One Of The Earliest Known Female Generals

Posted: 1/27/2018

Trigger

I just learnt from a video documentary about ancient Chinese dynasties that there was a female general during one of the most powerful of those dynasties, the Shang dynasty.

Overall, I think, too little is known or acknowledged about female prowess in war.

Fu Hao

She (died in 1200 BC) was one of many wives/consorts (one of 64) of King Wu Ding who rose through the ranks to become even the highest general. She is reported to have led numerous military campaigns and that she won decisive battles. “Fu Hao fought at the head of her troops, nursed the wounded off the battlefield, and inspired morale” (Source 3). “She went on to become the Shang's most powerful military leader commanding a force of 13,000 soldiers with several other generals in service to her. ” (Source 4). In her youth, she had received military training. She was also a high priestess and an oracle caster.

It is reported that besides her there were other female commanders at the time.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Hao
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_ancient_and_imperial_China#Shang_dynasty
3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fu-hao-fl-1040-bce
4. http://thefemalesoldier.com/blog/fu-hao

Gender Power Struggle In The 21st Century

Posted: 1/4/2018

Utter Gender Confusion

For the past several decades, the confusion about the ever and faster changing gender roles and relations among the genders has significantly increased, but one should not miss to notice an enduring power struggle between the genders. Bisexual, homosexual, transgender etc. are more like red herrings to obscure the underlying power struggle between the gender.

Women Are Neither Angels Nor Saints

Women are as power hungry as men. Feminism or similar forces are not merely to establish equal rights between men and women. While men tend to use more brawn and violence to achieve their goals in history, women resorted to more refined techniques to achieve theirs.

Unfortunately, too many men in Western countries are too chivalrous and too naive to fall for the cunning of the other gender.

Vanishing Genders

Will there still be a recognition of different genders by the end of the 21st century? Doubtful

If indeed the distinction of gender will be extinct before this century ends, then who will have more influence on how gender will disappear, women or men?

Major Federal Breaches Of Religious Freedom In The U.S.

Posted: 1/1/2018

This is a work in progress!

Motivation

If you think religious freedom in America was only threatened, attacked, and abridged in our days you are seriously mistaken.

In The Words Of Thomas Jefferson

Excerpted from Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1777; emphasis added):

1. “... That the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time; ...”
2. “... That therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence, by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages, to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right, ...”
3. “... Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.”

What would Thomas Jefferson have to say today about religious freedom in America?

A Brief History Of Federal Violations Of The First Amendment

A brief history of federal breaches of religious freedom:

1. Why did it take Utah almost 50 years to become the 45th state of the union in 1896? Why was Utah forced by Washington to give up polygamy in return for statehood? Utah tried since 1850 to become a state, but was repeatedly denied. President Buchanan removed Brigham Young as governor of Utah Territory in 1857-58. He sent a 2,500-man army and a new governor to Utah.
   In 1862, the U.S. Congress passed the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act. This Act prohibited polygamy in the territories and disincorporated the LDS church. President Lincoln signed this unconstitutional act into law. For many other reasons, Lincoln was a terrible president (see my blog posts about Lincoln).
   In 1874, the U.S. Congress passed the Poland Act, which gave authorities more power to successfully prosecute polygamists.
   In 1879, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of federal laws against polygamy (Reynolds v. United States). So the law making plural marriage a crime was found to be valid. Another, very dubious, but lesser known, unconstitutional decision by the U.S. Supreme Court!
   In 1882, Congress passed the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act, outlawing “unlawful cohabitation.” thus removing the need to prove that actual marriages had occurred. The act declared polygamy a felony. It also banned polygamists from voting, holding public office, or serving on juries. Wow, this would be called religious persecution in our days! In 1885, federal officials chased and arrested lots of polygamists—while others went into hiding. The Mormons presented President Cleveland with a formal protest—to no avail. The Edmunds Act restrictions were enforced regardless of whether an individual was actually practicing polygamy, or merely stated a belief in the Mormon doctrine of plural marriage without actually participating. It also provided for a five-man Utah Commission appointed by the president to supervise all aspects of the electoral process in Utah Territory.The Supreme Court ruled, in Murphy v. Ramsey (1885), that the statute was not ex post facto because convicts were charged for their continued cohabitation, not for the prior illegal marriage.
   In 1887, Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker bill. This would confiscate LDS church property and take away the right of Utah women to vote. So the women in Utah had voting rights since 1870 and Congress took that away too. I was truly stunned to learn about this.The Supreme Court in the case Late Corp. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States that upheld the Edmunds–Tucker Act in 1890
   [No matter what one thinks about polygamy, did the U.S. Congress and several U.S. Presidents violate religious liberty as protected by the U.S. Constitution when they pursued the Mormons? I am afraid, they did! Only forced or involuntary polygamy should have been the basis of any federal law. What this harsh pursuit of the Mormons represents is a severe violation of We the People and federalism! This should never have happened in the history of the U.S.! There are parallels to the American Civil War fought over the secession of southern states.]
2. Jehovah's Witnesses story. Why were the Jehovah’s Witnesses harassed so much that they sued so often like probably no other religious organisation in the history of the U.S. (to be continued)

