Monthly Archives: Aug 2023

Religion. Another Viewpoint (With Some Assistance From Quantum Mechanics & Cosmology)

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WorldReligions-164107922-c72cce704d4d4521962046df4fa8ce3f

NB- This will also be very long, because the subject matter is not to be fitted into snappy one-liners. It will also be very short of quotes; the reason being quotes with the best will in the world (or especially, the worst will) are going to be selective to argue a case. I’m not going to fall back on that. This is simply my view, in my words…. ok, with a few links just to illustrate complexities in the science side. I leave it up to you to go seeking evidence one way or another.

This is another one I have started out (in my mind anyway)- several times. You may recall I earlier on this year felt obliged to voice a common challenge Christians face and I would venture to suggest folk of other faiths face at times:

One Christian’s Confession

Now my faith remains, yet so do those misgivings over some aspects taught to us. This post is not about those issues though. This is about the experience of being a Christian, in a Middle (Aside: Cosmically speaking there is  no ‘The Middle’ as we know it. Only your own perspective from your local focal point. The Universe does not subscribe to our limited perceptions -that’s me mixing religious and scientific by the way). The Middle I wish to discuss is the one which sees; on one side an abrupt generalised dismissal of all theistic belief and believers and on the other side those who do evil and sheer opportunistic folly under the guise of theistic belief. In this case, of course, I repeat I use the Christian perspective, it would be crass to impose upon the beliefs of the moderates and liberals of other religions.

There is a particular reason why I gave a nod to ‘Quantum Mechanics’ and that relates to a concept known as The Waves -Particle Duality, in short having two properties at once. Have fun reading this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave%E2%80%93particle_duality

This has its parallels with the majority of Christians. The majority accept the status of The vastness of everything through the scientific lens while adhering to their faith. That actually takes some doing. As one Jesuit priest astronomer said ‘Every day I study the stars I am challenged’. After all we have a Bible to go on while on the other hand we have the wealth of knowledge which goes from the wonderous massive magnificence revealed by Cosmology down to the mind-stretching infinitely small domain of Quantum. And everything in between. One Being brought all that into existence and can also claim they know everyone one of us. How is that supposed to work?….Uh????

That’s where Faith, be it leaping or just standing still, comes in. Now the majority of us have A Faith. This comes in many forms. I ask you to pause and reflect on that. Think on what you hold true to be in a view, a relationship, something which is always there in your background. An aspect which appears to be steadfast irrespective of the rest of the world around you. Think deep on that. That’s a Faith. Faith transcending what seems to be the case of the world around you. It exists despite the apparent practicalities you have come to learned. It defies the logic you have been told is so. And sometimes part of its nature might be founding wanting. You’ll find a lot of that in Quantum. There, I am back with the Quantum-thing again. Research still continues there into the contradictions and the apparently evasive. Thus any Christian honest with themselves and the relationship with their Faith has met doubts, unsatisfactory conclusions, mysteries which remain just out of reach. Those do not stop us believing. The question is not finding ‘An Excuse’ or ‘A Platitude’ to answer the difficult issues. It’s a question of going In Deep, to use Faith as a foundation to work from. If you consider Science you will find in its history that answers or solutions were and still are being constantly overturned because they do not fit the model. Let’s look at that. From A Middle. Or using cosmological metaphors to be more analogous. From Planet Me. 

The Bible – An average moderate Christian gets a bit queasy about parts of The Old Testament, particularly the opening books. These seem to support incest, genocide, suppression of women, the punishment of same-sex relationships, heroes and figureheads having multiple sexual relationships and that’s before we get to ‘A Jealous God’ who is likely to wipe you out with a snap of the fingers because of some minor misdemeanour. Such passages are leapt upon by intolerant Fundamentalists who gleefully announce their excesses of Hate, Intimidation and Violence are but carrying out the Word of God, while their atheistic opponents have the easy task to use the same as evidence that these beliefs are flawed. And the Moderates get lambasted by the Fundamentalists as not believers and going to Hell (Hoorah!) while Atheistic folk look aghast and say to any moderate ‘But how can you belief that?’

OK. If we look at the Four Gospels used in most branches of Christianity we have at the centre Jesus. Basically the Son of God sent into our world to take on Human form and ‘suffer death’ to cleanse us of all our sins, Past, Present and Future. The Four Gospels reflect four different reporters of the story. Nothing wrong with that, have you ever encountered an event in which ALL of the reports are exactly the same. Really? No you haven’t. Anyway here’s another old post of mine concerning that subject:

A Case for The Christian Easter Actually Happening

The New Testament Gospels have their own issues. Though nothing as useful to the Fundamentalists as they can take out of context from The Old Testament. However the two parts are linked and whereas there are some branches who will claim you don’t need the Old Testament because Jesus’s coming into the world did away with those books, unless you are looking to play a lazy Anti-Semitism card, that don’t work.

