#ancient immigration

[ancientstuff]

Now this I find truly unexpected, particularly the suggestion that they boated across the Mediterranean (with reasonably good evidence).

[pnfc]

im not drawing im in the au crafting headspace but i'm so slow at story construction, i just gnaw on the general shape of a reality until more bits of it gradually come into focus. and then never turn it into a fic

[sesamenom]

Flavors of numenoreans (minus the druedain because i still haven't figured out how i want to draw them)

[whereserpentswalk]

Stop acting like immigration is purely a product of imperialism. People living outside their ethnic homeland isn't a new thing, or a result of the imperial core, and to suggest otherwise is kind of facisty.

People move around, and form communities in various locations, it predates capitalism. We know that there were large Indian communities in Athens in the classical age (this was long before Alexander conquered parts of India). We have records from the Middle Ages of Norsemen living in Byzantium, and Middle Eastern enclaves in China. Immigration predates capitalism, and society has always been multicultural.

[bopinion]

2025 / 11

Aperçu of the week

"Power to the people, right on."

(John Lennon - nothing more to add here)

Bad News of the Week

I must already assume that the decline of the United States of America under Donald Trump will dominate my bad news this year. Not because there is a lack of other bad news that enlightened people have to deal with. It's simply because so much is going so wrong in our former role model country that it seems more monstrous than so much else. Even in a week in which the civil war in Syria is rearing its ugly head again, the ceasefire in Gaza is becoming more fragile and the Kremlin is still destroying Ukraine.

Donald Trump resembles an ancient god of vengeance who arbitrarily punishes anyone who does not pay him proper homage or question his genius. He clearly suffers from narcissism, which is a serious mental disorder and not just a strange self-image. In his infallibility, he assumes that anyone who doesn't see his personal standards, which are unfortunately anything but democratic, as the ultimate, is simply too stupid. Or malicious or ungrateful. And so he throws his lightning bolts from the Olympus of the Oval Office down on unworthy earthlings.

He is so predictable that he can easily be instrumentalized by those close to him. For example, Elon Musk, who persuaded him to promote Tesla, which was of course not a personal favor, but merely an underlining of the economic policy dogma that a good American must of course drive an American car. Or from JD Vance, who remarked that he had not yet received enough recognition that day and was therefore able to throw Volodymyr Selensky under the bus with a single perfidious sentence about his alleged lack of gratitude. After just two months in office (although you can't really say that about Musk), both of them have been certified as puppet masters.

It is now completely unclear whose interests are behind three seemingly harmless trifles that Trump has initiated in recent days. He puts Bhutan, a tiny peaceful Buddhist country in the Himalayas, on the list of red states, from where nobody is allowed to enter the US - just besides Afghanistan and Yemen. He invokes the Alien Enemies Act from 1798 to deport hundreds to El Salvador - despite a federal judge ruling a restraining order against it. He puts words like “climate crisis” or “indigenous people” on a list of 200 terms that federal authorities are no longer allowed to use. These three bizarre details stupidly represent three fundamental views that are highly questionable.

The example of Bhutan illustrates that literally anyone can be caught in the crosshairs without even suspecting it. While a travel ban for North Corea or Iran is still understandable, it is not for the “Land of Happiness”. Some sources suspect visa overstay rates and security vetting concerns behind that decision, according to recently published Department of Homeland Security data. The fact that this is enough to be lumped together with Libya shows frighteningly clearly that proportionality is not exactly being cultivated in the White House at the moment.

The example of the Alien Enemies Act illustrates that the separation of powers is obviously no longer respected. The law, which has only been used three times in history and most recently during the Second World War for the temporary internment of Japanese in the USA, is per se difficult to reconcile with the rule of law. It is inconceivable that a judicial decision is simply ignored in the process. And when the collaborator in this breach of the law, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, posted the court order with the comment “Oopsie... too late.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reposted it. Not even Viktor Orbán has ever allowed himself such a shrugging attitude towards the legal system.

The example of the speech ban illustrates that dissenting opinions no longer even have the right to free expression. Just like the banning of the Associated Press from the White House briefing room - because of the continual use of the term “Gulf of Mexico” - nothing other than censorship is happening. As already practiced in school libraries in Republican-leaning states (where classics such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin were banned because they “put slavery in a bad light”), a cancel culture from the right is taking place here. After the demonization of self-determination, inclusion and diversity, in which woke became a dirty word, there is now an arch-conservative furor. This no longer has anything to do with the “land of the free”, but rather with Myanmar.

All in all, this leaves me with a stale aftertaste. And even if Trump and his MAGA heads don't destroy everything in the world because they stay in NATO and don't invade Panama, the damage to the country itself will be immense. With a divided society in which racism and sexism are resurgent, more environmental damage and climate change consequences, an abolished Ministry of Education, a down-top distribution of money, a health minister who recommends cod liver oil against measles, a dysfunctional administration, alienated neighbors and much more - as mentioned: it's not even two months yet. That leaves 46. Ooph...

