarter was not intentionally planned out , but it seems to have  simply developed organically over time based on local needs and culture. . Now its beauty and intricacies have made it into a destination, drawing tourists from all over the world.

Last but not least, and although small in population size, the Christian Quarter holds over 40 holy Christian sites and landmarks – woah. The most important of these is the Church of The Holy Sepulchre. It is one of the holiest places in the world to Christian tradition. Inside is the site where Jesus was crucified, and the empty tomb which is said to be where he was buried and then rose from. While it is the headquarters to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, control of the church is split between several sects of Christianity due to historic tensions over control of the Holy Land (see for example the history of  the Crimean War). Part of why nothing ever changes within or around the church - take for  example this  famous ladder that has stood for years on a ledge outside of the church) is that all involved sects must agree on the change, and the process by which one would need to get that unanimous approval is essentially impossible.

The story goes, when Muslims were in charge of Jerusalem they got hold of the key to the church; in recent times, the various Christian sects couldn’t agree on who would recieve the key, and so there is a neutral East-Jerusalem Muslim family who comes  every morning for generations to unlock the church. Seeing the way in which this quarter developed over the centuries, and how eventually the religious and political tensions brought in a neutral third party to help solve sensitive problems, is super interesting. This story shows how all can benefit from this complex  space even if it is  filled with intra-religious tensions. You should really come check it all out for yourself...

The tour, though a little hot, was a perfect way for us to begin our summer. As our aim for the summer includes understanding  Jerusalem in everything from the layout of its streets to the energy that emanates from its residents, it would be impossible to fully grasp the city if we did not start at its roots. Walking the streets of the OG city helped us to fully understand how and why the city has become the place that it is today. We saw the centuries of trial and error and viewed the pieces, now artifacts, that once made up the life of the city, and that continue to do so in an amazing way.

#ISRAEL #URBAN PLANNING #URBAN #city #old city #intern #internblog #onward #onwardsisrael #interns #college #students #Boston #New York #Holy land #holy #excavations #city life #ancient #architecture #dwell #jeru #jtown #jerusalem #orayta #architectur #summer

[aloisioseale]

GASLIGHTING IN FILM

Almost since its inception, the film industry erases the experiences of women. Out of 88 films that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, 14 feature female protagonists and none are directed by women. The popular 1001 Movies to See Before You Die has only ever included 52 films directed by women out of the 1199 films the series has printed. There are standouts throughout film history about the female experience, both through the eyes of men and women. Most interesting is the presentation of abuse and abusive tactics in film against women. Most frequently presented is physical violence until George Cukor’s 1944 film entitled “Gaslight”. Thus emerged the term “gaslighting”. However, the term was not looked on or popular until most recently. Here explores what gaslighting means as a term and how it is presented in specific films, looking through the lens of feminist theory - Gaslight (1944), Diabolique (1955), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and mother! (2017).

To begin, film theory and studies began in the early 1960’s. Theories inspired by ideology and rhetoric arose, including a small group of women scholars and academics who developed feminist theory at the height of the second wave. Molly Haskell, Laura Mulvey, and others became scholars on the topic and further drove the ideas behind feminist film theory - including representation, sociology, and “the male gaze” to the entirety of film history. The theory further developed into intersectional ideas about women of color, sexualities, and abilities in film, as well as dismantling or having discourse of horror tropes such as “the final girl”.