But here is the aspect which bears repeating over and over and over about the Old Testament. Firstly it is a collection of written accounts based on oral accounts, or in some cases religious interpretated historical events OR codes of practice based on the social circumstances of the time. Secondly the accounts are translation of one of several versions of local languages and dialects, using poetical imagery, which have been translated into Greek and then into Latin and then into English (at least once each)…so you can imagine that what was said, why and when, would likely be not perfectly translated and represented in today’s English (whatever version). In short you just don’t go looking for a bit underline it or dog ear your Bible and say ‘Ah-ha! That’s why I can be terrible to other people!’ Theologically speaking we’re also a flawed, cussed and arrogant lot, thinking we know best, which is why God has to keep telling us we’re wrong. Not that even Jesus’s supreme sacrifice on the Cross seems to have sluiced out our flaws. Thus quoting ‘bits’ to suit your intolerances- that is a load man, you are just bigoted- period! (Apologies to the late Michael Herr for plagiarism of ‘Despatches’- again) 

Change of tack again. Just to personally slip back to The Science Area, Quantum and Cosmological (Very, very, very small and very, very, very big). There I was with three puzzling issues trying to comprehend Christianity, AND Quantum AND Cosmological, when gradually they all slide into place. All three cannot be taken at what seems to be a swift-throw away face vale, all need some study, pondering, and ‘gosh are they not hard to get around?’ There appear to be contradictions, there appear to be unfathomable, no one appears to agree on one set of rules, laws or perceptions, and so on. Thus it came to me, ‘this is how it is’. Nothing is straightforward, nothing can be encapsulated in a simple few words. All needs study and reflection. All is the same. For me the melding of the perspectives of Science and Religion became a most liberating time. Giving room to deal with the challenges, like trying to comprehend 150 billion galaxies (not stars) in the observable universe or getting your head around the Quantum concept that the nature of a particle being affected by it being observed OR your Belief and Faith being tested. No need to worry about The Purpose of Life. It just is.

One aspect of the Theistic and Atheistic conflict which strikes me as having an Irony the size of one of those Galaxies, is the way some arguments on both sides get hung up on the same piece of English estimate of what was originally said. Like somebody says the World was created in Seven Days because it says so in the English, and then somebody mocks the religion because of what a fundamentalist said, as if we all believed that. The Irony being that both sides are buying into the same statement. It’s like the fundamentalist has convinced the atheist, this is something to argue about. As if the description of the Time Scale matters. Or that everyone believes it or should believe it has only one direction and value, which by the way it doesn’t.

Navigating back to the Quantum and Cosmological aspects of this post, I would suggest brief visits to sensible academic sites, where you will encounter a variety of views, suggestions and ideas (avoid the calculations that’s like reading a theological treatise on The Holy Trinity concept- your mind will spin). There is a great deal out there based on Laws, however there are always differing the interpretations and the suggestions that those laws might not have actually always been quite that way. The whole is an ongoing process. Everything is ongoing. We are children learning, or being wilfully difficult.

From my own perspective I reason that if this is the case, and since God set the whole in motion, it follows a simple reasoning, that resorting to Confirmation Bias is not the satisfactory way to seek deeper into one’s faith and beliefs. Working on the basis that God is perfect we cannot be perfect because we are not God, therefore being flawed we have to work through a great deal of difficult and challenging questions. Just like Cosmologists or Quantum Physicists are involved with. There we are again; the two concepts are intertwined. Including those times when a person can get frustrated or discouraged by the immensity of the task. To emphasise once more, Nothing Can Be Neatly Fitted* Into How You Want It no matter how good or bad you wish to portray it. The closest you will get to that is with a Human Flawed Perception of ‘Things’

And there is that troublesome word again ‘Human’.

Religion– Used by more than a few as an excuse for war, or other acts of violence, or just intolerance. And wilful ignorance of or objection to progress, even when benefitting from that progress. Also, a handy tool for the hypocrite and the opportunist. Of course, I could put up a pretty good case against any form of secular governance on the same basis. There again let’s be neat about it and condemn Politics and Religions all in one go. Isn’t that *neat-ly fitted? What we need is good honest scientific progress?

Progress– We have much to be grateful for in the research into atomic and sub-atomic particles. Look how much Quantum has revealed:

Applications of quantum mechanics – Wikipedia

Mind you that research into the atom and its constituents did lead to the splitting of the atom and observing the release of energy….and sorry folks but…. Nuclear Weapons. That is the trouble make an advance and the next thing you know some Human grouping talks about weaponising it. Weaponry doesn’t spontaneously evolve, Humans develop it. You find a Human idea and you are going find a benefit and a mis-use, also several loud and long arguments about how to approach and utilise that idea. Humans, that’s the issue folks. Not just Religion then. Might as well throw Economics into the mix.

I could go on and on with more analogies, examples, arguments, discussion and so forth. Why, gee,  I haven’t even got around to the question of The Historical Approach, nor the sometimes amusing, sometimes hysterical lengths both sides of the divide will go to support their point. Both using out of context statements, hurtful language and demonstrating Intolerance and quite a bit of Ignorance in pursuit of that good old Confirmation Bias. Don’t try and drag me or several millions others into either side of your squabble. We’re waiting to sort it out with God, as far as we are concerned, that is where The Last Word is. And there are those for the record who in addition to being professional scientists are theists too. It’s all a question of  perspective

Basically limited thinking in a Universe about 14 billions years old and possibly 90+ billions light years…..errr…big? While at the other end of the scale particles which don’t do as we might think they should. Basically, arrogance in trying to claim we know the mind of the Being that brought the Whole into existence….Apparently only in one language, to a selected few, of one race or creed….Yeah like that’s going to resonate through the Universe, which God created.

