Adonis Diaries

I am revisiting history; (Apr. 21, 2010)

            History is a collection of stories that need to be revisited frequently; stories to be revised with new eyes and new knowledge.  Human behavior did not change perceptibly; if any, human cruelty to mankind and nature increased by several notches.  Suppose the worst despots of antiquity or even two century ago witnessed the two world wars that afflicted mankind within 30 years and then he watched the news of the dropping of two atomic bombs within a week then, how would he react comparing his atrocities compared to current mankind behaviors?

            In general, history stories are recounted Hollywood style packed with actions, heroes, traitors, smart generals, and foresighted leaders and monarchs.  Sure, the new Anglo-Saxon of Protestants landing in the US killed and massacred far more Indians than the Spanish Conquistadors managed to inflict in Latin America but these behaviors do not account for the disappearance of the Indians in the USA.  It is the slow and steady holocaust strategies applied on the Indians that did the trick. Indians died the slow death from new diseases they were not immune to them; they died the non hero death in more pain and suffering than gunshot wounds. The Indian were first chased out of fertile lands and then even the bison was denied them. As the herd of bisons arrived from the Canadian plains they were slaughtered for their fur by the new white comers. Indians who might have acquired some immunity to white diseases had to die of famine, depression, and loss of all hope in a future for the survival of their descendents. Thus, Indians stopped procreating in this new world of cruelty and blatant discrimination.

            The Moslem Ibn Khaldoun in 15^th century North Africa, considered to be the prime sociologist and ethnographer, wrote that when a people lose hope in a better future then they decline procreating; when a people has high hope for their descendents then population increase.  If you revise history stories you can link, with high positive correlation, between periods of luxury and fast and increase in procreation. Once people realize that their sons have high chances to die in successive wars, be maimed or and made prisoners for nothing in return then they refrain from procreating; thus, the Empire starts a slow but steady decline.  Moslem Arab armies with rudimentary arms defeated the two main Empires of Byzantium and Persia within 20 years: thirty years ago, Byzantium and Persia waged non stop wars against one another to recapture a district here and another one there. The two people were already exhausted emotionally to enlisting soldiers and bankrupt economically to hiring mercenaries.

            You might offer a counterpoint: “How come after 70 years of slow and steady holocaust process inflicted by the Zionist movement (Israel State) on the Palestinian people this strategy did not slow the increased procreation of the Palestinians?”  My conjecture is that most Palestinians live in camps: Camp life is too depressing if devoid of kids playing, laughing, and cheering up the camp.  The more kids are playing around the more hope is sustained. Camp creates community supports and discrepancies among classes are not noticeable to prevent sharing the little families have and caring for kids of neighboring families.