Charles! You make me want to read more. You make me want to learn to structure my writing and storytelling in the intriguing way you do, peripatetic and almost feeling wonderfully aimless until you deposit us gently back where we began but oh so much more broadened. Also I have a feeling I’d glean much more from novels if you wrote an annotated historical and cultural companion for all the novels on my list.
This was wonderful. I love that a group of artists decided to show films in the old Geatapo building. Light to drown out the shadows of the past. And Muller’s writing is splendid, although you’re no slouch yourself!
Great writing -- thanks! I knew nothing about Romania until now. The "authoritarian instinct" -- why is that so seductive to people through history and currently? What is it about the "strong man" that people want? Until they don't.
Thank you for the comment and for the kind words. In regard to what people want, I would suggest two things: First, that people aren't selecting their governments. The system in which people live isn't necessarily a reflection of their desires. Second, illiberal governments are, by far, the standard. The overwhelming majority of people in history—and just over fifty percent of people on the planet today—have lived in an illiberal system. The alternative is the exception.
Thanks for your reply, Charles! I agree with all your just wrote. My question was more about the "why" behind the more western urge(s) lately (US, Italy, France, Hungary, etc.) towards a crypto-fascist right wing agenda (and often there is nothing "crypto-" about it) and these are movements operating within democracies (such as they are) but seem to crave the strong-man authoritarian approach as democracy is so messy and usually/uniformly a disappointment to all - right&left. These are decidedly populist movements and the power dynamic is basically from the bottom up. I don't understand it.
"What we read, instead, is a more complicated and diabolical narrative about the arbitrary and nonsensical and indiscriminate application of power." Arbitrary is the correct word, isn't it? One of the most terrifying words.
Absolutely. There's no excuse for consistent and predictable injustice, but arbitrary injustice leaves everyone, at all times, unsure about where they stand.
And I can't help but notice that this also matches the typical behavior of a bully—cruel one day, nice the next, without any logic to the change.
Charles! You make me want to read more. You make me want to learn to structure my writing and storytelling in the intriguing way you do, peripatetic and almost feeling wonderfully aimless until you deposit us gently back where we began but oh so much more broadened. Also I have a feeling I’d glean much more from novels if you wrote an annotated historical and cultural companion for all the novels on my list.
Trilety, those are very meaningful words—thank you very much.
This was wonderful. I love that a group of artists decided to show films in the old Geatapo building. Light to drown out the shadows of the past. And Muller’s writing is splendid, although you’re no slouch yourself!
Thank you, John.
Great writing -- thanks! I knew nothing about Romania until now. The "authoritarian instinct" -- why is that so seductive to people through history and currently? What is it about the "strong man" that people want? Until they don't.
Thank you for the comment and for the kind words. In regard to what people want, I would suggest two things: First, that people aren't selecting their governments. The system in which people live isn't necessarily a reflection of their desires. Second, illiberal governments are, by far, the standard. The overwhelming majority of people in history—and just over fifty percent of people on the planet today—have lived in an illiberal system. The alternative is the exception.
Thanks for your reply, Charles! I agree with all your just wrote. My question was more about the "why" behind the more western urge(s) lately (US, Italy, France, Hungary, etc.) towards a crypto-fascist right wing agenda (and often there is nothing "crypto-" about it) and these are movements operating within democracies (such as they are) but seem to crave the strong-man authoritarian approach as democracy is so messy and usually/uniformly a disappointment to all - right&left. These are decidedly populist movements and the power dynamic is basically from the bottom up. I don't understand it.
"What we read, instead, is a more complicated and diabolical narrative about the arbitrary and nonsensical and indiscriminate application of power." Arbitrary is the correct word, isn't it? One of the most terrifying words.
Absolutely. There's no excuse for consistent and predictable injustice, but arbitrary injustice leaves everyone, at all times, unsure about where they stand.
And I can't help but notice that this also matches the typical behavior of a bully—cruel one day, nice the next, without any logic to the change.