Try this:

Tolerance

Respect

Compassion

Co-operation

You can even add on a few positives if you want. How and why you believe doesn’t matter to me as long as you are trying to stick with those….Not easy. WE can agree of that. Yes?

Now it would not be such a post without a part set aside for some impassioned commentary. So, as parting words, for those who do not visit my site, will most likely not read this. For everyone else this is what I have to say to them in that unlikely event they arrive and stridently tell me I am wrong.

Do not tell me that it is the Will of God and that Jesus Christ died on the Cross so that you could persecute others because they don’t fit your ideas of gender, are the wrong colour, because they were forced into medical choices for situations you did nothing to help with, because they seek out Our Lord God along different paths. Don’t you dare. I renounce you as Christians.

And …Over to the other side. Do not tell me that to follow my Faith is somehow dangerous to society, and I am to be shunned for my beliefs, that I am wrong, because quite frankly you know nothing about me and all you are doing is profiling, just like any other narrow minded hypocrite. The other side of the coin. I renounce you too. And don’t try and tell me it is all a delusion because you cannot take me to the place in the Universe and categorically say ‘Look this is where God should be, and there is nothing,’. You may believe it, but you cannot tell me I am wrong for believing otherwise. And sorry some guys but some schools of Logic haven’t got a place in this debate. This is a Science and Faith zone. Your Latin quotes won’t cut it here.

OK, for the rest of you guys who read my posts. Read and questions and poke holes if you find them. I know you all and respect your concerns and questions.

Also I confess to a smidge of mischief, mixing Religion, Quantum Physics and Cosmology into one post. But, I’m one of those (not the first) who just could not resist it. It had to be done. They cannot be avoided.

No Shortage of Crises. Nor Folk To Suffer In The Solving #Blog Battle : August -Sacrifice

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Sacrifice

It wasn’t part of the mission but being so close by he had to take a detour. Once more pay his respects and see this time if any of the ghosts wanted to talk over old times.

LifeGuard Fileman Trex once more looks upon the ruins of Parledach. Cities that suffered prolonged sieges with the expected sackings did not come back quickly. And Parledach had been a very bad one. Just one in three of The LifeGuard Company of Engineers had come out, Captain had died with guts torn open, and veteran Sergeant Ferred had finally broke, and slit his own throat. Only one of his friends had come out, the laconic ‘Cheerful Chye’ and then.

Then they’d been given a ‘Community Mission’ one of those they did for villagers and all small towns to prove The LifeGuard could be nice and helpful. Repairing a bridge. What could be easier? Only Chye had slipped on a plank giving way and had plunged into the fast-flowing river. Lost. He’d survived Parledach dammit. He was helping folk. Where was the justice in that? Sacrificed for being good.

They finished the work, but after that last loss what was left of Company no longer had any morale to give and its various troopers were disbanded to other units.   He had been not so much an engineer, more a trooper who defended engineers about their work. Another one sent to fill up a gap. He did the work for three of his then ten years. Killing, saving, surviving. He was useful in any place where the LifeGuard worked.

And ended up at an Outpost a relatively quiet posting, with its Hounds file, those who scouted, and did things to make sure the area the Outpost covered remained, relatively quiet. Maybe some of the folk on the receiving end didn’t deserve what was meted out, maybe they could have been made to see the errors of their ways, but as every trooper knew in keeping the stability of The Empire, small sacrifices had to be made, or taken, or something like that. After all, if you didn’t there’d been another Parledach.

Dismounted he crouched on the grass and looked out over the jagged gap, the place where they had finally blown down the main doors and let the imperial army swarm in. A city to be sacked. The LifeGuard units did not stay when that started, they were ordered out. Not their problem anymore. Anyway, all units were worn down from their specialist tasks. They had paid their dues. LifeGuard were normally like thin blades in the night. Not to be used as blunt instruments. Whatever imperial general or noble on the ground who had thought the sacrifices were worth it, well a long-serving trooper knew LifeGuard command would have attended to him, its own way. When lent out to the Imperial its troopers were not to squandered.

Only the memories drifted in. The ghosts still didn’t seem inclined to be wanting to talk. Well, he wasn’t about to disturb their rest.

‘Sleep well,’ he began and spoke each name, faces still clear in his memories.

One set of recollections led to another. A short while after joining Outpost Dorigen, who should ride in with a whole pack horse’s worth of equipment but Medician Beritt. The blonde haired ‘suddie’ trooper Beritt who had been with them at that damn town. She who had dragged men back to trenches, patched and sewn them, saved some. When she had arrived at the Outpost, she was lean and long-staring, but after a year in the friendly neighbourhood, being sent to work her healing skills for locals and delighting a few girls, she had softened. Getting recompense, he reckoned for her own costs. All LifeGuard paid those out. Some forgot they could get recompense, only the paying out seemed to satisfy them. They went down The Long Road, they never came back until Death coming a’calling brought them rest, at least it was hoped it did.

