So yeah, i opened with a profound statement of my own. Let's see what i ment there, cause feck it if i know. That will be in my first ramble. Then i will review star trek, muse about an odd day today, and talk society and social stuff possibly split in two, then stuff from my label's i think.
Optimism vs pessimism, or current pessimism future optimism?
A political and science fiction rant.
Yeah, even with the risk that i may be awful at spelling that is an argument i seem to always ring out in my head. I basically think as an inherent ideology in my head that the present is shite, the past was far from perfect and the future could be great if we just did the right things. I not quiet so firmly believe that bad things are necessary for good things to happen. History is written by the victor's even if they were justified or wrong in the actions that brought that victory. Look at it this way. From the point of view i am trying to explain completely awful things like the holocaust are actually "good" for history because it teaches us never to do such a thing again. We learn from our past. The underlying current of Democracy is that it may not be the best form of government but it's better than everything else.
With Democracy,and in its current form with capitalism tagged on for the ride, choice's for society are decided upon by open discussion and 3 structures. The government, the courts and the legislature etc. The courts work off the law's, the courts change the laws via precedent, and the government governs and proposes laws as necessary. The laws in theory are reflective of the public’s opinion and choice and define their society and wishes. If history was "democratic" half the time we would have NEVER gone to war. Man's inhumanity to man is possibly our greatest talent. Of all social constructs, of all out achievement our greatest accomplishments and subsequent lesson's all come directly from beating the snot out of the other cave men for the most trivial of things from food, sovereignty or shameless hussies (yes you Helen of Troy!). Eh in short hand, if voters really had a choice of how history played out we would never has progressed as far or learnt from our innumerable mistakes. Yes its hypocritical but the basic idea behind my view point is that we need bad people and bad things to happen frequently in order for all the good in history to take place. Good doesn't triumph over evil but instead succeeds thanks to its very existence.
To look at this from a sci-fi point of view, star trek is a great example. That wonderful franchise is optimism to the extreme. Its a communist paradise where resource's and self-actualism are in abundance. Its a great place. They're self righteous, self-deprecating about their past and basically selfish. Starfleet is a homo-sapiens only clubhouse, imagine swashbuckling philanthropists with phasers and shiny easily torn uniforms. Basically despite its great idea's and wonderful optimism The Federation is dark te fuck. DS9 expressed this best. Despite being the "least" trek show in the franchise it "got" it spot on. Beneath the shine of the peaceful federation there is necessary evil, there is a history of genocide, bad time's and generally abhorrent things. Star Trek's history differs from ours from the 90's onward. The Eugenic war's under Kahn Noonien Sing devastated 1/3rd of the world. Then in the 2020's economic woe meant poverty was fenced off in some American cities, Gabriel Bell changed that in the "Bell" riots. Such a good act was undone not to long after with WW3. 156 million or so were wiped out in nuclear holocaust. In the ashes’ Zephram Cochrane an alcoholic genius built the Phoenix to travel faster than the speed of light and allow himself to retire in paradise. His action attracted aliens and well the rest is fictional history. In that troubled time however the radiation poisoned are slaughtered and United Earth didn't have a good time either. Enterprise, that weak underused and disaster of a spin off tried to cover this but we missed out and we don't know it all. But basically Trek is far from perfect. And under it all a secret secret police Section 31 carries out assassinations, plagues, genocide and acts of terrorism all in the so called name of protecting Paradise's interests, without paradise knowing about it.
To me this makes perfect sense. What would you do to keep such a perfect society? Would you let it fall apart or would you let even a few misguided people undermine your very principles with bad actions in order to protect you without your knowledge or recognition. Sure these people should be brought to justice, but truthfully what they do is for the greater good. "The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one", a so called Vulcan proverb. This was best covered in the DS9 episode "Inter arma enim silent leges" (loosely translated in the episode as "in times of war the law fall's silent")which justified assassinating anti-federation politician in order to get a more moderate supporter into power. In possibly the best star trek episode DS9's "in the pale moonlight", a loose reference possibly to "have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight" from Tim Burton's Batman, Again a Romulan is duped into believing that once the federation is annihilated by the Dominion Romulus will be their next target. This is in fact a fake-out made by Sisko and Garak as a means to get the Romulan's to help in the war before it's too late. The Romulan Senator twigs this but is assassinated on his way home. The forged recording despite its forgery will now be believed by the Romulans because the senator was killed for it, supposedly by the enemy. The end's justify the means. Billion's of lives’ are saved by doing something utterly evil for the greater good.
I would love to incorporate this idea into my own writing as well. In my bigger sci-fi idea that's mainly a tv series idea, this would be the main premise of the show. The ship is an adhoc attempt to show confidence in a fledgling intergalactic UN, that old chestnut. Confidence in the union is less than low. The local region of space devastated by war and economic woe etc. Humans and others are far from United or willing to work together. Regardless the government put together an inter-species program to have ships roaming around their space keeping the peace and handle crises as neccissary. The crew believe in their mission while the public don't. A camera crew documents their actions and support slowly grows as the ship and its fleet slowly create the stepping stones for what they believe in. Their past is pretty chequered and they do some bad things along the way but it's all for a good cause. Like the "Operative" in Serenity (the Firefly movie), an assassin killing for a future he doesn't belong in.
