...Wait, we're supposed to believe that it's the rebels who are
wrong?
On Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:26:03 -0000 (UTC), James Nicoll wrote:
...Wait, we're supposed to believe that it's the rebels who are
wrong?
You know the old saying: ?One side?s ?terrorist? is the other side?s
?freedom fighter??. If the insurgency succeeds, then it was right all
along, otherwise it was wrong. Mostly.
Side-Eyeing Science Fiction's Love of Empire
...Wait, we're supposed to believe that it's the rebels who are wrong?
https://reactormag.com/side-eyeing-science-fictions-love-of-empire/
Empires of various sorts and durations constitute a lot of human
history right back into prehistory.
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other. Time after time,
a strong king would arise who unified a bunch of them into something >resembling the beginnings of empire and some kind of peace within its >borders, only for it to fall to bits again after his death, and
everybody to go back to warring against each other again.
Lawrence =?iso-8859-13?q?D=FFOliveiro?= <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other. Time after time,
a strong king would arise who unified a bunch of them into something >>resembling the beginnings of empire and some kind of peace within its >>borders, only for it to fall to bits again after his death, and
everybody to go back to warring against each other again.
Sadly, this is the story of so many places. China is one of the most >fascinating.
Side-Eyeing Science Fiction's Love of Empire
...Wait, we're supposed to believe that it's the rebels who are wrong?
https://reactormag.com/side-eyeing-science-fictions-love-of-empire/
Very early on in Second Foundation we see the leaders of that
organization squabbling among themselves, fighting turf wars like any
other bureaucrats.
I think that one of the reasons "Foundation's Edge" disappointed some
people was that Asimov had changed his mind about Empire while writing >"Second Foundation", or perhaps earlier.
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:35:43 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.Sadly, this is the story of so many places. China is one of the most fascinating.
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other.
begin fnord
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> writes:
Very early on in Second Foundation we see the leaders of that
organization squabbling among themselves, fighting turf wars like any
other bureaucrats.
Suppose he modelled them on faculty politics at Boston University?
In article <10kbehb$11og5$1@dont-email.me>,
William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
I think that one of the reasons "Foundation's Edge" disappointed some
people was that Asimov had changed his mind about Empire while writing
"Second Foundation", or perhaps earlier.
I think a bigger reason was that FE wasn't edited by John W. Campbell,
if indeed it was edited at all. If you liked the earlier stuff
(fixups of stort stories and novellas that Campbell bought and argued
over with Asimov), the "flabby" later books are what made people say
Asimov had succumbed to the Brain Eater.
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:02:11 -0500 (EST), Scott Dorsey wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:35:43 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.Sadly, this is the story of so many places. China is one of the most
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other.
fascinating.
China at least was able to achieve centuries-long episodes of >largely-peaceful conditions at a time -- most of the strife came from
foreign invasions. To the point where they automatically assumed that >foreigners must be ?barbarians?.
Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other. Time after time,
a strong king would arise who unified a bunch of them into something >>resembling the beginnings of empire and some kind of peace within its >>borders, only for it to fall to bits again after his death, and
everybody to go back to warring against each other again.
Sadly, this is the story of so many places. China is one of the most fascinating.
Scott Dorsey wrote:
Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
Reading a book on the early history of Mesopotamia just made me sad.
The first city-states in the world, the beginnings of civilization,
and they spent centuries warring against each other. Time after time,
a strong king would arise who unified a bunch of them into something
resembling the beginnings of empire and some kind of peace within its
borders, only for it to fall to bits again after his death, and
everybody to go back to warring against each other again.
Sadly, this is the story of so many places. China is one of the most
fascinating.
Europe's existential "Forever War" hits closer to home for me:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LfdXoL3Xck>
Wars and rumors of war are foretold by Saint Matthew the Apostle.
--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. veritas liberabit vos tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.
Wars and rumors of war are foretold by Saint Matthew the Apostle.
And about due for another Warring States period.
On Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:29:40 -0000 (UTC), Don wrote:
Wars and rumors of war are foretold by Saint Matthew the Apostle.
Wow, it's like nobody else thought that wars would happen ...
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
And about due for another Warring States period.
Which current authoritarian leader, notable for his doctrinaire and
erratic ideas of Government, looks to be pushing his country to the
brink of civil war?
On 18/01/26 11:25, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
And about due for another Warring States period.
Which current authoritarian leader, notable for his doctrinaire and
erratic ideas of Government, looks to be pushing his country to the
brink of civil war?