At that outpost, all was settling down quite well, when something involving The Astatheia or Ethereal or Stommigheid, call it what you will came up. Hounds went off with Beritt in tow. Things went into a Second and Third Hell’s worth of chaos in a town called Prendaelyn where they were chasing down a culprit just as some pirates raided. The Hounds should have all been crushed by a falling building but someone or something using that Astatheia made it slow down and they just got buried in a cellar. Sergeant Erzns and Trooper Norvan were invalided out to hobble around the bastion, Castle Drygnest. Trex always reckoned that hurt Erzns a bit, the man was made for riding out and far. Dangerous ending. That place had a wide share of sergeants and filemen not suited for The Outside anymore, ending up drinking their spare time away, or jumping off the battlements into the sea.

From there it had gone peculiar like you couldn’t rid yourself of that Astatheia, every mission involved some trace of it, and Beritt with those other two girls always turning up. With the strangest tales around them.

Always with a quirky funny twist in them though.

Scratching his stubble, he let slip a soft laugh of reminiscence. You had to hold those good times very close, particularly when you were riding solo on despatch duties. He never liked working alone. You knew where you were with a file, good or bad, it was a family, replacing the one long gone from years of duty. But he had been so good at surviving, it got noticed. Veteran good at staying alive, ideal for getting papers to and from places, at a pace.

The trouble with that was there were folk who wanted to know what those papers were, who had no business knowing, and there were others who didn’t want the papers to get where they were going. Some could go crazy if they thought too much about where those papers might end up, if that was the place they were supposed to end up?

That’s why troopers like him were chosen, you got a sense for these things, knowing whether the person you were supposed to hand them over to was actually that person. Maybe you had to be a kind of crazy to be able to think that way. Maybe

‘You always were a sly one Trex,’

And there he was, as doleful looking as ever but still with the hint of understanding how things were. His thick-set body and features still intact.

‘Cheerful Chye’ Trex said, surprised, not frightened, glad. ‘You finally got here,’

‘Yeah. Washed up in a stream full of reeds. Wasn’t sure about what was what until I realised, I wasn’t breathing. So had to be a ghost. It’s difficult y’know? Trying to get direction when you’re dead. There’s lots on this side wandering, but Parledach? Well, that’s a place I was bound to get to. And you all shining with The Ethereal?’

Up until then the conversation had been sort of easy for Trex to follow. But him with The Astatheia? What the scraith was that all about?

‘Ethereal? Is that any different from Astatheia? Is that where you come from these days?’

‘Couldn’t tell you that Trex. We’ve not got any old fellah with a beard halfway down his chest and an inclination to talk at length,’

Trex looked at his hands. He remembered that dark girl with Beritt, her hands were supposed to glow red and blue at times. His weren’t. He was floundering here.

‘I didn’t touch any of the stuff,’ he complained ‘I didn’t get drenched in it, like some do,’

‘You don’t get all-seeing, all-hearing just because you are a ghost Trex. No, I don’t know anything about that. Only I don’t get what you’d call rest. That’s all. Seems to be a trooper’s fate,’

Trex pressed on trying to make sense.

‘I’ve been here three times in the last five years. Nothing like this has happened before. What’s all this about Chye? Have you got some sort of message from,’ his voice took on an ironic tone ‘The Other Side,’

Chye smiled always a wry, crooked thing.

‘Yeah. Deliver your despatch and get back here. I’ll be waiting,’

‘Aww, scraith,’

As if delivering a despatch under strained situations was not bad enough, now he was holding discourses with a ghost, who had once been a friend they’d shared a lot with and was now being mysterious.

Trex rode off, in a foul mood. He reckoned that was better than being troubled. Troubled got you distracted. Foul put an edge on your senses.

He reached the appointed location. A reasonably sized village on a market day. He walked in leading his horse, riding made you too good a target. He was approached by a fellow driving a cart. The horse shied; the drover swore at him blaming his beast for scaring his. He swore back. In the sort of daily altercation of Anywhere, the despatch pouch was slipped into the hay. Trex and the drover went their separate ways grumbling about the other idiot. Trex visited the local tavern for a drink and a meal and sat with his back to the wall. He rode out, swigged peppermint for the indigestion always brought on by bad tavern food combined with the tension of such a delivery.

In the settling dusk of a late summer’s day, he stopped in an open place affording good all-around vision and rested. That village had smelt of ambush. Maybe it had fallen on the drover instead. He should worry? He’d done his bit, and anyway, there were ghosts in his life now.

‘I’m getting too old for this,’ he said, out loud for once.

‘Me too,’

Knife out, swinging around into a crouch, peering into the gloom Trex was confronted by a ridiculously young fellow. Ridiculous for agreeing and sounding like he meant it. And lying there, hands knitted together, like he had nothing better to do.

