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Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#226: Aug 28th 2014 at 3:05:07 AM

Depends. You can do the Empire in history and you can do Conrad in English - I did a critical evaluation of Achebe's critique of Conrad - but you can also do something completely different. Schools can pick and choose what they study, so it would be open to make political choices.

Not sure what the English system is like, but I suspect it is similar.

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#227: Aug 28th 2014 at 8:50:40 AM

Isn't Heart of Darkness about Belgium, though?

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#228: Aug 28th 2014 at 8:57:36 AM

[up] It's set in what was known at the time as the Belgian Congo, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Keep Rolling On
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#229: Aug 28th 2014 at 9:07:39 AM

And, by all accounts, the Belgians were worse than the English at this.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#230: Aug 28th 2014 at 9:15:30 AM

The Belgians were the worst of the lot, even creating a major scandal at the time...

Keep Rolling On
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#231: Aug 28th 2014 at 9:39:45 AM

It was mostly because the Belgians couldn't be asked to bother to run their colony, so they gave it directly to King Leopold II to run as a personal fief. All the racism and exploitation of other European colonies, along with zero accountability. The results were predictable, until everyone freaked out and made the Belgians take the colony back from the crown.

Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#232: Aug 28th 2014 at 10:39:02 AM

HANDS FOR THE HAND GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE! RUBBER FOR THE RUBBER CONSUMERS!

But yeah, it was pretty awful.

Schild und Schwert der Partei
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#233: Aug 28th 2014 at 11:30:59 AM

Leopold II was just a massive shit in general.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
SaintDeltora The Mistress from The Land Of Corruption and Debauchery Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
The Mistress
#234: Aug 29th 2014 at 2:07:03 PM

In regards to last page's talk about "Wa" out of curiosity... has anyone here ever watched the original anime of Hunter x Hunter?

"Please crush me with your heels Esdeath-sama!
KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#235: Aug 29th 2014 at 2:10:33 PM

No, but you've piqued my curiosity.

SaintDeltora The Mistress from The Land Of Corruption and Debauchery Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
The Mistress
#236: Aug 29th 2014 at 2:40:55 PM

There is a Filler mini arc during the Hunter Exam arc that happens after the 3rd Exam.

Basically, all the Hunter applicants are sent to a Hotel that happens to be lodged on a ship half sunk on the rock of an island which is almost completely surrounded by Ship Wrecks. At first, they are told they will have 3 days of rest in that Hotel up until the next part of the exams, the first episode is basically them resting, having fun, trying to pay the ridiculously high fees of the hotel, and character building (In the original anime this is where Kurapaika revealed to Leorio why his village was destroyed. There is also a pretty funny scene where Gon tries to teach Killua how to fish and Killua shows a weak stomach towards seafood complete with Gon showing disbelief that he is really part of a family of Hired Killers.)

Obviously, the whole thing turns out to be a lie, and the Ship is actually an "Extra Test" of the exam. Basically, the Old Couple who were taking care of the hotel leaves in the middle of the night leaving behind all the Gold they collected from the Guests, and a few select clues on where would be the next part of the exams.

Thing is... the area of the Island is home to a Climatic Phenomenom where every 10 years a Typhoon was formed near the island, and that Typhoon threatened to break the ship everyone was in.

After some period of confusion, everyone quickly agrees that they need to find a way to remove the ship from the island and escape from it. They discuss a bit and eventually name Hanzou as their leader, with Kurapaika as their sub-leader in that Exam. They then hatch a plan where everyone plays a part in it to use the ship they are in to escape the island.

I remember that amongst other things, Gon and Killua removed the seaweed in those wheel... things in the low parts of the ship, Supar used the Ship's cannons to break the rock they were in, Ponzu and Pokuru started the engines, Leorio removed weight from the submerged parts of the ship, Kurapaika headmastered the entire operation, and one complicated sequence where Leorio, Tompa, Gereta and even Hisoka all played parts in saving Gon's life after he tried helping Leorio.

There was one scene around the time Hanzo gets declared the leader where he mentions that there is a belief that people working in harmony can acomplish great things.

"In my country... we call this Wa" he says.

"Please crush me with your heels Esdeath-sama!
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#237: Aug 29th 2014 at 2:58:37 PM

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#238: Aug 29th 2014 at 3:35:20 PM

But seriously, i thought "Wa" was more about Japanese distinctiveness in general, not necessarily any aspect of it in particular?

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#239: Aug 29th 2014 at 3:47:50 PM

My image of Waluigi is forever impressed with his appearance in There Will Be Brawl.

It left a strong impression.

So "wa" in Chinese means "dwarf" or "submissive people" and is a graphic pejorative, which I find hilarious. It's really interesting to see that the RC and PRC went through their own PC movements. Did Japan?

edited 29th Aug '14 3:51:11 PM by TheHandle

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#240: Aug 29th 2014 at 4:43:34 PM

Interesting. One of the earliest descriptions of the Japanese known from a non-Japanese people is of the Chinese (likely of Sui or early T'ang era. Can't remember) is calling them "dwarf pirates."

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#241: Aug 29th 2014 at 4:54:49 PM

In it's prehistoric days, Japan was a matriarchal society of loosely-affiliated tribes. As I said, life in the archipelago fostered an extreme reverence for order and loyalty due to how much of a harsh bitch nature was. Working together became the central concept of their society.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#242: Aug 29th 2014 at 5:17:15 PM

Compare Japanese Politeness to Minnesota Nice and the Law of Jante.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#243: Aug 29th 2014 at 5:44:24 PM

[up][up] And yet that loyalty didn't stick at the highest level of society until 1635. Wild.

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#245: Aug 29th 2014 at 5:49:44 PM

I think he's referring to the centuries of intermittent feudal warfare between lords.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#247: Aug 31st 2014 at 2:42:25 AM

[up]IT BLENDS!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#248: Aug 31st 2014 at 6:26:14 AM

Hell, you should try blending Voudon with Shinto. It's... surprisingly easy.

(And, I want one of those yukata or kimono. I waaaaaaant: particularly one with more Ndebele-esque house designs in the weave. Waaaaaaant. Oh: and, combine with traditional bead- and colour-work used correctly to indicate age, status and public message alongside some of the traditional kimono cues and... and... OMG: that'd be a fashion statement and a half!)

edited 31st Aug '14 6:36:09 AM by Euodiachloris

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#249: Aug 31st 2014 at 6:27:59 AM

That would make for an amazing film...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#250: Aug 31st 2014 at 6:37:28 AM

Oh, man: combining some of the African myths with Japanese ones would create both epic and scary gods-and-monsters. In both variety and scale.


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