Gaslight follows Ingrid Bergman as Paula, who marries Charles Boyer’s Gregory after a short romance. His behavior quickly spirals into emotional abuse, making Paula believe she is hysterical. Paula gains the upper hand in the end by uncovering Gregory’s plans to murder his wife and giving his treatment towards her briefly back to him in return. The film is the namesake for the term, coined 20 years after its premiere. Gaslighting, as depicted in the film, is an abuse tactic where the person in power manipulates their victim into believing their reality is made up. Child psychologists took notice to manipulation from guardians or other adults with children in the 1960’s, which developed the term outside of colloquialisms into psychology. Since the setting of Gaslight is in late 19th century London, historical contexts explain that Paula’s power in society as a woman was small. Husbands had the power to claim “hysteria” over their wives or blame morals or life events to wives spiraling out, the general popular idea outside of alienism that their wives were “being punished by God”. While Paula on her own can claim some sort of independence without Gregory - being an opera singer and gaining income via her profession - she loses any sense of control after events such as Gregory claiming she’s a kleptomaniac, that the street lamps glowing and going out were her imagination, and isolating her from others. The relationship that occurs between husband and wife, Molly Haskell writes, is not a typical heterosexual romance. Violence against Paula is psychoanalytically sexual and the romance is “unlike the 30s” since it relies on distrust and contempt that bubbles up. Paula, in the end, confronts her abuser and turns his game on him. This is the only instance in which a victim gains the power back in any films mentioned. Possibly Paula’s capital in society allows her to stand up to her abuser and the audience can assume she can gain happiness once again post-film.

Diabolique is more subtle in its use of gaslighting, as it occurs mostly in the third act of the film. Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot - Henri Georges Clouzot’s real life wife - play teachers at a boarding school, run by Christina’s (Clouzot) husband, Michel. Nicole (Signoret) is the mistress of Michel and the two bond over their mutual victimhood under Michel’s verbal and physical abuse. A plot to kill him goes awry when the body goes missing. Clouzot takes from Alfred Hitchcock - a woman in trouble and a problem that won’t go away. Christina and Nicole aren’t necessarily like normal Hitchcock blondes, but are common themes on the blonde-brunette trope. Christina is pious, wears double plaits, sweet, and her hubris lies in her weak heart. Nicole outwardly smokes in the school, is morally ambiguous, and is colder. While the film pushes the women together, the audience quickly realizes in the end (and is cued in an early conversation between the women about Michel claiming Christina will die soon and what Nicole said in response - “I don’t want to know”) they are pitted against one another for the sake of sex. Regardless of Christina’s desire to be free of Michel, she is dragged down by him and eventually dies because of him. The camera frames Christina in a more sensuous, voyeuristic way than Nicole. Christina writhes in bed in her nearly sheer white nightgown, the backlight showing a glimpse of her outline as she trails the halls to find the source of a mysterious noise. Since Michel’s death is a construction of his and Nicole’s doing, Christina suffers from mental and physical turmoil because of the gaslighting pranks. Clouzot punishes all of the characters involved, but frames Christina strangely. She stands small under Michel and Nicole, who seem to act more like adults than she does. Christina is infantilized throughout the film, treated parallelly like the child who continues to see Michel in the boarding school even though he has been pronounced dead. The boy is punished. The world of Diabolique may involve children, but makes no place for them or any sort of irrational thought. Christina and the young boy are by no means hysterical - they truly saw what they saw. The suspense of fear in everyday life, as Clouzot frames it, shows no mercy to anyone involved.

Quickly following suit of both films but with an element of fantasy, Rosemary’s Baby embodies the horrific abuse one woman endures sexually and psychologically. Rosemary Woodhouse, played by an increasingly frail Mia Farrow, is stuck between the 1960’s rising women’s movement and the post-war 1950s sensibilities of motherhood and patriarchal households. For the role, Polanski wanted his wife Sharon Tate whose physicality is more modelesque and full-figured. Mia Farrow herself suffered great mental torment doing the film, as her then-husband Frank Sinatra did not want her career to continue. The scene in which a sickly Rosemary sobs in front of her friends in the kitchen, away from her husband, evoked real emotions from Farrow after being served divorce papers on set. Actor Maurice Evans and Roman Polanski convinced Farrow to continue with the film. The realities of behind the scenes and onscreen parallel each other and the use of Rosemary and Farrow - men exert their power to push women into situations that they are less than keen about for their own gain. Polanski would gain award nominations and acclaim, Guy Woodhouse “Fausted” his wife to gain fame and capital in his acting career. Rosemary becomes increasingly aware of how odd her pregnancy is and tries to break herself from suffering. The only people in the film who do not gaslight Rosemary are her friends, but they do not re-appear. In horror film fashion, Rosemary escapes to try and change gynecologists, but is quickly retrieved by her husband and Dr. Saperstein, her old gynecologist. They convince her that the baby dies, but she finds out later after being isolated in her apartment that her body was commodified in exchange for birthing the son of Satan. While Polanski frames Rosemary as a victim, he eroticizes her torture. She is young, beautiful, and nubile - her abuse is implemented through sex. Polanski in this instance, as well as in Repulsion and The Fearless Vampire Killers sees women as instruments of fear and personifications of torture, but allows women no way out of it.