‘Fileman Trex? It is. Isn’t it? I’m Trooper Wailsteg,’

‘Talk informative and clear trooper,’

‘That knife has seen some work I bet. Anyway, been keeping watch. Not for that despatch. Not my concern. It’s about you stopping off at Parledach and ghosts,’ Wailsteg sighed, bitterly ‘So they sent me out of my cosy Outpost. My Captain thinks the orders were just to keep an eye on you despatching and report back. Y’know how it goes,’

‘I used to,’ Trex said. That face might be young, but those eyes had age crammed into them too fast ‘Talk on trooper,’

Wailsteg eased up from his prone position into seating, hands now clasped about his legs, he rocked slightly.

‘It’s the Ethereal or whatever you want to call it. Stuff has been going on for the past five or six years like it’s leaking out. Apparently, it’s affecting folk more than usual, some say choosing. Folks at Castle Drygnest have been watching. What with ghosts an’ all. You’ve been noticed Fileman. Drygnest wants you for its own, like me and a few dozen others of course,’

‘You’re not making much sense there Trooper. You’re good at the soft approach, but your explaining needs work,’

The boy’s face hardened.

‘That’s because I know scraith all as much as you’re likely to know it the next year or so. They, whoever they are want you to be triple layer. Ordinary trooper, courier,’ he spread his hands ‘And this. You met ghosts. Go and talk to ghosts. Find out what they have to say and report back. NO, I don’t know to who. Gotta go now. Make up a report to my Captain,’

He slipped away.

Trex was bone tired but did not sleep. The world was coming at him from all directions.

In the morning he would ride back to Parledach. Talk to ghosts. They had things for him to do, and so would the LifeGuard.

And experience taught him, he could not get out of any of it.

9th August 1945 Nagasaki. A Place Where War Can Take You.

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WAR & CONFLICT BOOKERA: WORLD WAR II/WAR IN THE EAST/JAPAN

The remains of a temple overlooking Nagasaki August 1945

There was a time in the USA when if anyone outside of the various Strategic Command units had heard of Nagasaki it would have probably been in relation to a novelty jazz song written by Warren & Dixon in 1928 (and still performed):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagasaki_(song)

After the 9th August 1945 the city would be forever linked to Hiroshima. You may look around the internet and get the impression it has been fated to be an add-on to Hiroshima. A kind of tragic PS when discussing the only (thus far) use of nuclear weapons in a strategic setting. In fact if it had not been for the weather that day Kokura would have been the target. Thus there is always unpredictability in War.

The discussion on the use of the two atomic weapons still generates passion and acrimony. In a grim parallel, debate on the topic carries its own fall out. This comes from all angles and direction, from the Humanitarian to the downright shallow racism of Only America Could Be So Evil. Even some of the historical accounts of the military actions take on a certain subtext of attacking the opponents for being naïve, declaring there was no other option. Actually, there are always other options. Options always come with qualifiers, and your acceptance of those depends on the inherent complexity of your own personal views.

Now does that read as if I am dodging the question? Am I trying to skirt around matters and maybe make a subtle play for a certain point of view? Well, I might be.

Except the intention of this post is to discuss not just one war and to argue the merits or motivations of one side or another in that war. This post is about- The Logic of War.

And there it is. The Logic of War. Yes WAR has its own logic. Not one which works in civilian life and those who try and meld its mores, norms and conventions onto business practices are being very foolish indeed because they are missing out those aspects polite society does not care to dwell on.

The Killing. The plain simple fact that in the overwhelming number of wars the basic intention is to destroy the will or capability of the opposition and that is done by killing. Either in battle, raids on civilians and destruction of capacity, which involves famine by the way and more death. That however is not the first step.

The first step is the strong urge to deliver violence to another. This arises from a myriad of reasons. Acquisition of resources. Differences which come in various guises and have boiled over. Some twisted idea of a destiny. Suspicion of the other and be the first to get the punch in. And all sorts of combinations. The response is normally a violent one. One side might win the first few rounds, but WAR is a long business, even if structurally one side is overwhelmed resistance will continue at lower levels. Even Peace Treaties are but truces, sometimes between once- allies. Often though one side rides the initial blows and begins to dig in deep. By then The Logic of War has taken over, instincts for Survival, of Hatred,  of Anger and Determination take hold. The professionals trained for so long naturally have reacted as trained, the part of the population urging war, come forth, others will get swept up in this, some may try and flee, but WAR will seek them out either physically or mentally or spiritually. Death and ruination are powerful emotional actors and WAR has a long reach and it tracks folk down the years.

Amongst its myriad of horrors come the elements of locations, resources and level of industrialisation, herein lie some of the most frightening of factors which will be brought to the field.

If the war is one in which the nations are not neighbours, then to proceed it is likely they will both have strong industrial bases. Thus, the capacities and need to degrade and destroy are ramped up exponentially, as The Logic of War is now in full flow replacing anything which the ordinary day to day societies consider acceptable. After all, the nations say; this is for survival and at this stage to be effective means take to on bigger degrees of scale. Under the remorseless logic, the battlefield expands beyond the places where soldiers fight and draws in the civilians be they producers or within the community of the producers. This is actually nothing new, but the scale to cause harm and the area in which harm can be caused has increased. The Logic dictates The Whole Population are potential targets.

