Prophecy Works Better Backwards.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

On April 26, 1937, the future of the world was told in a little town by the name of Guernica.  Everything you needed to know...WWII, the holocaust, the cold war, and all the other party treats that went with it were announced, loudly and publicly, in that doomed village.

The Spanish Civil War was essentially target practice for the Germans, and a good place to slug ideologies out for all the "volunteers", both fascist and socialist.  Neither side thought to ask the opinions of the Spanish, who got their arses kicked up between their shoulder blades.

Picasso's painting of the event is the sole redeeming virtue of "modern art", at least in my opinion.  It captures the chaos of war in a way that I've never seen done in any other medium.  Or in this case, a one-sided slaughter of civilians, done to research modern bombing techniques.

Which makes me ask myself uncomfortable questions about drones in Pakistan.  But anyway.

The point is, "prophecy" is an awesome thing, because you can never benefit from it, because anyone close enough to see it is too close to the situation, and won't make heads or tails of it until it's far, far too late...Much like the Oracles of Delphi.  Huff some ethylene, babble a bit, and the rubes will make it all fit after the fact.  Remember Phyros?  Neither do I.

But I keep thinking about Guernica, and about drones.

Or Kill Me.

[Kai]

On April 26, 1937, the future of the world was told in a little town by the name of Guernica.  Everything you needed to know...WWII, the holocaust, the cold war, and all the other party treats that went with it were announced, loudly and publicly, in that doomed village.

The Spanish Civil War was essentially target practice for the Germans, and a good place to slug ideologies out for all the "volunteers", both fascist and socialist.  Neither side thought to ask the opinions of the Spanish, who got their arses kicked up between their shoulder blades.

Picasso's painting of the event is the sole redeeming virtue of "modern art", at least in my opinion.  It captures the chaos of war in a way that I've never seen done in any other medium.  Or in this case, a one-sided slaughter of civilians, done to research modern bombing techniques.

Which makes me ask myself uncomfortable questions about drones in Pakistan.  But anyway.

The point is, "prophecy" is an awesome thing, because you can never benefit from it, because anyone close enough to see it is too close to the situation, and won't make heads or tails of it until it's far, far too late...Much like the Oracles of Delphi.  Huff some ethylene, babble a bit, and the rubes will make it all fit after the fact.  Remember Phyros?  Neither do I.

But I keep thinking about Guernica, and about drones.

Or Kill Me.

I'm reminded of Aeschylus's Agamemnon. Cassandra knows what awaits her in the house, she has a vision of her death, but she goes in anyway. It made no difference.