Sources:

1. http://ilovehistory.utah.gov/topics/statehood/index.html

Lots Of Propaganda Top Comments On Facebook

Posted: 1/1/2018

Just a few observations on the top comments I get to see on news media articles selected and posted by Facebook on my Facebook page (I have Liked at least a dozen very different news media outlets on Facebook):

1. Facebook usually shows only the top 2 comments instead of 10 comments. That’s bad in itself and very annoying! When I expand to see more comments, Facebook dumps a large number of comments and it  is not clear anymore if these are the Top 10 Comments anymore
2. More bothering, usually the top comments shown appear to be manipulated and presenting a very biased and ideological viewpoint. To me many of these Facebook Top Comments are nothing more than deliberately placed, evident propaganda comments
3. Not to be outdone, Facebook manages to include among the Top Comments the opposing propaganda comment so as if in an attempt to, shall we call it, balance propaganda viewpoints
4. Very disturbing, the voice of reason and modesty is often missing among the Top 10 Comments. Are we Facebook users to believe that there is no voice of reason anymore or it is always in the minority compared to the propaganda comments?
5. In particular, the Top 10 Comments of Reuters news agency articles posted by Facebook are infested with propaganda Top Comments
6. I conclude, I find these Top 10 Comments feature by Facebook very suspect and unsatisfactory

Four Times Female Muslim Box Champion Of Berlin

Posted: 12/2/2017

Saw this FAZ (German newspaper) article today on my Facebook page: SPORT-KOPFTUCH FÜR MUSLIMA : „Ich war damals die einzige Boxerin mit Kopftuch“

Zeina Nassar

This good looking, hard hitting lady immediately knocked me off my feet. :-)

She always wears her Hijab while boxing.

She studies sociology! She is a sponsor for Nike’s new product Pro Hijab.

She was encouraged by her father and brother, both involved in combat sports themselves.

Here is a video with her and about her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_CzwfBtj9I

Communist Atrocities During Spanish Civil War

Posted: 11/18/2017

How The Left Distorted History

As a german, I learnt many times that Franco and Hitler collaborated. That the German air force bombing of the civilians living in the Basque village of Guernica was early war crime committed by the Nazis. A painting depicting Guernica by Pablo Picasso made this event and the painter famous.

We also learnt much about the fascist dictator Franco

We also learnt how many prominent artists were personally involved in the Spanish Civil War like Ernest Hemingway (communist sympathizer at least early in his career), George Orwell (outspoken anti totalitarian, democratic socialist), and Robert Capa (possibly a communist sympathizer).

What We Were Not Told About The Spanish Civil War

How much the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini was involved in this war.

The heavy involvement of Stalin’s Soviet Union in support of communist groups active in the Spanish Civil War.

Just read this horrible article by the Acton Institute:

Remembering those martyred by socialism during the Spanish Civil War

I was stunned to read that communist affiliated groups during the so called Red Terror (1931 - 1939) killed killed more than 6,800 bishops, priests, monks (including 13 bishops and 4,184 priests), and religious citizens. “As many as 20,000 churches were destroyed, many of them before the war commenced.” According to this article it was this brutal terror against catholics that contributed to Franco’s military intervention in the Spanish Civil War.

How To Attack Male Politicians In Our Time

Posted: 11/17/2018

Political Weapon Of Choice

The political news are swirling daily with new sexual harassment allegations against male politicians or political candidates. These seem to be the latest choice of weapons in our current political environment.

What is being exploited here is that all males are potential sexual predators as the powerful and influential feminist lobby will have us believe. Many men and women nowadays are gullible to this kind of nonsense. If you repeat a lie often enough ...

Flimsy At Best

Most of the latest sexual harassment accusations are so flimsy and so many years if not decades old and they seem to be brought forward just when it is most convenient. That any public media are uncritically and repeatedly running with those accusations is one of the many disturbing signs of our times.