Depending on the structure of the society of one or more of the combatants for wars will include allies (willing or otherwise) there may well be concerns raised about the harm being meted out to the civilians. It may surprise some to read these will be raised by elements of the military, particularly those concerned with the politics of the war and the possible degradation of the moral of the fighting units. These concerns are more likely in nations with a democratic structure; although it should be born in mind that a mistake made by all totalitarian states is that democracies are weak and will fold, this they learn is an error, democracies will be fearfully ruthless in defence of their structures.

As the war moves along, the degradation of the enemy takes on a greater and greater priority, spurred on by the wish to end the war before resources are used up. By now the maintenance of The Will to continue has become a paramount. In democracies the administration is forever looking over its shoulder, in totalitarian states the imposition of The Will is ruthless, even should defeat be obvious. The larger the states at war the greater the pressures across the entire spectrum, military, economic, structural, social and so forth. The Logic again dictates Focus. The Focus is to break The Will of the other side. This will be measured not just on the traditionally measured battlefields. The nations are the battlefields; physically, mental and spiritual.

These therefore are all the dread factors of WAR laid out bare. This is what is entered into. Within the Industrialised Nations since WWII Wars have been in the form of military actions born out of politics and policy, the survival of the nations only take the form of National Prestige. This is a fragile factor. The physical survival of the nation is not at stake. The full potentials have not been called upon or tested. The Blood and Treasure costs may well have been high, but failure is an acceptable risk because the Nation itself is not the issue, only its domestic politics.

The full capacity has not been released.

When that is, one or other parties will suffer fearfully. Because the war will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. By both sides one for victory, one for survival, the roles shifting and changing. WAR is also feeding on the brutal excesses of one side or another against vulnerable non-combatant civilian in unstrategic areas. Those taking part are made to represent the entire population from whence they came. Everyone is demonised. Vengeance and retribution are required by the other side to be meted out.

And very, very few will think they have the right to stop that.

That is how it is.

To return to the opening. Today is the anniversary of the second use of a nuclear weapon. Upon this period this issue much has been written. Two works are leaving impression upon me, because they cover the subject matter of this The Logic of War

The Prompt and Utter Destruction by J Samuel Walker – This deals essentially with the decision making processes in Washington and the issues facing Truman. I respect this book because it unsettle my previous held belief that use of the Nuclear Weapon was inevitable. Remember I mentioned ‘Options’, yes there could have been ‘Options’.

140 Days to Hiroshima by David Dean Barrett  – Actually goes beyond the first use of Nuclear Weaponry and into Nagasaki’s bombing and the events following. I admit have not yet finished this book those have reached the post bombing section. It’s themes also cover the Japanese Government’s processes and insights into the rationales of the component groups within. It also deals in chilling detail with the discussions on both sides for preparation for conventional warfare. Those ‘Options’ .And opens with the description of the  horrific mass firebombing of Tokyo on the night of the 9-10 March 1945.

These books offer views into the fearful processes which are birthed in The Logic of War. They are to be read with caution because to repeat an earlier point, the ordinary patterns and conventions of Civilian Life as you know are discarded. Frankly they have taken a second place, if considered at all.

You could go deeper into the topic and chose to read from the vast number of works on WWII or simply the wars Japan felt it necessary to start, a large collection in itself. Although some would say you have to go further back into the 19th century to get a better grasp.

One simple summary. A nation felt inclined to use War as a policy. Other nations reacted. From there the whole remorseless business began. The Avalanche if you like, a force of Nature which has a small beginning but then is unstoppable. But a War is stoppable you say? I would say, no. Not when that path has been chosen. Avoidable, yes. Wars are always avoidable. The art of the task is to ensure one side does not feel there is any point in using WAR.

And the seed? The seed is The Extreme. Beware The Extreme. It is not to be dismissed, not laughed at like in Doctor Strangelove. Walk wary of The Extreme. It leads to ruins, where bodies lie, ripped, torn, burnt, twisted, where the survivors sit screaming, dying, some walking as they do.

What is done is done. The evidence of where The Logic of War drags us. There is enough of it. The Extreme though would have you believe there is always a simple and glorious solution. The Extreme always lies. Therein lie The Crimes.

In comparison WAR is a simple being. What You See Is What You Get.

Inside, Outside, Upside, Downside- Thank You Moondog

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'Moondog', East 51st Street, New York (1970-1979)

‘Moondog’, East 51st Street, New York (1970-1979). (Peter Martens/Nederlands Fotomuseum)

Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999). American Composer. He was beyond ‘far out’ or weird’. Those labels were simply clumsy. Here was a man who looked at Life and Music from quite another perspective.

I do not have a comprehensive collection of his work and my subject matter is a spin off more than an analysis and tribute, thus I attach a link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog

His work first burst in upon my horizon in 1970 with a compilation album by CBS titled

‘Fill Your Head With Rock’  Fill your head with rock

The track chosen for Moondog was an orchestral piece ‘Stamping (or ‘Stomping’ depending if you have the album or just check a source) Ground’ . This was a short but impressive driving piece of pure rhythm. For me  though it was not this which was the hook but the introduction, firstly street sounds and then Moondog reciting on piece of his own poetry. Which when you consider the hold that our computers have over our schedules, interactions, movements and life in general is eerily prophetic:

‘Machines were mice and Men were lions.