Star Trek: The Future Begin's;
Okay so i already nerded out in the last rant. I am sorry for that, couldn't be helped. But basically it is an amazing entertaining movie. You do not have to be a trekie to like it. It's a little fast passed and it doesn't let up. Some of the plot points are a bit "convenient" but otherwise it's entertaining fun. I just feel it's a pitty it was so short. The Baddie is also a bit underused, he's a bit of a MacGuffin in that he's not that menacing, he's just a plot point. He's out for revenge but he's pretty merciful at the same time. An amazing movie, and a great new hope for star trek as an ailing franchise. It is in the right hands and I AM ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!
Oh today, what is today, a good day:
No i won't give you more trek, well just a little. I don't fully support the Klingon adage of "today is a good day to die" but it is a good phrase. Today despite minimal work towards study has been a good day so far. I got much needed sleep. Got into town around lunch time. Arrived in rain then walked with sunglasses on as the sun popped in and out. Noticed an amazing arty door in an alleyway that was an entrance to Grafton Street's Bewley's that i had never seen before. I then had a rather good time having a walk and talk lunch with Hope. I had no aim or goal for the lunch and i didn't actually have lunch but we walked and talked anyway. I took her up to the Garden of remembrance just for a patch of green and ye know, culture and all that jazz. In all the wonder of beaming sunshine, spotted rain clouds and wet gutters Hope managed to strike up a chat with the Groundskeeper sweeping the Swan fountain.
The fountain with those children from myth violently transmorphing into swan's was full of soil, sand, silt and spare change. It smelt strongly of salt and the mulch of mud. The worker was at first reluctant to talk to her but somehow she struck a chord with him and they started talking local politics and the recession. After reading in vein the irish poem i could barely pronounce or understand without the English translation,( a result of an uninterested waste of a very good pointlessly expensive education, squandered on my indifferent youth). I then joined the moaning that is most recession and irish politics’ talk. I interjected a few points but it was mainly their conversation. I instead picked up the smell of the pond, the sunlight popping in and out of the clouds right above the Irish tricolour dancing violently in the brisk, sharp and unrelenting wind. Hope moved on to the injustice of 7,000 home's foreclosed in her florida home county, the same county as NASA and many MNC's, all that money and the marshland was still fucked over. Ireland fairing no better of course. Us both pretty much middle class people, she linked to a diplomat, me more to a former rich middle class family slowly loosing fortune thanks to my sister and my private education and missing out on inheritance. Here we were in a public space discussing the 2nd international debate, the state of things other than weather. To a salt of the earth Groundskeeper, wellington deep in soil and change in a war memorial fountain. I was more aghast at the image than actually able to join in in the conversation.
I then in jest tried to return to Campus via the middle median of O'Connell street, explaining the foley of the 4 lamppost’s at the north end, the insane and out of place tacky "Christ in a box" that was put back just for the Taxi drivers, and generally the plight of what was the north west end of this "THE REAL MAIN STREET IN DUBLIN". I have an affinity for that area. Despite being a massive southsider and basically a spiritual resident of Ranelagh i long to see that end of O'Connell street reflect it's local's and an actual functional purpose. I'd love it to be a Chinatown or something, another temple bar but run by the local immigrants and the Moore street market sellars. A cultural hot pot of real inner city Dublin. Instead it's a wasted space, desolate, patchy and forgotten. All well for me to say, I’m in a port-a-cabin in Trinity as boombing bass prepares for the "biggest" private party in europe. I also live in a bungalow in the styxx that is County Louth. I'm no more a southsider than i am now a constant commuter. 2 hours or more everyday devoted to using our inadequate Victorian train service. As i stated to Hope, emphasising my lack of knowledge about the Celtic football team i couldn't be a less patriotic person. I know sweat f'a about any of the Fenian or republican thoughts and couldn't care less. I'm posh, middle class, lazy, hypocritically socialist and a nurse. My blood isn't green like some people. I'm fully aware that my blond hair means i'm Norman in origin and not irish. I take this to mean i'm more of a european than any kind of nationalist. And i'm fine with that.
As we walked back Hope dashed ahead at every junction catching each amber light. Her wavy blond hair battered and beaten into a straw like appearance by her gym utilisation before our meeting and the extremes of the almost gale like winds. A brief meeting with Boop in front square amongst the beer concession stands being built and a stage being errected. I parted ways with hope and entered the Laser huts, for study and this blog.
Thus was my day.
Examblor is approaching!!!!!!
Yeah must get to work soon. Last lecture yesterday. 2 weeks to exams. The sun is shining. People will soon be partying and the Gimby is closed for the rest of summer. No newspapers or banter to distract me. Less of the face's i've grown to know about campus. Now it's all work ahead. I have to get to 3rd year. I have to get through to 4th year. I have to try and get work as a qualified nurse here, doubtful. I have to work at the vain of my education in order to pursue my dreams. Somewhere in all that i have to also keep writing to practice, to develop and to hopefully one day get something published or developed into any medium.
Anyhoo, rant's aside. Work!
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