Posts by DCBCauchi
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Lilith __,
with whom you have little cultural contact
I think this is the phrase both you and others are missing.
Let’s not forget that, 2000-odd years ago, the rich Romans in Britain had things from everywhere from Africa to China in their houses.
And 2000 years before them the rich Egyptian.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
My favourite bit was that it could be anywhere up to 20,000 years old. You can't tell, because it doesn't matter. Like the shark, it does the job, no need to change.
Oh, and good bolding!
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
Some of the best innovations of military technology, for civilians caught in the middle, were the ones that meant the soldiers camped on your land weren’t also eating all your food.
Ye gods, ‘foraging’ soldiers.
I’m a big fan of Sigismondo Malatesta. When he was 13 years old, the bastard nephew of the head of the Malatesta clan (who died with no clear heir), he was surrounded by outright enemies and treacherous advisers out for themselves.
At 13, Sigismondo had to secure his title and lands (which the Malatesta never owned outright, but controlled as vicars of the Pope). He did this brilliantly. He then went on to become the best mercenary captain in Italy and built the first fortress designed to withstand artillery (because he needed it, especially after he pissed off the Pope). Sigismondo’s speciality was the dramatic change of side, at the moment of battle when it would make all the difference.
He filled his court at Rimini with painters, poets, and philosophers, ignored the political marriages he had to make in favour of the peasant love of his life, Isotta, for whom (and also to piss off the Pope) he built what is probably the best building in the world (even though it was only ever half finished). In (I think) 1449, he wrote to the Medici in Florence: ‘Send me that painter you were telling me about. I want him to paint my cool new building. He doesn’t have to do any work though. I’ll put him up while he thinks about it.’ Sigismondo knew how to get good things done.
Sigismondo said something like: ‘Even if God did exist, why would he bother with the insignificant likes of us, crawling around on the surface of one of many planets?’ They weren’t all ignorant and superstitious back in the day. People think.
In the 19th century, many writers and critics used Sigismondo as a model for the Renaissance tyrant, based on the lies and calumnies the Pope and his stooge, Federico da Montefeltro, told about him.
I want to hang out at his court with Piero della Francesca, who took up the offer the snobby un-named Florentine painter declined.
I’m getting a little off-topic again.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
Napoleon was significant, sure, but he was building upon changes that were already occurring.
Damn straight. No Napoleon without his context. It's not nature vs nurture or the thing vs its context or any other similar binary opposition but the interaction of the two that matters.
However, the equation also needs Napoleon in it to function.
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Napoleon was an innovator, the precursor to mechanised total war, the prototype. We got canned food and tampons from Napoleon's innovations, among other things.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
It’s two simultaneous but very different dynamics.
I totally agree. All I have to add that it’s the simultaneous interaction of those two dynamics that’s so amazingly productive.
Just look at what Te Kooti did. He arrived at the Chathams a prisoner at the start of winter and was told ‘here, grow your own food and build your own shelter. We provide virtually nothing.’
He decided he was having none of this, took a ship, went back home, and sorted some shit out. Set up some structures.
Let’s not chop off anyone’s heads while we finish the job this time round eh?
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Rich Lock,
I grew up thinking I wasn’t very English, until I lived somewhere else…
Mum was extremely surprised I never bothered living anywhere else. But why would I? Everything I need and want is right here.
We’ve made a very nice home for ourselves. Few tweaks, and it could be great.
(I need one of those picture things.)
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to DCBCauchi,
but it came across as a tad facile
Heh.
I dispute your allocation of proportions. Maori influence on Pakeha culture is all-pervasive, subtle, and deep. Right from the get-go to the present day.
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Hard News: About Occupy Wall Street, in reply to Russell Brown,
I’ve heard a little about that. It’s an extraordinary historical story.
He's handily written a book all about it! After walking what must be the entire coastline of the country, closely looking at stuff and talking to people. For many years.
Bruce is an old family friend. He's a stand up guy.
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Ask Dr Bruce McFadgen how pre-European Maori coped with a devastating series of tsunami in the 15th century.
The short answer is pretty bloody well, all things considered.
(And there's nothing wrong with being a bit unfair!)