Good News of the Week

Angela Merkel's comparatively quiet 16 years at the head of the German government were based on four foundations: cheap energy from Russia, outsourcing security policy to NATO and the USA, reduced infrastructure maintenance and the fetishism of the so-called "debt brake". Today we are in dire straits, as the first two foundations no longer exist and the last two are currently blowing up in our faces. In principle, I appreciate Merkel, who has done a lot of things very right. But she also has done some things very wrong.

We now have the energy crisis more or less under control. Thanks to an increasing proportion of renewable energy sources and a significant increase in imports of liquid gas (mainly from Qatar and Norway, but also from the USA). This has caused prices to rise considerably, both for private consumers and for industry. While the former “only” hurts, the latter has become a real location issue. This is a veritable problem, as many industries in which Germany is strong - such as chemicals or mechanical and automotive engineering - are very energy-demanding. Together with high wage costs and social security contributions, this presents us with a fundamental problem that needs to be tackled.

While the state can only create the framework conditions in which companies and entrepreneurs can then operate when it comes to the necessary restructuring of our economy, it is itself the actor when it comes to security policy, infrastructure and the relevant financial budget. It is therefore a major plus that the two probable coalition partners in the next German government - the conservative CDU/CSU and the social democratic SPD - have already addressed this issue in the initial exploratory talks. And as much as I hate to admit it to the future Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whom I consider to be simply from the day before yesterday, he is doing a pretty good job of it.

The first decisive step was the realization that yes, Germany has to spend a lot of money on the necessary investments in security and infrastructure. Which is only possible with debt if you don't want to make massive cuts to the welfare state. However, in order to be able to incur this debt, the debt brake must be reformed, which sets strict limits on financial policy and makes it practically impossible to take on more debt. This is a point that has been under discussion for some time - mainly because Germany can afford it. For comparison: Japan has a national debt of 261% of its gross domestic product, Italy 145%, the USA 122% and Germany 67%. So there is no reason to stand on the brake.

The second decisive step was pragmatic logic: as the debt brake is in the Basic Law (our constitution) you need a 2/3 majority in parliament to change it. The Bundestag elections at the end of February ensured that the far-right AfD and the Left Party represent more than 1/3 of the new Bundestag, i.e. they have a blocking minority. And both do not want the debt brake to be relaxed, albeit for completely different reasons, as they have nothing in common politically. This means that the Greens would have to be persuaded to participate in the amendment to the Basic Law in the old parliamentary composition, in which the Social Democrats were not yet so massively weakened.

This has now been achieved. Since the Greens are still a fundamentally pacifist party, but not idiots who ignore the changed reality. This is why the Greens are now supporting the party alliance that will replace them in government - for the greater good. At the same time, they have negotiated perfectly sensible aspects into the plan. For example, the topics of intelligence services and cyber security in the financial package for defense. Or that sustainable aspects and climate neutrality are not neglected in the infrastructure, which not only includes railroads, highways, bridges, energy grids and digital, but also daycare centers, schools and healthcare.

There are still a few hurdles to overcome - such as the approval of the federal states - but it seems feasible. If you want to put a negative spin on it, you could call Friedrich Merz the biggest election liar in history. After all, he has now slaughtered the sacred cow of the debt brake during the election campaign even before the official coalition negotiations. But on the altar of pragmatism. Germany is thus demonstrating its ability to act in Europe. Which fits in well with the fact that his party colleague and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also becoming clearer in her tone when she refers to Europe not just as an economic area, but blatantly as a geopolitical power. It looks like we've got the message.

Personal happy moment of the week

My Canadian wife and I were at the immigration office again after years. What an awful experience: facilities from 30 years ago, lots of forms, the charm of a hospital with security gates, unfriendly staff... You just don't feel comfortable. Nevertheless, there was one highlight: instead of a date and in line with our wedding vows, we entered “forever” in the “planned duration of stay” field. A small but heartfelt moment of happiness that even elicited a small smile from the strict official behind the glass.

I couldn't care less...

...about the Norwegian ski jumping cheating scandal. If secretly reinforcing seams in a suit really has a significant impact on performance, sprinters should also be banned from eating beans on the eve of the race - after all, they could fart illegal jet propulsion.

It's fine with me...

...that there are sometimes pretty fashionable allusions on the world political stage. First King Charles III wore a Canadian military uniform and then the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas wore the Canadian national colors at the G7 summit in Québec (!). Both wanted to send a stylish message to the USA that they should drop their colonial claims. Baerbock's smug question to Marco Rubio “Do you still enjoy your job?” fits in with this.

As I write this...

...there are snow flurries in Munich at zero degrees Celsius. While at the same time it's eleven degrees plus in Montreal in the middle of the night. Crazy. Yet both my cities can count themselves lucky that they are only suffering from capricious weather and are neither burning nor being flooded.