Sexual Harassment Has Been Addressed For Over 30 Years Now

We have now a discussion of sexual harassment in the workplace and elsewhere going on in the U.S. for over 30 years. Laws have been passed against it decades ago. Law enforcement have made great progress over the decades.

About The Female Accusers

Women that do not report or do not document a serious incidence of sexual harassment to the proper authorities at the time the event happened are irresponsible.

Those women, who failed to report a serious incidence of sexual harassment, have knowingly and willingly jeopardized other women to become future victims by the same perpetrator. This responsibility lies with each woman who was sexually harassed or assaulted.

Highest German Court Just Became Highly Politicized

Posted: 11/15/2017

A Rather Baseless Verdict

Perhaps, the highest German court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) just ruined its reputation by coming down with a so called progressive decision (decision of 10/10/2017, case no. 1 BvR 2019/16)  in favor of a third gender in a seven to one vote. It appears that the sole judge who voted against this decision did not publish a dissenting opinion.

It becomes a serious problem when the highest judges fail to exercise judicial restraint when it comes to very controversial, social issues that have the potential to remain divisive among the German citizens for many years to come (e.g. the infamous Roe v. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973).

There was no compelling evidence that the appellant was really discriminated against by government agencies or in society, but the judges argued there was discrimination. The judges created or adopted a new theory of the paramount and superseding importance of gender for a person’s life. Gender was declared a fundamental human right.

The highest judges of the land have given in to pressures from militant and influential activists and contemporary fads of the time. Or have these judges promoted their fame, fancy, and legacy? Or did they try to be cutting edge or at the forefront of jurisprudence?

The current German law allows for three options when it comes to register a citizen’s gender, i.e. male, female or omitted (fehlende Angabe). Latter option would have been sufficient.

This decision was not Solomonic at all. These highest judges became politicians abusing the power vested in them.

The Appellant In This Case

The appellant in this case was an individual with a missing chromosome that identifies a human as either female or male. He was apparently sponsored by an advocacy group for intersex people of which the appellant is the founder.

In recent times, these humans and other humans with genital ambiguity are referred to as intersex. There are an estimated between 80,000 to 160,000 persons living in Germany with this genetic feature depending on how wide the definition is. Wikipedia quotes an estimate of 1.7% of the population (country?) are diagnosed as being intersex.

In the past, these people were called hermaphrodites or congenital eunuchs.

Ramifications

It was reported that Germany will be the first European country to recognize a third gender. The highest court mandated that the legislature has to find a solution by end of 2018.

There are probably so many, considerable ramifications of this decision that you cannot even dream of listing all of them. Here are just a few. Certainly a can of worms was forcefully pried wide open by these judges.

It will probably become quite expensive for taxpayers to make accommodations for the other, evolving genders. The highest judges simply dismissed as irrelevant any arguments of additional costs to taxpayers or increased administrative burdens.

In sports and athletics, we have already the phenomenon of males competing as females against females.

Public restroom disputes have only begun. Is this just the opening salvo of a social controversy?

Speculation About The Future Of Human Gender

1. Equal rights have been fought over for at least the past 200 years or so and they have been largely achieved
2. Ideological and largely irrational battles over e.g equal pay or gender quotas have been fought for several decades and will continue. The majority of humans will have to suffer through this
3. There is a trend of more women being enlisted in military forces, even in combat units
4. The trend of feminization of men continues, so does the trend of masculinization of women
5. The trend of more humans to transgender will continue. It’s popular, it’s a fad, it gets you attention and perhaps more money and so on. Will this trend reverse, i.e. a transgendered person wants to reverse back to the previous gender? You bet
6. Gestation of human beings outside the womb will probably be achieved within the next 50-100 years
7. Genetic modifications of women and men will progress in various ways
8. Life expectancy of humans will be dramatically extended in coming decades, thus e.g. diminishing the importance of procreation

Sources:

1. Personenstandsrecht muss weiteren positiven Geschlechtseintrag zulassen Pressemitteilung Nr. 95/2017 vom 8. November 2017
2. 1 BvR 2019/16 (Full text of decision)
3. http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/bundesverfassungsgericht-fordert-drittes-geschlecht-in-geburtenregister-15283020.html

Early Machiavelli From India

Posted: 11/6/2017 Updated/Revised: 1/31/2019

Update of 1/31/2019

I thoroughly regret that my brain is still not interfaced with the Internet! My memory is not as good as I wish it should be.

Today (1/31/2019, I realized that I had already written a blog post here about Chanakya in 2014, but back then I was not aware that he could be considered an equal of Machiavelli.