While made many years later and films that include gaslighting are far and few in between, Darren Aronofsky’s mother! follows the same vein Rosemary’s Baby started. While Aronofsky states after screenings that the film is more of an allegory about the current treatment of the environment by corporations and general populations, he doesn’t give enough credit to the outright depiction of manipulation and distribution of power between male and female characters. Jennifer Lawrence’s character, stylized as “mother”, is frequently ignored, berated, and eventually physically abused. Him, mother’s husband, claims artistic integrity behind his intentions and does not defend or save his wife when he lets hordes of fans into their home and they wreak havoc. Lawrence claims the film is about “the rape and torment of Mother Earth”. Aronofsky’s intentions are unclear. Through the abuse of women and the last shot explaining to the audience that the cycle is doomed to continue with new versions of mother, he seems to take a stand that the abuse is morally wrong, but is still vague. Much like Rosemary, mother has no control in her narrative and is ultimately doomed because of her situation. She sacrifices herself for her husband who benefits from her abuse. Unfortunately, the film comes off as an artistic half pat on the back for Aronofsky instead of pushing forward the current pull for better representation of women in film. Mother can be flawed and suffer as a character, but, according to feminist theory, she should not exist to prove a point or drive the plot for anyone but herself.

All of the films involved, including some that were not mentioned but also deal with either gaslighting or abuse, are stories about women created by men. While some directors frequently deal with the nuances of womanhood (i.e. George Cukor, Roman Polanski on occasion), many are not well versed in dealing with hardships and abuse involving women and have been accused of being abusers themselves. While some have succeeded at bringing the idea of gaslighting to film, the sentiment is still not fully there. As women filmmakers are gaining more recognition, it would be interesting and vital to see what a female director or writer will do with abuse tactics in film and how the characters come out of or deal with it.

Works Cited

Chow, Kat. “Gaslighting: How A Flicker Of Self-Doubt Warps Our Response To Sexual Harassment.” National Public Radio, 25 Nov. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/11/25/565729334/gaslighting-how-a-flicker-of-self-doubt-warps-our-response-to-sexual-harassment.

Haskell, Molly. From Reverence to Rape: the Treatment of Women in the Movies. Second ed., U. Of Chicago P., 1987.

Penley, Constance. Feminism and Film Theory. Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Inc., 1988. 

[alegriaspain]

.I Think I Can Explain Why

Can anybody remember a time when the United States was not at war, in some form or another, somewhere, with someone? I can’t, and I’m 74 years old. They seem to be in a permanent state of military conflict. Is this eternal war due to mistakes, coincidences or deliberate policy decisions? I’ll opt for the latter. It’s unlikely for any person or country to be so wrong so consecutively over more than three quarters of a century. The trend looks even worse if it’s the same “mistake” over and over again. As for coincidences, the statistical unlikelihood of these events occurring coincidentally is utterly off the graph. There aren’t enough nines to express it.