I can't imagine just one person being able and therefore responsible for
such erratic behaviour perhaps leading to slaughter and sometimes
genocide. There has to be sufficient political and media support behind
the figurehead of the industrial military complex, its financiers and
its not so secret "police".
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
And about due for another Warring States period.
Which current authoritarian leader, notable for his doctrinaire and
erratic ideas of Government, looks to be pushing his country to the
brink of civil war?
I can't imagine just one person being able and therefore responsible for
such erratic behaviour perhaps leading to slaughter and sometimes
genocide. There has to be sufficient political and media support behind
the figurehead of the industrial military complex, its financiers and
its not so secret "police".
In article <10khosd$346jd$3@dont-email.me>, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
On 18/01/26 11:25, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
What I find fascinating about Trump is that he has a very pre-WWI concept
of diplomacy. He doesn't think about countries but about individual kings. >Europe doesn't work that way and it seems to really confuse him.
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
And about due for another Warring States period.
Which current authoritarian leader, notable for his doctrinaire and
erratic ideas of Government, looks to be pushing his country to the
brink of civil war?
kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:<noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
In article <10khosd$346jd$3@dont-email.me>, Titus G
conceptOn 18/01/26 11:25, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
What I find fascinating about Trump is that he has a very pre-WWI
kings.of diplomacy. He doesn't think about countries but about individual
Europe doesn't work that way and it seems to really confuse him.
You're giving him far to much credit. He's simply in it for the graft.
What I find fascinating about Trump is that he has a very pre-WWI concept
of diplomacy. He doesn't think about countries but about individual kings. Europe doesn't work that way and it seems to really confuse him.
kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:
In article <10khosd$346jd$3@dont-email.me>, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
On 18/01/26 11:25, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
What I find fascinating about Trump is that he has a very pre-WWI concept >>of diplomacy. He doesn't think about countries but about individual kings. >>Europe doesn't work that way and it seems to really confuse him.
You're giving him far to much credit. He's simply in it for the graft.
At one point, apparently, there were lawyers who, when their clients
were being attacked in defiance of stated Policy, were able to call
the central authorities and have the locals corrected.
If that is still the case and disrespect for the central government
grows, how long will it take before the central government is seen as >irrelevant and each province behaves independently? And then how long
until they start fighting each other for resources?
The only change is that we may be moving into a similar phase in the
USA. The level of propaganda from certain parts of the Federal
Government is really getting out of hand. And their apparent
unwillingness to recognize State's Rights will inevitably have an
effect.
kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:
In article <10khosd$346jd$3@dont-email.me>, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
On 18/01/26 11:25, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:31:52 -0800, Paul S Person wrote:
What I find fascinating about Trump is that he has a very pre-WWI concept
of diplomacy. He doesn't think about countries but about individual kings. >> Europe doesn't work that way and it seems to really confuse him.
You're giving him far to much credit. He's simply in it for the graft.
This has always been the case, and it's one of the downsides of
monarchies.
On Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:53:58 -0500 (EST), Scott Dorsey wrote:
This has always been the case, and it's one of the downsides of
monarchies.
It?s been amusing and slightly mystifying, to see the preoccupation in
the USA with ?kings?, and avoiding coming under their reach. Those of
us who stayed in the British Empire found a way to keep the king under control, by setting up a Constitutional Monarchy. Meanwhile, the USA
seems to be falling under the sway of a dictator, almost without
realizing it.
On 1/18/2026 1:14 PM, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:
On Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:53:58 -0500 (EST), Scott Dorsey wrote:
This has always been the case, and it's one of the downsides of
monarchies.
It?s been amusing and slightly mystifying, to see the preoccupation in
the USA with ?kings?, and avoiding coming under their reach. Those of
us who stayed in the British Empire found a way to keep the king under
control, by setting up a Constitutional Monarchy. Meanwhile, the USA
seems to be falling under the sway of a dictator, almost without
realizing it.
Oh, most of it realize it, the problem is too many Americans WANT it.
I have written to my legislators in regard to this matter and hope
they can make progress into treating this boil on the USA's
derriere. I hope that some Republican voters will do the same with
their representatives.
On Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:19:12 -0800, Bobbie Sellers wrote:
I have written to my legislators in regard to this matter and hope
they can make progress into treating this boil on the USA's
derriere. I hope that some Republican voters will do the same with
their representatives.
That?s assuming your checks and balances still work. The ease with
which this dicator and his cohorts have managed to sweep them aside
does not bode well.
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