BlackHat's Journal: I dug up a missing link/ When I uncovered you

The 19th century, News, and texttoon. All for nought. Free for the clicking.

There is a certain nihilistic flair to the period 1799-1899. It is no surprise that the Gothic fad/movement starts there. From the viewpoint of the 19th century's darker thinkers they had no escape from a history filled with; sickness, horror and bloodshed. The world, that the majority of Europeans and connected areas existed in, had been reduced to a sick zero-sum power game. Mainly between the branches of the Hapsburgs [and a host of minor lights too] vs the new Merchant classes[several] of many nations. The future was filled with diabolical dreams of more of the same only with steam powered rotating knives!!! On their enemies, of course, but a Smurf painted on the APC only does so much. When its downtown, it's downtown.

Information on the actions of the colonial powers [royal charters to challenge the merchants market share, license to purge and slaughter, raid shipping etc. et al.] all proved to be too hard to control and hide. Reform did come. Small at first, in starts, and drabs. But only served to add many new revelations of horrors visited and imposed in their name as Britons, Germans and so on.

But this aside, there was, in parallel to this, a new daemon brewing. It came as a part of the "respect" old mythic god kings had expected. Story time! One afternoon the young emperor to-be and his regent-advisor had a conversation that highlights this new beast and where one might find its foil.

He asked his advisor [in a round-about way] what he would do when he learned of his death by the hand of thier foes. His advisor told him that he would destroy the universe in the pursuit of anyone who dared to try.

The boy-emperor, displeased with the answer, asked in turn "When that day arrives, would you, please, save it instead?"

Well? Would you live for your nation? While you think about it, here's Mary with the quote.

Quote:
[Sidenote: Accession of Victoria, 1837.]
William IV. died at Windsor Castle, and at 5 o'clock on the morning of June 2oth, 1837 (just 58 years from the day this is written), a young girl of eighteen was awakened to be told she was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Victoria was the only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, brother of William IV. Her marriage in 1840 with her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, was one of deep affection, and secured for her a wise and prudent counsellor.

[Sidenote: Famine in Ireland, 1846.]
On account of the high price of corn, Ireland had for years subsisted entirely upon potatoes. The failure of this crop for several successive seasons, in 1846 produced a famine of such appalling dimensions that the old and the new world came to the rescue of the starving people. Parliament voted 10,000,000 pounds for food. But before relief could reach them, two millions, one-fourth of the population of Ireland, had perished. The anti-corn measures, championed by Richard Cobden and John Bright, which had been bitterly opposed by the Tories under the leadership of Disraeli, were thus reinforced by unexpected argument; foreign breadstuffs were permitted free access and free trade was accepted as the policy of England.

Nicholas, the Czar of Russia, was, after the fashion of his predecessors (and his successors), always waiting for the right moment to sweep down upon Constantinople. England had become only a land of shopkeepers, France was absorbed with her new Empire, and with trying on her fresh imperial trappings. The time seemed favorable for a move. The pious soul of Nicholas was suddenly stirred by certain restrictions laid by the Sultan upon the Christians in Palestine. He demanded that he be made the Protector of Christianity in the Turkish Empire, by an arrangement which would in fact transfer the Sovereignty from Constantinople to St. Petersburg.

That mass of Oriental corruption known as the Ottoman Empire, held together by no vital forces, was ready to fall into ruin at one vigorous touch. It was an anachronism in modern Europe, where its cruelty was only limited by its weakness. That such an odious, treacherous despotism should so strongly appeal to the sympathies of England that she was willing to enter upon a life-and-death struggle for its maintenance, let those believe who can.--Her rushing to the defence of Turkey, was about as sincere as Russia's interest in the Christians in Palestine.

The simple truth beneath all these diplomatic subterfuges was of course that Russia wanted Constantinople, and England would at any cost prevent her getting it. The keys to the East must, in any event, not belong to Russia, her only rival in Asia.

France had no Eastern Empire to protect, so her participation in the struggle is at first not so easy to comprehend, until we reflect that she had an ambitious and parvenu Emperor. To have Europe see him in confidential alliance with England, was alone worth a war; while a vigorous foreign policy would help to divert attention from the recent treacheries by which he had reached a throne.

[Sidenote: War with Russia, 1854.]
Such were some of the hidden springs of action which in 1854 brought about the Crimean War,--one of the most deadly and destructive of modern times. Two great Christian kingdoms had rushed to the defence of the worst Government ever known, and the best blood in England was being poured into Turkish soil.

The Russians soon found that the English were no less skilled as fighters, than as shopkeepers. They were victorious from the very first, even when the numbers were ill-matched. But one immortal deed of valor must have made her tremble before the spirit it revealed.

Six hundred cavalrymen, in obedience to an order which all knew was a blunder, dashed into a valley lined with cannon, and charged an army of 30,000 men!

"Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldiers knew Some one had blundered. Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do,--and die, As into the Valley of Death Rode the six hundred."

