A HISTORY LESSON

Traditions, knowledge, morals, and our form of government were shaped by history. If the British had won the American Revolution War, if the Confederates had won the Civil War, if Germany had won World War One, then, things would be different. Think of how different the world would be if computers had not been invented. Historical events have had a significant influence on today’s world and the future. Studying history helps us to understand how society came to be. It, also, helps us to understand other cultures. However, history, as presented in textbooks, is boring. Who wants to read about a bunch of dates and events? Not me.

I have discovered an entertaining and interesting way to learn about history. It is called the historical novel. The author uses real events as a background for a fictional story. A tremendous amount of research is used to provide insight into what people were doing during a particular time in history. A talented author can make history come alive! Three of my favorites are: Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, and James Clavell. Cornwell wrote a series of novels called the Saxon Tales. They are about ninth century England when King Alfred The Great battles the invasion of the Vikings. Iggulden wrote a series of novels about Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire of the thirteenth century. Clavell wrote a novel called ‘Tai- Pan’. It is a Nineteenth century story about English traders who turned Hong Kong into a fortress of British power. Try one of these authors for some exciting reading.

Some fascinating facts I learned from reading historical novels: Vikings were fierce warriors in battle but candy asses when it came time to shit in the woods. Their asses were so tender, they had to use soft moss to wipe with! ( toilet paper did not exist in the ninth century). Before going into battle, the Mongol warriors would get drunk on fermented goats’ milk. It gave them the courage to die for the Kahn! The English people became so addicted to Chinese tea, they authorized their sailing ships to smuggle opium into china to be traded for tea!

On June 24, 1509, Henry VIII was crowned King of England. How does this historical event affect us, today? Can anyone tell me? A hint, it has nothing to do with the invention of duct tape.

FUTURE FRAGMENTS OF ARROGANT SELF-IMPORTANCE

My wife thinks that I am arrogant to think that others want to read my blog. Because she is always right, I will no longer e-mail my blog to friends and family. From now on, if you wish to read my blogs, you will have to go to http://freelancethinker1.blogspot.com/ I will publish a new blog every Wednesday. I hope you will tell all your friends about my blog site. My goal is to win the first literary Nobel prize for blogging. I will share the million dollar prize with all my loyal followers!

Here are some of the titles of my future blogs: Why Australian men like to do it down under. How to see Europe for free. Lose weight with large portions of fat food. Why Chinese woman pilot has crack up when flying upside down. How to become rich and famous by writing a blog. Learn the mysterious sexual position used by Genghis Khan.(it is performed while riding a horse!) When to use moderation while drinking and when it is better to just get drunk. The sure fire technique for improving your memory. And, last but not least, how to always have good joss!

IS TORTURE MORALLY JUSTIFIABLE?

Depends on the circumstances. Torture is wrong in most situations and should never be legalised or institutionalised. For example, the Catholic church used inquisitor priest to torture people during the Spanish Inquisition. This was a horrible, immoral, unethical act! And the church claims that it defines morality?! Morals and ethics were established, long before Christianity, by the Greek philosophers. Our moral code of conduct was created by ancient civilizations thousands of years ago. Much has been written about how men ought to behave. It can be difficult to determine because of unlimited and shifting situations.

Moral decisions cannot be made on the basis that some actions are right and some actions are wrong. These decisions must be made in view of the specific situation. It can get complicated! In some extreme emergencies, torture can be justified. A terrorist can force us to choose between two evils. Should we torture the terrorist or allow thousands of innocent lives to be lost? If torture could force him to disclose the location of a ticking bomb, we have a moral obligation to torture him. We are forced to choose the lessor of two evils. To not take action would be very wrong! In this case, the ends justify the means. In light of this, we should support our public officials when they are faced with these kinds of choices.

THERE IS NOTHING NEW IN THE WORLD.

An old saying that is both true and false. Depends on the context. If you are talking about the nature of people, it is basically true. If you are referring to the environment, wow, you are really wrong. Man’s nature has evolved over a long period of time. Man has not changed much in thousands of years. We have been fixed with instincts, which stimulate us to action that has to do with survival and our self-interest. And we have developed the characteristics of civilized man. Man is not perfect, nor is he perfectible. He is what he is; formed by nature. But the environment is another matter.

Everything in the world’s environment is changing at a rapid, exponential pace! Technology, business, politics, nature, traditions, and customs are all changing. The strange thing about all this: Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon, everything is different!! General Motors was the largest, most powerful corporation in the world; now, it is a bankrupt, struggling mess. Polaroid cameras used to be the only way you could create an instant picture. Then, digital cameras came along. Polaroid is obsolete. Deregulation of the U.S. airline industry led to bankruptcy of all the big airlines. Outsourcing by U.S. companies has led to a high degree of world- wide competition. Invention of a new investment technique called derivatives has led to the worst economic recession since the great depression. And the list goes on. We are living in a world in which the environmental landscape can shift quickly and unexpectedly. Are you ready for more changes? If not, send a check for $5.00 to me and I will tell you the secret of surviving the coming changes!