So, we’re left with policy. Where can such a demented policy come from and how does it come about? I think I can explain it. Essentially it’s due to a misunderstanding regarding “democracy.”  The Americans’ think it can be promulgated by the sword and harbor a missionary zeal for spreading it around the world and into outer space. Curiously this missionary fervor grows in geometric proportions when the Americans are dealing with countries that are strategically located (eg. Vietnam) or rich in natural resources (eg. Iraq and Venezuela) or both (eg. Iran). It’s the 21st century equivalent of “civilizing and christianizing our little brown brothers.”

Some Ungrateful Countries Resist

For some as-yet-unexplained reasons many of the sovereign countries selected by the Americans for democratization are reluctant to accede to the now-familiar process which begins, “You have been selected…” They resist, vocally at first, then via diplomatic channels, then by means of massive popular street demonstrations and finally by actual armed resistance on the part of “insurgents,” “illegal enemy combatants” and the like. American responses to this senseless escalating negativism progress from simple democratic sales pitches through bribery to threats and discreetly targeted assassinations. In the end the American proponents of universal democracy are often obliged to resort to pacification programs based on bombing and  “boots on the ground.”

These inevitable coercive measures are inevitably misconstrued–maliciously or otherwise–by America´s enemies and their dupes as “war.” This misconception of recurrent disciplinary measures in one recalcitrant country after another as “war” gives rise to “The Myth of Permanent War.”

The Mexican Experiment Paved the Way for All That Was to Come

The first instance of this phenomenon that I can recall from American history has come down to us as “The Mexican Cession” of 1848 in which Mexico, with her capital under American military control, graciously ceded to the United States almost half of her territory, land which now makes up the US states of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, about half of New Mexico, about a quarter of Colorado, and a small section of Wyoming. The following year significant gold deposits were discovered coincidentally at Sutter’s Mill in California, giving rise to the California Gold Rush. Some people have all the luck.

The philosophical underpinnings of this annexation are referred to today as the United States’ “Manifest Destiny.” In subsequent years this grab-the-capital-and-make-outlandish-demands technique was to become a favorite not only of the United States but also of other ambitious advanced countries whose populations urgently  required “lebensraum.”

Why the American Maximum Security Prison for Terrorists is in Guantanamo, Cuba and not Ohio

After the Spanish American War in 1898 the United States kept control of both Cuba and the Philippines. They still control a piece of Cuba in Guantanamo Bay and hung on to Clark Field (later Clark Air Base, the largest American base abroad) in the Philippines until 1979. That was on paper, as the American military presence at Clark lingered on and culminated in an ambitious US building program there throughout the 1980’s. In June of 2012, following actions regarding Chinese claims on the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government agreed officially to the return of  US military forces to Clark. Turn, turn, turn…

What’s More Important than Friends? Enemies

In order to keep the democracy wheel turning the American elites require formidable enemies. They are the motor of the whole theater. From 1945, when the Americans and the British turned on their Soviet allies, till 1989 when the Soviet Union collapsed, the Russians were the ideal enemies, poor and not terribly dangerous but easy to draft them into an arms race they couldn’t possibly win. The Russkies were handy as a Swiss army knife whenever the American establishment needed a threat or a scapegoat. This game of bear bating ended abruptly with the fall of the Soviet Union. The Americans sorely missed their comfortable enemy/facilitator for the followingt dozen years.  During that time they were forced to create their enemies themselves, financing them, arming them, training themand depolying, as they did in Afghanistan. Years later they were to discover that this procedure wasn’t entirely satisfactory.

Then came September 11, 2011. Nine eleven was such a windfall for President George W. Bush and his merry band of neocons that it’s hard to believe that it was conceived by a handful of semi-literate Islamic militants in an Afghan cave. The new enemy, “terrorism,” had untold advantages. It was vaporous and impossible to pinpoint. It could be under the bed. It could fit into a compact car and be transported inconspicuously anywhere in the world  on short notice. Its time bombs and suicide attacks were horrendous and struck innocent civilians which made for great newspaper headlines. It was the perfect fear generator and pretext for axing the Americans’ traditional (and constitutional) liberties. See Patriot Acts I and II. To top it all off, it could be associated with a given race and a given religion, making police profiling and media damnation a piece of cake.