The horrible blunder at Balaklava was not the only one. One incapable general was followed by another, and routine and red-tape were more deadly than Russian shot and shell.

Food and supplies beyond their utmost power of consumption, were hurried to the army by grateful England. Thousands of tons of wood for huts, shiploads of clothing and profuse provision for health and comfort, reached Balaklava.

While the tall masts of the ships bearing these treasures were visible from the heights of Sebastopol, men there were perishing for lack of food, fuel and clothing. In rags, almost barefoot, half-fed, often without fuel even to cook their food, in that terrible winter on the heights, whole regiments of heroes became extinct, because there was not sufficient administrative ability to convey the supplies to a perishing army!

So wretched was the hospital service, that to be sent there meant death. Gangrene carried off four out of five. Men were dying at a rate which would have extinguished the entire army in a year and a half. It was Florence Nightingale who redeemed this national disgrace, and brought order, care and healing into the camps.

When England recalls with pride the valor and the victories in the Crimea, let her remember it was the "manhood in the ranks" which achieved it. When all was over, war had slain its thousands,--but official incapacity its tens of thousands!

It was a costly victory: Russia was humiliated, was even shut out from the waters of her own Black Sea, where she had hitherto been supreme. To two million Turks was preserved the privilege of oppressing eight million Christians; and for this,--twenty thousand British youth had perished. But--the way to India was unobstructed!

England's career of conquest in India was not altogether of her own seeking. As a neighboring province committed outrages upon its British neighbors, it became necessary in self-defence to punish it; and such punishment, invariably led to its subjugation. In this way one province after another was subdued, until finally in the absorption of the Kingdom of Oude (1856) the natural boundary of the Himalaya Mountains had been reached, and the conquest was complete. The little trading company of British merchants had become an Empire, vast and rich beyond the wildest dreams of romance.

The British rule was upon the whole beneficent. The condition of the people was improved, and there was little dissatisfaction except among the deposed native princes, who were naturally filled with hate and bitterness. The large army required to hold such an amount of territory, was to a great extent recruited from the native population, the Sepoys, as they were called, making good soldiers.

[Sidenote: Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858.]
In 1857 the King of the Oude and some of the native princes cunningly devised a plan of undermining the British by means of their Sepoys, and circumstances afforded a singular opportunity for carrying out their design.

A new rifle had been adopted, which required a greased cartridge, for which animal grease was used. The Sepoys were told this was a deep-laid plot to overthrow their native religions. The Mussulman was to be eternally lost by defiling his lips with the fat of swine, and the Hindu, by the indignity offered to the venerated Cow. These English had tried to ruin them not alone in this world, but in the next.

[Sidenote: Massacre at Cawnpore.]
Thrilled with horror, terror-stricken, the dusky soldiers were converted into demons. Mutinies arose simultaneously at twenty-two stations; not only officers, but Europeans, were slaughtered without mercy. At Cawnpore was the crowning horror. After a siege of many days the garrison capitulated to Nana Sahib and his Sepoys. The officers were shot, and their wives, daughters, sisters and babes, 206 in number, were shut up in a large apartment which had been used by the ladies for a ballroom.

After eighteen days of captivity, the horrors of which will never be known, five men with sabres, in the twilight, were seen to enter the room and close the door. There were wild cries and shrieks and groans. Three times a hacked and a blunted sabre was passed out of a window in exchange for a sharper one. Finally the groans and moans gradually ceased and all was still. The next morning a mass of mutilated remains were thrown into an empty well.

Two days later the avenger came in the person of General Havelock. The Sepoys were conquered and a policy of merciless retribution followed.

In that well at Cawnpore was forever buried sympathy for the mutinous Indian. When we recall that, we can even hear with calmness of Sepoys fired from the cannon's mouth. From that moment it was the cause of men in conflict with demons, civilization in deadly struggle with cruel, treacherous barbarism. We cannot advocate meeting atrocity with atrocity, nor can we forget that it was a Christian nation fighting with one debased and infidel. But terrible surgery is sometimes needed to extirpate disease.

Greed for territory, and wrong, and injustice may have mingled with the acquisition of an Indian Empire, but posterity will see only a majestic uplifting of almost a quarter of the human family from debased barbarism, to a Christian civilization; and all through the instrumentality of a little band of trading settlers from a small far- off island in the northwest of Europe. --Mary Parmele

Leto-II did a lot of fictional living [3k+]. Herbert turned the usual mythic-epic ending upside down. Dying is easy, people do it every day, living is much much harder. I would argue 'more rewarding' too, but there you go.

The question, his advisors reluctance to come to grips with the real nature of it and its ultimate answer, in the face of the facts that were before him-- "Tradition is not trustworthy as your guide" --is not fictional. Nor a future to come. It is our present. And let's see what they're up to today.

