Lines in the Dirt: Thoughts on Munich and Brigade Nine

"Munich" is a motion picture about dread, the State, and their exploited people that everybody ought to see. As could be normal from Steven Spielberg, the narrating is amazing, and the almost 3 hour motion picture holds enthusiasm all through. The focal topic is "Home" as a Nation State, that Frankenstein of eighteenth century Enlightenment reasoning that saw the "People" and "Country" as an energy for liberation from stagnant primitive administrations. A couple of eras later, we perceive how the Nation-State has ended up yet an alternate mammoth that eats up its own particular youthful. 

This motion picture is about the informal Israeli agents accused of killing the Palestinian patriot "Dark September" agents that murdered Israeli competitors amid the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Nietzsche's old cautioning, to be cautious battling beasts or you turn into one, is a vital subtext of the story. 

Israel was established as a Jewish country, a spot to be sheltered and secure, displayed on the Romantic ethno-patriotism that cleared Europe in the nineteenth century and built up and finally finished in the German Third Reich. The fundamental perfect was the country, a solidarity of blood and soil, ethnicity and country. While Europe educated its lesson after World War Two, Israel was a juvenile country attempting to secure itself by any methods important. In "Munich," what begins as grudge and a message to the world that "slaughtering Jews is an extravagant endeavor" launchs a supporting toward oneself winding of viciousness. The killed PLO agents are immediately supplanted by harder and meaner men, and each one "eye for an eye" demonstration duplicates wounds and longing for revenge on both sides. 

I don't know to what extent its going to take individuals to understand that living behind equipped blockades is not long haul suitable technique or an OK lifestyle. Peace is costly and troublesome (it implies all gatherings need to beat their own particular self images), yet it beyond any doubt beats war. 

There's an incredible late night discussion in this motion picture, where the lead Israeli is smoking a cigarette with a PLO man. The Israeli asks, do you truly need those mud hovels and desolate soil for your kids? The PLO gentleman gets a bit heartbroken and confounded, and says that despite the fact that snug Westerners underestimate their countries, home is everything, particularly to the individuals who don't have one. 

My contemplations? The PLO man was correct: home is everything. In any case a "country" is simply a reflection – a line on the soil watched by outfitted men. I'm not generally one to quote religious writings, yet I discover this allegory proper: We're all outcasts from the primordial Garden of Eden, drifters meandering the earth. (Also psst: the Garden of Eden sucked. We were inept chimps picking lice off one another). Our just home is ourselves and one another. Everything else is simply a line in the earth. What's more like it or not, we are all remain faithful to one another on this minimal green and blue circle. 

The best advancement of present day history is not the state, however the development of an expansive and comprehensive Civil Society. Rather than a medieval universe of knights and laborers, we live in a world commanded by taught, self-governing natives who are exhibited with a cornucopia of potential outcomes and the flexibility to pick and arrange their own particular fates however they see fit. Law forced by sovereigns is less essential than the People's Law - the private contracts and assentions entered into for common profit by free individuals. Sovereigns like to assume all the praise, yet it was The People that made this emanant worldwide society and its wealth. 

The State has a part in securing each national's essential right to life, freedom, and property - yet that is about it. The welfare state is an out of date dinosaur - its just a case that could be thrown off by the rising butterfly. "Munich" is a delineation that when this is not done soon enough, the cover of the State can get to be handicapping to individual opportunity. 

An alternate amazing must-see film is still accessible just in Russian dialect: "Unit 9" is about the most recent days of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. You know, the one where the CIA prepared and prepared Osama container Laden and the Mujahideen. This film takes after a gathering of Soviet youth who are drafted, prepared, and afterward conveyed in the wild in a sad wild goose pursue. 

One of the best scenes in this motion picture is the preparation room, where the young men are constantly taught about Afghan history. (Those wacky Soviets even tried to learn something about the individuals they were attempting to bring into the fold of the "Prisonhouse of Nations" – now relabeled the "Governmental policy regarding minorities in society Empire.") The educator portrays the 21+ ethnic gatherings living in Afghanistan, a large portion of them plunged from armed forces who quickly controlled the locale. Among those specified were the Hazara (likely commonplace to any individual who stays aware of populace hereditary examination), the descendents of Genghis Khan's armed force who were presently only one more mountain tribe. Not a promise of something better for the Russian officers. 

At the point when the young men first touch base in Afghanistan, they see a freight plane taking off. Inside seconds, a hotness searching rocket blazes out of the mountains and loops around the cumbersome air ship, which takes a hit right in the midsection. As the plane endeavors a crisis arriving on the Soviet airstrip, it tears separated, blowing fire and warriors out of its guts, before blasting in a monstrous fireball. By and by, not a great sign. 