This marvelous all-encompassing new enemy gave us ubiquitous surveillance cameras and excellent airport controls, but more importantly it gave the neo-cons the opportunity to implement their ambitious civil and military democratizing agenda. Now, for the modest price of suspending a few old-fashioned civil liberties  the Republican zealots could invade, arrest,  transport and torture anybody anywhere in the world. Never mind that the sinister carte blanche the shrewd neocons had given themselves could be turned against Americans anywhere in the world.

Did the presidency of Barak Obama change the scene at all? Not one iota. President Obama used to sit down regularly with John Brennan, whom he later promoted to CIA director, to personally choose the victims to be assassinated by US drones.

Who wins? Who Loses? Who cares?

Armed with the fattest defense budget in the world–more money to spend on “defense” than the following 26 countries combined–the US still has problems winning their wars, unless you count the campaigns against Panama City and the Caribbean island of Grenada which, I think you will agree, is hardly fair. In fact they haven’t won a war since World War II. And there is a case to be made for the possibility that their allies–and later chosen enemies–the Russians actually won that war (at a cost of 16-20 million dead) from the East while the British and the Americans mounted sideshow distractionss in the Low Countries, Italy and Normandy.

The Americans lost in Vietnam, they lost in Iraq and they’re losing in Afghanistan and Syria. A logical question to pose at this point might be: “After losing so much, how do they manage to go on democratizing the world? Doesn’t it cost a lot of money to lose a war?” Yes, it does and it’s a problem with which American administrations have been confronting for years. How do they pay the bills and not only that. How do they justify them to the citizens? The answer is that American politicians don’t pay the bills. The American taxpayers do, thanks to the consummate skill of politicians in manipulating public opinion, a task which the American establishment has turned into an art. Furthermore, in wartime they can simply put it on auto pilot. It’s as simple as posing the question: “Don’t you support our boys?”

So we’re left with two losers, the American people and those of the country being democratized. Who wins then? Don’t take your eye off the walnut shells. The United States military/congressional/industrial complex wins. They never lose. Rather, even when they lose they win. Of course. They’re the ones who designed the game and set it in motion. Best of all, it’s legal. They saw to that, too. And they win big. The profits of the manufacturers of modern arms are astronomical. And their revolving doors are always open to admit deserving politicians in their golden years and to excrete highly-placed, well-connected executives into “government service.”

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that the United States spends a couple of trillion dollars and a some thousands of American soldiers’ lives–not to mention those of many thousands more of men, women and children who made the grave mistake of being born in an oil-rich country. The cynicism of the myth spinners encourages the world to believe that this process makes the United States military/congressional/industrial complex responsible for the most serious ills of the rest of the world. “War mongers,” the mythologists  call them when, in fact, they’re just business people–in the business of exporting democracy to the less enlightened reaches of the globe and then dividing up the profits.

The Lesson Remains to Be Learned

But wars are not won just by money, hardware and lies. They are won by human spirit and by respecting the enemy. Look at the North Vietnamese Army at Dien Bien Phu and at Khe Sanh. Wars are won with perseverance and sacrifice. Look at the Russians at Stalingrad. Einstein defined insanity as “employing the same methods every time while expecting different results…” So, what results are we to expect from President Trump’s turn at bat in the permanent American war when it comes to democratizing Venezuela, Iran, Iraq (again) and Afghanistan (ditto)? You don’t have to be Einstein to guess the answer.

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  The Myth of “Permanent War” Pervades American Democratization Efforts .I Think I Can Explain Why Can anybody remember a time when the United States was not at war, in some form or another, somewhere, with someone?

#Donald Trump #President Donald Trump #US Exporting Democracy #US Permanent War