Post Scriptum

All the media hyperventilation about the USA, Ukraine and Russia as well as the USA, Palestine and Israel, not to mention Europe and Germany, has allowed some things worth mentioning to slip through the cracks. After a lot of posts in the North American media, I actually had to go searching to discover some great news in the German media, namely a courageous uprising for democracy and pro-Europe, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets. No, not in Berlin, Paris or Madrid, but in places where precisely these values have had a hard time recently: in Romania, Serbia and even (drum roll please) Hungary!

This gives me hope, as Poland has also managed to leave a rather dark era behind it and has clearly bought a ticket to the future. In Donald Tusk, our eastern neighbors now have an avowed European as head of government who is increasingly less held back by the shackles of the past. I am therefore very sure that our new Federal Chancellor's first three trips abroad will be to Brussels, Paris and Warsaw - in whatever order. This welcome development was rounded off by similarly oriented demonstrations in Italy and even Georgia. Europeans are fighting not to lose democracy and freedom - or to get them in the first place. A momentum that makes me proud.

[robinmage]

ok but I've always wondered like. what exactly is chise's citizenship status. she's legally dead in japan, and I'm not 100% sure if there's a visa option for "purchased on the black market"

[marinecorvid]

blorbos from my brain

[nickysfacts]

Thank you Scotland for gifting lumberjacks and school girls everywhere a stylish pattern to wear no matter the circumstance!📚🪓

💙🤍💙

[10-59]

i woke up in a cold sweat and of course the first thing i do is check the results thus far, looking a bit cringe

[bijoumikhawal]

like comedians, I think a lot of Egyptians would say less evil shit if they got smacked for it more often and knew that was on the table

[isaacsapphire]

@mystuffgoeshere “…for almost all of history you could go and live wherever you liked, you could just walk there and nobody would care, people don't realise how new and arbitrary the borders we have in the modern day are.”

Reference please because this doesn’t match the history I am familiar with.

[teachanarchy]

How Languages Die | Otherwords

[pebblegalaxy]

Socrates' Warning: How His Prediction of Democracy’s Fall Illuminates Modern Challenges #Democracy

Socrates’ Prediction of the Fall of Democracy: An Examination of Timeless Concerns Democracy, often hailed as the pinnacle of political evolution, has been a subject of both admiration and criticism throughout human history. It is a system designed to empower people, ensuring freedom, equality, and justice for all. Yet, over two millennia ago, the renowned Greek philosopher Socrates raised…

[succumbed-to-the-void]

Supporting the points made above, this is one of the most commonly repeated mitzvot in the Torah (and I've heard it said that it's the most repeated one, though I couldn't find a definitive source). It's especially striking because it's common in the Near East to find texts exhorting kindness towards orphans and widows, but strangers are not generally included in these lists, so it comes across as a very intentional inclusion (x).

The Bible is a multivocal document and some parts of it don't live up to this, but I do think it's absolutely fair to call this the soul of the Torah, and it's very much continued in the New Testament in the way Jesus treats non-Jews (unsurprising, since Jesus was a Jew who cared deeply about the moral vision of the Torah).

So yeah, despite some stuff in the Bible that's pretty disturbing, I do think it's fair to consider loving immigrants and marginalized groups to be at the soul of the Biblical message.

[a-modernmajorgeneral]

Pompeii and Herculaneum were two wealthy cities on the coast of Italy just south of Naples. Pompeii was a community of about 30,000 people that hosted thriving industry and active political and financial networks. Herculaneum, with a population of about 5,000, had an active fishing fleet and a number of marble workshops. Both economies supported the villas of wealthy Romans in the surrounding countryside.

In popular culture, the eruption is usually depicted as an apocalyptic event with no survivors: In episodes of the TV series “Doctor Who” and “Loki,” everyone in Pompeii and Herculaneum dies.

But the evidence that people could have escaped was always there.

The eruption itself continued for over 18 hours. The human remains found in each city account for only a fraction of their populations, and many objects you might have expected to have remained and be preserved in ash are missing: Carts and horses are gone from stables, ships missing from docks, and strongboxes cleaned out of money and jewelry.

All of this suggests that many – if not most – of the people in the cities could have escaped if they fled early enough.

Some archaeologists have always assumed that some people escaped. But searching for them has never been a priority.

So I created a methodology to determine if survivors could be found. I took Roman names unique to Pompeii or Herculaneum – such as Numerius Popidius and Aulus Umbricius – and searched for people with those names who lived in surrounding communities in the period after the eruption. I also looked for additional evidence, such as improved infrastructure in neighboring communities to accommodate migrants.

After eight years of scouring databases of tens of thousands of Roman inscriptions on places ranging from walls to tombstones, I found evidence of over 200 survivors in 12 cities. These municipalities are primarily in the general area of Pompeii. But they tended to be north of Mount Vesuvius, outside the zone of the greatest destruction.

It seems as though most survivors stayed as close as they could to Pompeii. They preferred to settle with other survivors, and they relied on social and economic networks from their original cities as they resettled.