I was actually thinking of our American cousins!, they are always going on about the intent of their founders like what 18th century corpses think about anything is actually important
When only criminals carry guns the police know exactly who to shoot!
When your current rulers are a bunch of tyrannous morons, the thought and intent of a bunch of 18th century corpses who framed the government to protect the people from tyranny becomes pretty important.
Svartalf wrote:When your current rulers are a bunch of tyrannous morons, the thought and intent of a bunch of 18th century corpses who framed the government to protect the people from tyranny becomes pretty important.
I don't notice any western leader these days who is openly racist , owns slaves and thinks women/peasants shouldnt be allowed to vote (some may support it in secret) but the idea that the morality of anyone in the 18th century is remotely decent common to the modern age is a bit silly.
I'm shocked by the attitude of people in the 1950's never mind the 1750's!
When only criminals carry guns the police know exactly who to shoot!
When I see morons voting, or worse, being elected, I still rue the fact that nobody devised a proper test for suitability as a citizen...
I personally favor the gom jabbar, but am aware that such a device would kill enormous numbers of animals and/or frighten suitable citizens into renouncing the rights we need them to exercize.
I call bullshit. Every atrocity in history is clearly traceable to America.
these are things we think we know
these are feelings we might even share
these are thoughts we hide from ourselves
these are secrets we cannot lay bare.
Nothing new about this. Every empire throughout history committed atrocities. I think the worst might have been the old Roman Empire, who often would crucify literally thousands 'as a lesson', and leave their bodies rotting on crosses up and down the length of various highways.
The important thing is not to use that as a justification for general nastiness by the powers that be in today's world.
For every human action, there is a rationalisation and a reason. Only sometimes do they coincide.
Svartalf wrote:When your current rulers are a bunch of tyrannous morons, the thought and intent of a bunch of 18th century corpses who framed the government to protect the people from tyranny becomes pretty important.
Blind groper wrote:Nothing new about this. Every empire throughout history committed atrocities. I think the worst might have been the old Roman Empire, who often would crucify literally thousands 'as a lesson', and leave their bodies rotting on crosses up and down the length of various highways.
The important thing is not to use that as a justification for general nastiness by the powers that be in today's world.
Blind groper wrote:Nothing new about this. Every empire throughout history committed atrocities. I think the worst might have been the old Roman Empire, who often would crucify literally thousands 'as a lesson', and leave their bodies rotting on crosses up and down the length of various highways.
The important thing is not to use that as a justification for general nastiness by the powers that be in today's world.
But think of all the roads they built!
And the Pax Romana!
And Latin!
Someone had to provide this link. May as well be me.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould
There's no doubt that the Romans were one of the nastiest imperial powers ever. I did a couple of Open University units about eight years ago on them and other ancient history stuff, which I an really interested in.
They seemed to combine arrogance that they were the bestest ever (which in many ways they were), with a shocking lack of anything remotely like empathy and would happily slaughter thousands in revenge or even their own soldiers if they didn't perform up to par by having their fellows kill every tenth soldier, chosen by lot.
