A long, fascinating review of a book on what was perhaps the most horrible “civilization” in history.
This thought experiment has stuck with me ever since I read it. I think of it whenever I encounter a system that everybody hates but everybody is powerless to change, or some other stuck equilbrium or multipolar trap. When I first read it, the society he described sounded contrived and outlandish, but later I was to learn from my dear wife that the real world is far more outlandish than that thought experiment. The thing is that each of the societies chronicled in that book Jane reviewed is very small, very primitive, and very dysfunctional. What is so disturbing about the Mexica is that they were large, sophisticated, and oh-so-terribly functional. The streets of Tenochtitlan, as my elementary school textbooks told me, were wider and more beautiful than those of Paris or Seville. Their art, music, and poetry were sublime, their theology was subtle, and their intellectual life was vibrant. The Mexica would seem horrifying to us if they were barbarians. But I think they should be more horrifying precisely because they were not.
I knew they were awful, but hadn’t realized the extent of their cruelty. And the comparison with the Holocaust seems apt, except this was not just against a few disfavored groups, but all of society. It’s not clear whether that’s better, or worse.
It looks like it was legitimate. People don’t understand that the only clock that counts is the one the officials, keep, not the one on the scoreboard or that NBC shows. But it gives people another reason to hate Michigan’s football program. Seriously, what did people expect Michigan to do with that gift, take a knee? No program would do that.
They didn’t deserve to win that game, the way the offense played, or, rather, didn’t play, but a win is a win. They’ll pay for it with a drop in the polls, if not becoming unranked entirely. And I’d say that Western Michigan should now be ranked. If the Wolverines can’t figure out how to score this coming week, it will be a bloodbath when Oklahoma comes to town next Saturday.
On the lunacy of the DSA and the loons who support it, including apparently the “big tent” Democrats.
[Afternoon update]
Yes, McCarthy was right:
Elon Musk a écrit ce matin une phrase que l’école vous a appris à trouver obscène : « McCarthy was right (obviously). » On vous a enseigné à haïr ce nom comme on apprend une table de multiplication, sans jamais vous dire ce qu’il avait vu, et c’est précisément pour ça que la… https://t.co/en8zp64n3gpic.twitter.com/9KCcChoGsC
This was, and remains, one of the most phenomenal and sensationally brilliant animated videos ever produced to highlight the abuse and cruelty towards women in Sharia law.
Whoever has not yet watched it, I absolutely recommend you do.