I won't ruin whatever remains of the film, however its value viewing, even without subtitles. A large portion of the story is clear as crystal from the heavenly visuals: the trooper chitchat is strong however foreseeable. On the mountain base, one authority is asked what he plans to do when he returns home. He answers that he'll drink for a week and after that, drink for an alternate week, and an alternate, until he can't recall anything. Not to ruin the story, yet as the film advances, the young men allude longingly to an uncommon vet clinic in Uzbekistan that represents considerable authority in halfway amputees. 

Neosapiens

Neosapiens visibly look like seven to nine feet tall Terrans with pale blue skin. They have four fingers, together with two opposing thumbs, on each hand, and four toes on each foot. Completely hairless, they also have a vibrantly colored tattoo, a so-called brood mark, on their foreheads, which indicates what brood they were created in. 

The brood mark is distinctive for every Neosapien and aids to differentiate them from each other, since their visual appearance doesn't vary as much as humans generally do. Though there are Neosapiens of both genders, they are reproduced only by batched cloning in a brood chamber. They are not capable of sexual reproduction, and are actually bred to be sterile by the Terrans in an ineffective attempt to control them.

Neosapiens

Neosapiens visually resemble seven to nine feet tall Terrans with pale blue skin. They have four fingers, including two opposing thumbs, on each hand, and four toes on each foot. Completely hairless, they also have a brightly colored tattoo, a so-called brood mark, on their foreheads, which denotes what brood they were created in. The brood mark is unique for every Neosapien and helps to distinguish them from each other, since their visual appearance doesn't vary as much as humans generally do. Although there are Neosapiens of both genders, they are reproduced only by batched cloning in a brood chamber. They are incapable of sexual reproduction, and are in fact bred to be sterile by the Terrans in an unsuccessful attempt to control them.

Neosapiens are physically far superior to Terrans. They can breathe in far thinner atmospheres, with a much higher carbon dioxide and volcanic gases content (which again makes sense for a race designed to work on Mars). They have greater strength, speed, stamina, hearing, and vision, though the latter also makes them more vulnerable to flash grenades. In addition, they require very little food, have no need to sleep, and have a much greater life expectancy than Terrans. Indeed, Neosapiens have been genetically optimized in virtually every bodily attribute.

Neosapiens' enhanced mental abilities manifest themselves in a greater predisposition to logical conclusions and an eidetic memory. On the other hand, they are burdened by a lack of creativity and imagination, which makes them vulnerable to irrational or illogical military tactics and much less flexible than Terrans once they make a decision. The Neosapiens are immune to Mind Scanners, but dogs are able to recognize their scent from afar and generally behave aggressively towards them.

Neosapien

The Neosapiens are depicted as seven to nine feet tall humans with pale blue skin. Throughout the series they are demonstrated to be the products of selective genetic engineering having numerous traits which distinguish them from humans. They are depicted as having four fingers on each hand, two of which are opposable thumbs (effectively doubling their grip strength), with four toes and are completely hairless.

Every Neosapien depicted includes a brightly-colored tattoo, a so-called brood mark, on their foreheads, which denotes what brood they were created in. The brood mark is unique for every Neosapien and helps to distinguish them from each other, (presumably for the benefit of humans, as Neospaien characters comment more than once that human think all 'Neo's' look alike. A quiet reference to racial bias which is a common undertone in the series). Their lack of visual distinctiveness is likely due to their status of being artificially engineered from stock genes. Although there are Neosapien characters depicted of both male and female traits, they are effectively neuter with no reproductive capability of their own. Toward the close of the series the creation of a final Neosapien brood with human reproductive capability is offered as a means to advance equality between the two races.

Neosapiens are depicted as possessing many physical traits far superior to humans. These traits include greater strength, speed, stamina, hearing, and vision. In addition, they require very little food, have no need to sleep, and have a much greater life expectancy than Terrans. Indeed, Neosapiens have been genetically optimized in virtually every bodily attribute. This optimization is depicted as the result of the Neosapiens' creation as a slave race, and in the series they were primarily exploited to mine the hostile environments of newly-colonized Mars.

In addition to their physical attributes Neosapiens' are shown to have a number of psychological differences from ordinary humans which vary from beneficial to encumbering. These traits manifest themselves in a greater predisposition to logical conclusions and an Eidetic memory. However, they are burdened by a lack of creativity and imagination. This is often exploited in military contexts with Neosapiens having poor reactions to unexpected, illogical, or deceptive behavior. (More than once humans are shown escaping danger by 'playing dead' and other such behavior.) While very few Neosapiens are shown to expect this kind of behavior from humans, a small few are shown to expect illogical behavior on the part of humans and act accordingly. (Though still logically, thus having them react logically to illogical situations)

There are other minor differences between the two as Neospapiens are purported to be un-scannable by the 'Mind-Scanner" technology of the fiction. Meanwhile dogs are able to recognize their scent from afar and generally behave aggressively towards them.