News willing and able:
Crucial roll(3) : A cylindrical collection of paper currency. Diplomacy is key in winning the political commitment from which cooperation in other areas flows. Our diplomats are the overseas eyes, ears and voice of the U.S. government in dealing with foreign governments and financial institutions on terrorism finance. In this sense, diplomats serve an even more crucial role in countries where we have no resident legal or Treasury attaché. With cooperation, intelligence and law enforcement officers can follow the money. With international cooperation on asset freeze designations (as well as travel bans under UN resolutions), we force terrorists into less reliable and more costly means of moving money. Designations also chill support for terrorism it is one thing to write a check for terrorists when no one is looking; it is another to realize that such actions can bring unwanted official attention. Since 9/11 we have ramped up our efforts significantly and made substantial progress. We also acknowledge that much remains to be done.

Git'mo eh-stary he-ya.

What? The free S&M massage center not good enough for the like of you? Tourists these days. You did claim to be a tourist didn't you. Well then. Hop in the sauna, chum [oops what a give-away].

As I expected, Powell goes and plays elsewhere. Emily! Get out of the way!

Dyke has a book. Of course. In the extracts serialised in The Observer today, Dyke reveals: That he believes Blair reneged on a deal not to call for 'heads to roll' at the BBC. That he believes Alastair Campbell, the former Number 10 director of communications, was forced out by Blair for being 'out of control'. That six still-serving BBC governors should resign over their part in the affair. The disclosures, which will reignite the row between the BBC and the government, will again raise the question of trust which has dogged the Prime Minister since the WMD row first surfaced. It is unheard of for a serving Prime Minister to write to the head of Britain's public service broadcaster. Dyke, who says the move was intimidatory, claims Blair later regretted sending the letter, but was persuaded to by Campbell. Dyke says Campbell had become 'obsessed' with trying to 'beat' the BBC, was out of control, vindictive and eventually had to be removed by the Prime Minister. They had to change the working title; "I was bitch slapped by a poodle" as it was too long and gave away the ending.

Moods are for cattle and loveplay, not for fighting! Democratic Sen. John Kerry said Saturday he's in a ``fighting mood'' with two months to go to the presidential election as his allies defended him from questions about his valor in Vietnam. ``For the last four years, we've had a dark cloud over Washington,'' Kerry told several thousand people gathered under overcast skies. ``We're going to get rid of it on November 2.'' In a 45-minute speech, Kerry stuck to offense against Bush's record and left defense against the Vietnam War criticisms that have dominated the race the last two weeks to two other veterans who introduced him. Get well soon Patrick.

Howie picks the day of the doorknob. Oct 9th.

OYAITJ:
44039 : Giant bugs, broken links, busy finks-- There is a palpable sense of event in and around the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, what with the sniffer dogs and the vanloads of police officers in bulletproof vests, the helicopter thudding overhead and high-speed near-collisions between bike messengers and famous faces from the television news. "The whole business makes me very, very angry... but it is lots of fun," says Joan Beazleigh, a former probation officer, which pretty much summarises the prevailing attitude. By 8am, there are around 90 people waiting, media and non-media - and all for the testimony of the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon. With the prime minister's appearance later today, the hottest ticket in town can only get hotter. , telco politico finks-- Oklahoma's Attorney General Drew Edmondson has become the latest member of the WorldCom bashing brigade, levying some serious charges against the company and its former executives. The Oklahoma AG is madder than a strapped down steer as a result of WorldCom's past accounting scandals and suspect actions. He joins WorldCom's rivals, some senior citizens and a host of others that want to see the telco pay up for its dark deeds. grilled fink on rye-- After the formal meeting, senior agents in the room faced a grilling by Kristen Breitweiser, a 9/11 widow whose cohorts are three other widowed moms from New Jersey. "I don't understand, with all the warnings about the possibilities of Al Qaeda using planes as weapons, and the Phoenix Memo from one of your own agents warning that Osama bin Laden was sending operatives to this country for flight-school training, why didn't you check out flight schools before Sept. 11?" "Do you know how many flight schools there are in the U.S.? Thousands," a senior agent protested. "We couldn't have investigated them all and found these few guys." "Wait, you just told me there were too many flight schools and that prohibited you from investigating them before 9/11," Kristen persisted. "How is it that a few hours after the attacks, the nation is brought to its knees, and miraculously F.B.I. agents showed up at Embry-Riddle flight school in Florida where some of the terrorists trained?" "We got lucky," was the reply. Kristen then asked the agent how the F.B.I. had known exactly which A.T.M. in Portland, Me., would yield a videotape of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the attacks. The agent got some facts confused, then changed his story. When Kristen wouldn't be pacified by evasive answers, the senior agent parried, "What are you getting at?" "I think you had open investigations before Sept. 11 on some of the people responsible for the terrorist attacks," she said. "We did not," the agent said unequivocally. Yahoo and a few others that do not keep thier files were removed from the news stream by Nov. A ways to go, alas. 404-Finks!

Texttoon:
Fumetti : Video capture of Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf with an overlay-inset-photo of Emily Miller. A speech bubble for Saeed saying; "Emily! Get out of the way!"