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Tag: war

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Future Building Political Commentary Society

Retribution and forgiveness

  • Post author By Tracy Durnell
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War or Nothing by A. R. Moxon

I reckon this was the first lesson of a war-oriented society that we are all learning. Old what’s-his-name knew, with the sage wisdom of somebody living in a war-oriented society; when you are attacked, war is not optional. Killing is not only an appropriate answer to killing, it is the only appropriate answer.

In the minds of millions, opposing the violence of the police justifies any violence the police might do against any of us.

This is the seventh and final lesson of war in our war-oriented society. Killing is the only thing that will keep us safe from killing. Therefore, anyone who opposes killing represents a threat justifying further killing.

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In contrast to revenge, which is the natural, automatic reaction to transgression and which because of the irreversibility of the action process can be expected and even calculated, the act of forgiving can never be predicted; it is the only reaction that acts in an unexpected way and thus retains, though being a reaction, something of the original character of action.

— Hannah Arendt

(via)

Categories
Environment Fantasy

Re-watched Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Watched Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Japanese: 風の谷のナウシカ, Hepburn: Kaze no Tani no Naushika) is a 1984 Japanese post-apocalyptic anime fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on his 1982–94 manga series of the same name.

I first watched this in 1997, when a friend acquired a Japanese version on VHS and we printed off an English script from the internet… except that it only covered about two thirds of the movie — we were so lost 😂 I’m annoyed because when I bought the streaming version, I had to choose between the English dub and the Japanese. Fortunately, the English dub is pretty good (it’s got Patrick Stewart!).

The plot is fast-paced, jumping from travail to travail, but many of the scenes are almost ponderous, lingering on a man in a blowing cape looking off towards the horizon. I think this might help balance the heavy themes.

The environmental and anti-war themes are very on the nose in the (English) dialogue — I wonder if the Japanese might have more nuance? This is… very much the trauma of WWII: the unexpected annihilation of cities, the unimaginable world-destroying weapons and those who would use them.

Such a wonderful introduction; first seeing the grim destruction of the toxic jungle through the eyes of distrustful Lord Yupa, then contrasting Nausicaä’s pleasured wonder at interacting with the environment — the tone shifts marvelously from grim and fearful to accepting and full of awe when the two characters are in similar forests.

I can see the traces of 1960s and 1970s sci-fi art (book covers, Moebius) in the animation and world design. The way the ohmu shells move is echoed later in Howl’s Moving Castle.

Categories
Political Commentary

Genocide is never justified

  • Post author By Tracy Durnell
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As the news of Gaza gets worse every day, I fear I’ve stayed quiet for too long. Although I was alarmed by what I heard from the onset, I wanted to leave space for those grieving and let people who understand the situation better take the lead on talking about it — but the human rights atrocities keep piling up and up and up, and I can’t anymore. For a while I was too upset to write anything cogent — I’ve cycled through horror, disillusionment, rage, despair, helplessness — but I’ve found a path through my emotions to speak.

The timing of Erin Kissane’s deeply researched and compelling Meta in Myanmar series, which documents how social media helped drive the Rohingya genocide by dehumanizing the Rohingya people and spreading falsehoods, feels horrifyingly prescient as I watch the same type of invented propaganda fuel blood lust today. All my fears about the impacts of AI on news are coming true.

I understand the situation in Gaza is complex, with no easy or obvious solutions, but committing genocide “to prevent genocide” is still genocide. This is, from my understanding, a common excuse for genocide — and yet, there is no justification for genocide.

To argue against genocide of Gazans does not negate my compassion for the Israelis who suffered from Hamas’ brazen attack. I condemn both Hamas and Israel’s genocidal actions. I am taking no political side here — it seems even experts don’t have great answers — but the side of humanity.

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Uncategorized

How the war in Ukraine reduces the risk of nuclear war

Liked Nuclear war! by Timothy Snyder (Thinking about…)

Why it isn’t happening

Our nuclear talk is a way to claim victimhood, and then to blame the actual victims.  Once we turn our attention to a hypothetical exchange of missiles, we get to imagine that we are the victims.  Suddenly the actual war no longer seems to matter, since our lives (we imagine) are at risk.  And the Ukrainians seem to be at fault.  If only they would stop fighting, then we could all be safe.  This, of course, is exactly how Russian propagandists want us to reason. And it is wrong.

[…]

It is an example of a narcissistic fantasy that looms over discussions of American foreign policy: the fantasy of omnipotent submission.  This is the notion, birthed in American exceptionalism and impatience, that since America is the power behind everything, all will be well if America does nothing.  If we do what the Russian propagandists want, and do nothing for Ukraine, then (in this fantasy) there will be no nuclear war.