Notable Sapiens: Craig Venter

Craig Venter is one of the foremost geneticists on the scientific scene. His company, Celera Genomics, tied with the public Human Genome Project to complete a rough draft human genome in 2001. He has made a career of high-profile projects that push the envelope of genetic technology, and is currently heading up two projects to synthesize life and collect genetic diversity on a Darwinesque Caribbean voyage.

He currently heads the Institute for Genomic Research and the Center for the Advancement of Genomics.

Venter is another pioneer whose curiosity and daring are pushing our species to the next level.

Notable Sapiens: Thor Heyerdahl

Thor Heyerdahl: Norwegian explorer, promoter of transcultural understanding, and maverick historical researcher. Sailed the oceans in vessels modeled on ancient designs and proved that travel across the Atlantic and Pacific was possible for ancient people. Traced the origins of the mythological Odin and his Scandinavian aristocracy to present Azerbaijan, and found evidence for Andean influence in Polynesia.

His critics were lazy academics who didn't want their pet theories challenged by fieldwork, and dismissed his ideas without giving them proper consideration. Heyerdahl proved them wrong more than once, and most spectacularly when he crossed the Atlantic in a vessel academic critics universally declared would sink.

This man was a strongly independent thinker who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty testing his ideas in the field. Heyerdahl's historical theories remain controversial, but his basic idea that man has been (or at least, could have been) more mobile than we believe is refreshing and inspiring.

Recent genetic studies have yielded some tantalizing evidence that Heyerdahl's theories might have had merit. Ancestry By DNA's biogeographical studies have found some affinity with Iranian and Indian populations amongst Scandinavians, and some Amerindian affinity amongst Pacific Islanders. Y Chromosome studies have also found links between Norse areas and Central Asia.

Reading: Karl Marx, Capitalist

Reading: Karl Marx, Capitalist

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are famous as the fathers of Communism, but they also had quite a bit to say about Capitalism, and a reading of their works yields some unexpectedly pithy insights.

A quick definitition: What Marx called the "bourgeoisie" was the urban, property-owning commercial class.

From the Communist Manifesto:

"[The bourgeoisie] has been the first to show what man's activity can bring about. It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former exoduses of nations and crusades."

"...Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real condition of life and his relations with his kind."

"The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere."
"The bourgeoisie has, through its exploitation of the world market, given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country. To the great chagrin of reactionaries, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on which it stood. All old-established national industries have been destroyed or are daily being destroyed. They are dislodged by new industries, whose introduction becomes a life and death question for all civilized nations, by industries that no longer work up indigenous raw material, but raw material drawn from the remotest zones; industries whose products are consumed, not only at home, but in every quarter of the globe. In place of the old wants, satisfied by the production of the country, we find new wants, requiring for their satisfaction the products of distant lands and climes. In place of the old local and national seclusion and self-sufficiency, we have intercourse in every direction, universal inter-dependence of nations. And as in material, so also in intellectual production. The intellectual creations of individual nations become common property. National one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness become more and more impossible, and from the numerous national and local literatures, there arises a world literature."

"The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilization. The cheap prices of commodities are the heavy artillery with which it forces the barbarians' intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce what it calls civilization into their midst, i.e., to become bourgeois themselves. In one word, it creates a world after its own image."
"The bourgeoisie has subjected the country to the rule of the towns. It has created enormous cities, has greatly increased the urban population as compared with the rural, and has thus rescued a considerable part of the population from the idiocy of rural life. Just as it has made the country dependent on the towns, so it has made barbarian and semi-barbarian countries dependent on the civilized ones, nations of peasants on nations of bourgeois, the East on the West."

"The bourgeoisie keeps more and more doing away with the scattered state of the population, of the means of production, and of property. It has agglomerated population, centralized the means of production, and has concentrated property in a few hands. The necessary consequence of this was political centralization. Independent, or but loosely connected provinces, with separate interests, laws, governments, and systems of taxation, became lumped together into one nation, with one government, one code of laws, one national class interest, one frontier, and one customs tariff."

Sound familiar? Marx described these trends accomplishments of Market Capitalism 150 years ago. Markets are not restricted by national boundaries, to the chagrin of nationalist politicians. Capitalism will not stop until the whole world becomes a market: that is, until people everywhere can freely trade their goods, services, and information. Viva la Revolucion!