Once upon a time.

But now that its the Opposite

It’s twice upon a time’

Being a reader of SF those words resonated straight, computers were large clunky things but were making an impact. The films ‘Modern Times’ by Charlie Chaplain and ‘Metropolis’ by Fritz Lang were in most SF readers’ heads. So these words spoken in a deep paternalistic Gandolf voice stuck and echoed down the year. With the advent of computerisation into my office world in mid 1980s they became something of a mantra.

Anyway. You listen. Am I right?

Listen and decide, is this opening was prophetical or not?

 

And fun fact:

Julie Andrews and Moondog feature on the same album:

 

OK. But you have to admit. It’s different from Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.

When Obnoxious Knownothings Effluviate

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I tell ya ‘ s’all sqwoke Woke

Foreword: Sometimes it’s difficult to to deal with a serious topic which has some ridiculous undertones without flippancy, idioms and sarcasm turning up, along with a few barbed side-swipes at linked subjects.  

Well loud folk, you who left Dogpatch because it was too liberal and sophisticated for you I really have to throw you a slightly out of date can of Bud Light and a cd of K D Rock I was using as a frisbee. For your wealthier fellow travellers who made their bucks hogging the media who although agreeing with you would never be seen in such vulgar company as yourselves I am sending them exactly the same. Yes, you out there with your very large detached houses, fine wines, several cars and a good accountant, because for all your pretensions to ‘standards’ and frequenting locations where people of substances go, you are no better than the collection of loudmouths are the end of the bar on a Friday night. So Big thanks guys.

But, soft I hear you ask, Dear Reader. Why Roger, do you feel inclined to lavish such gifts upon these undeserving folk? Those who are currently trembling at putting the TV on in case they are traumatised by the sight of women playing with might and main at the Women’s Soccer World Cup, while being more manly about injuries than their male counterparts when they should be at home in kitchens and having babies?

Why simple, Dear Reader. Until these reactionary, insecure, narrow-minded, bigoted, ridiculous folk started howling like they’d placed their large or over-sensitive posteriors on thorns I did not have a clue about this word ‘Woke’. And since one is simply Nobody unless one keeps up with trends, new words and suchwhiches I have to thank this clutch of persons of limited perceptions for enlightening me. And is that not a sweet Irony? Ignorant folk enlightening. Ah Dear Reader you just have to adore The Law of Unintended Consequences 

Now by analysing the blatherings and ragings in columns, squeakings on YouTube, incomprehensible mouthings on TV channels and radio and also what are classified as reviews of films, programmes and books by lesser wannabes I have reached two conclusions.

The first one being that the original use of the word was by folk who wanted to appear hip, sharp and on the point about social issues, equality and progress. Why they didn’t use more eloquence and thus leave behind their detractors is a sad reflection on these times. Any lapse into anything more than a sound bite (or is that byte?) seems to lose traction for some folk. Like those with tragically short attention spans who start wailing ‘boomer’ the moment your point of view goes beyond one sentence. So going back to the original issue, apparently you had to be ‘Woke’.

Onto the second conclusion. Since the first conclusion revolved around discussing such topics as equality, social issues and progress (but not ‘Tolerance’- ah well can’t win ‘em all) , there would obviously be a reaction from those who wish for things not to progress, not be equal and have lesser folk not knowing their places. In these days of coded social media such folk could hide behind phrases as ‘Freedom of Choice’ (sub-text; I choose to be intolerant and bigoted) ‘Quotas’(sub-text: I was in line for that promotion not that more qualified and able woman) ‘Incel’ (sub-text ; I am a (bad word) inadequate whose social skills are so awful no girl would go near me).  Meanwhile it got so confusing with UK Left Wing Politics ‘Look. I am  not anti-Semitic. I just disagree with Israel’s policies (sub-text: And ‘we ‘all know every Jew supports Israel). Now though thankfully whenever someone loudly complains in a media something is ‘Woke’ then we know they are a Right-Wing, Reactionary, Intolerant Racist or Misogynist. Everything is so much simpler again. We know they don’t approve of LGBT rights. We know they only read selected parts of The Handmaiden. They don’t want ‘those’ people at the top in politics. And so forth. And therefore the title of this post.

Although, Dear Reader, as we know in this world, nothing is ever simple. Thusways unless someone is White, loudly heterosexual while being obnoxious we don’t know if they are a complete jerk by nature or whether it is the circumstances of their situation (Although in Clarence Thomas’ case it is easier).

Let us not forget we also have Cancel Culture. As this allows everyone of every race, creed, religion (or not), politics, sexual orientation, preferences for trees or hedges in their gardens, ownership of cats or dogs, whether to use adverbs or not in their stories etc to be as intolerant or offended as they like to anyone, even to some poor shlub who made a harmless comment on the colour of socks, we shall not discuss this here and now. Just beware of saying anything to anyone.