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Science Fiction

Watched The Expanse S6E6

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Watched Babylon's Ashes from m.imdb.com

Inners and Belters fight side by side with the crew of the Rocinante in a last, massive, desperate battle with Marco and his Free Navy, with the fate of the Solar System, the Ring Gates, and of all humanity hanging in the balance.

Classic Holden at the end.

Rolled my eyes at the very symbolic handmade dinner after a season of internal strife 🙄

Not thrilled about the Inaros men’s endings, I had a way I thought would be better.

The space paratrooper attack was not great. Bobbie’s bit was cool even if it didn’t make sense with the show’s internal logic.

Categories
Science Fiction

Watched The Expanse S6E4&5

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Watched Redoubt from imdb.com

A controversial decision puts Holden at odds with his crew. On Ceres, Avasarala struggles to contain an escalating humanitarian crisis. Drummer's growing faction stage a daring raid. Filip makes an unexpected discovery.

This is dragggggging. Apparently even worse if you’ve read the books.

Wait is there seriously only one more episode? Uhhhhh….

 

Categories
Science Fiction

Watched The Expanse S6E3

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Watched Force Projection from m.imdb.com

Avasarala, with the Combined Fleet of Earth and Mars, takes the war to Marco. Filip and Marco’s relationship is tested. The war becomes more perilous and personal for Holden and Naomi when the Rocinante is suddenly forced into a battle.

Marcos Inaros is not a nuanced character apparently. Won’t take long to turn the belt against him if he follows this path. His new second in command already thinks he’s an idiot.

The previous episode still irritates me — the ship is that strategically vital and a single Mars marine can take it? You don’t have an autodestruct plan in place? For real?

Called it on the Laconia plotline 🙄 Not sure where it goes next though 🤷‍♀️

Categories
Science Fiction

Watched The Expanse S6E1&2

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Watched Strange Dogs from m.imdb.com

The Rocinante crew make a startling discovery on an asteroid. Avasarala and Bobbie contend with the devastation on Earth. Drummer and her family must make a heartbreaking decision. On Ceres, Marco and Filip’s struggles turn inward.

Feeling meh so far, hopefully after a few more episodes we’ll get back into it. Too many plotlines, too much politics that’s hard to follow, especially since I continue to struggle with the belter accent. Marcos Inaros struggling to keep that accent in some spots. Having a hard time keeping tabs on this many spaceships. Our spaceship family on the Rocinante is fraying at the seams, frustrating to see them all squabbling.

CGI looking not great. But at least Avasarela’s outfits are still on point. Some of the action happens too quickly for me to follow and I have to get DH to tell me what just happened. At once point I thought there were three spaceships in a scene rather than two because I couldn’t track the movement of one of them.

I really don’t care about the little girl who accidentally killed a baby “bird,” it can’t compete with the other scenes in places we know with people we care about, and the child actor is not up to the same standard as the adults — please stop dragging out this storyline and get to the point. I imagine it would be even duller if I didn’t have a vague idea from DH why that planet is important.

Categories
Society

7 factors in outcome of war

  • Post author By Tracy Durnell
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Bookmarked The State of the Russo-Ukrainian War by Timothy Snyder (Thinking about…)

The TELLMES tell us that Russia is losing

seven underlying factors that tend to decide the form of armed conflicts: time, economics, logistics, landscape, mode of combat, ethos, and strategy (the TELLMES)

Categories
Comics Fantasy

Read Eighty Days

  • Post author By Tracy Durnell
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Read Eighty Days

A pilot wants nothing more than to fly. Or so he thought, until he crosses paths with a mysterious thief whose tricks draw him into unchartered territory and new adventure. In a life where the truth changes as quickly as clouds in the sky, the pilot must decide for himself what freedom really means.

“Map A Course, Arrive Safe Home. That’s The Measure Of Your Achievement.” A pilot wants nothing more than to fly. Or so he thought, until he crosses paths with a mysterious thief whose tricks draw him into unchartered territory and new adventure. In a life where the truth changes as quickly as clouds in the sky, the pilot must decide for himself what freedom really means. Award-winning cartoonist A.C. Esguerra presents an unforgettable love letter to flight, the quest for freedom and the greatest adventure of all – love.

Early page

Enjoyed this graphic novel set in an alternate early 20th century world with an invented fascist government. Told partially in epistolary format through logbooks and telegraphs which works reasonably well. The story works, though it shifts midway in genre and central characters due to plot happenings. Incorporating Sable more into the early parts of the book would have helped the transition. Relationships are important to the story moreso than character per se. I would have been interested to understand Jay’s backstory, which I think could have deepened his choices and struggles later in the story.

I understand the limitations of the medium, forcing tradeoffs in how much story you can tell. To make this a single volume graphic novel it couldn’t delve further into these things — I could see this working as a multi-volume work that centered the romance more, with deeper characterization. Or, potentially turning the focus of the book to Sable rather than combining her story with Jay and Fix’s romance — her arc is the most dramatic.

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