Ich glaube, man sollte überhaupt nur solche Bücher lesen, die einen beißen und stechen. Wenn das Buch, das wir lesen, uns nicht mit einem Faustschlag auf den Schädel weckt, wozu lesen wir dann das Buch? Damit es uns glücklich macht, wie Du schreibst? Mein Gott, glücklich wären wir eben auch, wenn wir keine Bücher hätten, und solche Bücher, die uns glücklich machen, könnten wir zur Not selber schreiben. Wir brauchen aber die Bücher, die auf uns wirken wie ein Unglück, das uns sehr schmerzt, wie der Tod eines, den wir lieber hatten als uns, wie wenn wir in Wälder vorstoßen würden, von allen Menschen weg, wie ein Selbstmord, ein Buch muß die Axt sein für das gefrorene Meer in uns - Franz Kafka
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8 May 2024 (Wednesday)
The End of Everything
How Greek Tragic Truths Apply to Taiwan
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - The legendary Victor Davis Hanson (VDH), ancient and modern military historian and a walking encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome, not to mention a good ole’ farm boy, has just released his book, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend Into Annihilation.
I am drilling down into the Kindle edition for my second read and when I am not reading it, I have the audio version for my walkabouts.
My conclusion?
For China, according to Hanson, Taiwan is an “aberration” that does not really exist in the modern world of diplomacy. China will not tolerate a bifercated Chinese identity.
Like the U.S. left-wing lingo, China’s perspective is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are the “deplorables, the clingers, the irredeemables”.
As I have argued, along with others, Taiwan became the fly-over country to the real China.
Taiwan, an island of only 24 million, is no different than the Greek city-states that were raped, razed, and removed from the history books.
Entire cultures, languages, identities were eradicated by the victors.
Like Taiwan, those inside the city walls always said the same thing.
These will sound familiar to foreigners living here trying to decipher Taiwan’s rich imagination of denialism:
“there would be a negotiated settlement”
“just a change in management”
“economic issues”
“they need us”
“the U.S. military will save Taiwan”
“organ harvesting is a conspiracy theory”
“they would never do the horrible things to us they have done to the Uyghurs or Tibetans; after all, we speak the same language”
Hanson’s book demonstrates the same type of naivety of war. Taipei’s chattering political elites poo-poo the notion that there will be a systematic destruction of Taiwan’s civilization/culture and the local language of Taiwanese.
After Taiwan’s subjugation, Washington will quickly find a new shiny object to bedazzle policy makers.
Look no further than the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, now considered verboten subjects even within the inner circles of Washington.
It was Taiwan’s KMT that saved China’s historical manuscripts, culture, language (traditional Chinese), artifacts. Taiwan has religious temples to every imaginable Chinese deity. China’s Cultural Revolution managed to destroy the temples and statues of the past (sound familiar?). Today, China’s remaining temples exist only as tourist traps.
Beijing refused to accept Hanson’s book for publication in China unless portions referring to Taiwan were removed. The author refused; a very unlikely position for an East Coast elite progressive.
It is my opinion the book’s historical references echo in Taiwan’s group think, the military’s wordplay in the new doctrine of “resistance” replaced with “resilience”, and how the ghost in the machine (American Foreign Policy) will save Taiwan, are all priceless gems.
Perfect examples of Taiwan’s decadence, debauchery, and denial amongst the chattering elites of the DPP has been the Party’s demilitarization of the armed forces over the past 20 years.
Those who point to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan of F-16 fighters and other high-technology killing machines do not understand Taiwan’s mindset that such purchases are “protection money” for the day China attacks.
If not that, they will serve as bargaining chips during surrender negotiations with China.
Hanson’s references to the protectors of the city-gates, the cohortes praetoriae, those who guard the elite while they sleep, are reflected in the DPP’s dismantling of the Military Police Command, once 20,000 strong, now down to 3,000 active duty.
Hanson’s epilogue should be taken to heart by the DPP: “How the Unimaginable Becomes the Inevitable.”
The only other book anywhere near the level of foreboding is Camille Paglia’s 700-page Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990). Of which, today, Taiwan would encompass an entire chapter.
Her book is one of only several I still keep next to my bedside, including Michael Walsh’s Last Stands: Why Men Fight When All Is Lost and Ernest Jones’ On the Nightmare (1909/1910).
Fantastic review and summary
So sad, because it's true
This book is on my short list now