In the meantime, as a final remark. ‘Effluviate’ is to generate effluvium – foul smelling vapour or gas from waste products, but I guess you knew that already…

Gosh….I do hope I don’t get cancelled for being a Show-Off.

I wonder if I’ll get called ‘woke’?

Barbie or Oppenheimer (The Films) . Choose!….. Why? (And keep out of IT Right-Wing Commentators)

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For those of you who would have other issues which concern you, you may have missed the social media phenomena that is the twin release of the above potentially ‘massive’ (wryly said) films- the publicity and media frenzy is such it has its own name Barbeneimer under which folk write about the two films, and then other folk write about the folk who are writing about the two films and so on. In such a frenetic atmosphere not only are the fans of the two genres (Live Action Fantasy and Serious Historical Biopic) getting involved but those with political or prejudicial axes to grind are weighing in. This is not usual; if you wanted to upset the misogynist or incel inadequates you only had to mention the 2016 all women Ghostbuster’s film; to watch folk air their racism under the shoddy attempt of artistic criticism check out some reviews of Black Panther.

In this instance the matter has reached a whole new level. If you are ‘serious’ about your right wing views you really should be furious about Barbie .I’m not too sure why but a few have dashed to their You Tube or Columns to screech ‘woke’ which these days is an acceptable way of saying ‘I am an intolerant bigot and hate progress-except when it benefits me’. When it comes to Oppenheimer there will be folk in the UK who will boycott the film in the same mindset as when they ranted about Midway(2019) (Go figure. I read the Facebook posts and they didn’t make sense to me. Simply…All America- Bad. Perilously close to racism.) Meanwhile some folk will feel the need to air their ‘serious’ credentials and only see the latter, shuddering at the thought of the former. Most folk will simply choose their preference because they like that kind of film and that is all there is to it, they I approve of. And there will be folk who will not care for either, and will tire of the whole Hoo-Haa, they, I also approve of.  Others like me will have done excited little dances (in my case in my head) at the thought of both. As actually going to a cinema is an uncomfortable experience for me (something to do with eyesight) there will be a wait for the DVDs (or streaming if not an over expensive rip-off).

Thus you may be wondering ‘Is he caught up in this Barbeneimer frenzy too’ ? And yes  to some degree. In so far as:

I liked a good historical drama and Oppenheimer was a complex character. In the aftermath of WWII he ended up being designated a security risk and not allowed near nuclear research, because he was expressing doubts about the use of using Nuclear Weapons. The plot line, based on the biography  ‘The American Prometheus’  seems to run close to historical fact and the ensemble cast playing historical characters (roughly 50) contains a goodly number of quality actors. The story line goes beyond WWII and into the murky Cold War era and its politics both at national level and at that lower level wherein folk scratch and bite for their place at the table. Being a serious ‘biopic’ and in particular one which deals with nuclear weaponry there is nothing happy. Also in similar vein to The Imitation Game, Official Gratitude will be in short supply and short of memory

Barbie on the other hand is another of my favourite types, in which a fictional character is brought to life and placed in a real world situation. This is nothing new. There are Cinderellas ‘a’plenty skipping around the 20th & 21st Century film & TV industry. The initially very clever and successful TV series  ‘Once Upon A Time’ tried to cram most fairy story characters into its seven year run. And in animation they run riot. Barbie herself has had a busy and popular time staring in children’s animation over many years. This film takes the whole Barbie-verse and appears to bring it on collision course with our real world even into an existentialist level, something which the original Lego movies and the Wreck-It Ralph two films managed wonderfully in animation. Barbie however goes Live Action and if you are of an SF/ Fantasy frame of mind with a credible plot as to how she gets into the real world.

I will have to stop there because it is not possible to conduct a credible critical appraisal of either film without seeing them first. What I can do however is express my enthusiasm at eventually seeing both. The former will be a very tough watch. but I have faith in the director and the cast; critics of course will not be consulted. The latter will be fun, again there is faith in the director, script and cast.

Also since so many intolerant and insecure male rightist commentators of small talent are against Barbie my enthusiasm is multiplied several times. UK’s very own Piers Morgan who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for things to be offended by dislikes the film because of the lack of male characters and how unfair it is to Ken which since the principal character is a girl makes one wonder about his personal levels of self-image and insecurity. I assume he went to the cinema, thus never will grow old the image of Piers Morgan  middle aged (late) well-fleshed and slightly pompous figure sitting in a cinema surrounded by teenage girls who want to see their childhood heroine in action. It will stay with me while I eventually watch my dvd copy.

Returning to the more mature outlook (sorry Piers but someone has to present a positive image of the folk of ‘a certain age’ for the younger generations). It is therefore not just possible but also quite normal to consider two very diverse films to be on one’s ‘Must Watch’ list because we are complex make-ups of lies, dislikes, preferences and so-forths.  I understand there are quite a few folk in the uk who are trying to fit both into one day’s viewing. It’s going to be a long time to the end of the year when the dvds come out. And here’s me at 72 who should not be wishing bits of his remaining years away.

Just remember if you want to annoy a right-wing commentator or misogynist just send them a message in support of The Barbe film.