Original Post

Trigger

Recently, I watched a documentary video on Indian history and learnt about Chanakya and his famous publication Arthashastra. Unfortunately, I do not remember which video it was, but I suspect it was one of Michael Wood’s great Story of India episodes.

I have to admit, I never heard of a Machiavelli from India before, even predating the Italian Machiavelli by about 1,000 years. I would bet that many Westerners never heard of him either.

Motivation

It is an incredible and incomprehensible ignorance or arrogance of Western people to know so little about the truly amazing India. Its many varied people, its many minor and major religions and languages, its tremendous history, its variety and complexity of food and so on …
India, one of the oldest and continuous civilizations on our planet.

About 500-400 BC Is A Magic Number

Rare are the moments in history when extraordinary individuals make their appearance around the same time, but sometimes in very different parts of the world under very different circumstances, to promote human well being and enrich our understanding of the world.

About 500-400 BC is such a time. We have the ancient Greek (e.g. Socrates) and Chinese philosophers (e.g. Laozi, Confucius)), and Chanakya.

Chanakya

This teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal advisor who is believed to have lived around 400 BC.

Chanakya is believed to have been a teacher at the university of Taxila (a.k.a. Takshashila), one of the oldest universities of the world.

Unlike the Italian Machiavelli, whose advice was rejected by the powers that be, Chanakya was in the service of a mighty emperor.

Chanakya advised the first, and most famous Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya (b. 340 BC, d. 297 BC) in his rise to power. He is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire. Chanakya served as the chief advisor to both emperors Chandragupta and his son Bindusara.

His life’s story reads more like a fairy or fantastic tale. Here are some of the stories about his life (emphasis added):
“Chanakya had an ugly appearance, accentuated by his broken teeth and crooked feet. ”
[Never dismiss an individual for his or her looks at your peril!]
“[The father] did not want his son to become haughty, so he broke Chanakya's teeth. The monks then prophesied that the baby would go on to become a power behind the throne.”
[There is some special meaning behind the broken teeth (perhaps even broken canine teeth).]
“Chanakya [had at some point two potential successors to the throne]: Pabbatha and Chandragupta. He gave each of them an amulet to be worn around the neck with a woolen thread. One day, he decided to test them. While Chandragupta was asleep, he asked Pabbatha to remove Chandragupta's woolen thread without breaking it and without waking up Chandragupta. Pabbata failed to accomplish this task. Some time later, when Pabbatha was sleeping, Chanakya challenged Chandragupta to complete the same task. Chandragupta retrieved the woolen thread by cutting off Pabbata's head. For the next 7 years, Chanakya trained Chandragupta for royal duties.”
[Certainly, Niccolo Machiavelli would have been impressed! Like Alexander the Great solved the riddle of the Gordian knot.]
“The army of Chandragupta and Chanakya invaded [a] kingdom, but disbanded after facing a severe defeat. While wandering in disguise, the two men once listened to the conversation between a woman and her son. The child had eaten the middle of a cake, and thrown away the edges. The woman scolded him, saying that he was eating food like Chandragupta, who attacked the central part of the kingdom instead of conquering the border villages first. Chanakya and Chandragupta realized their mistake. They assembled a new army, and started conquering the border villages.”
“Chanakya ordered a fisherman to find the place where [the defeated emperor] had hidden his treasure. As soon as the fishermen informed Chanakya about its location, Chanakya had him killed. Chanakya then anointed Chandragupta as the new king, and tasked a man … with eliminating rebels and robbers from the kingdom.”
[If you think Niccolo Machiavelli was immoral, think again]
“Chanakya started mixing small doses of poison in the new king's food to make him immune to poisoning attempts by the enemies. Chandragupta, who was not aware of this, once shared the food with his pregnant queen, who was seven days away from delivery. Chanakya arrived just as the queen ate the poisoned morsel. Realizing that she was going to die, Chanakya decided to save the unborn child. He cut off the queen's head and cut open her belly with a sword to take out the foetus. Over the next seven days, he placed the foetus in the belly of a goat freshly killed each day. After seven days, Chandragupta's son was "born". He was named Bindusara, because his body was spotted with drops ("bindu") of goat's blood.”
[Absolutely amazing story! Jaw dropping if you think this was told to have happened 300 years before Christ.]
“Chanakya and Chandragupta started sieging [other] towns ... One particular town offered a strong resistance. Chanakya entered this town disguised as a Shaivite mendicant, and declared that the siege would end if the idols of the seven mothers were removed from the town's temple. As soon as the superstitious defenders removed the idols from the temple, Chanakya ordered his army to end the siege. When the defenders started celebrating their victory, Chanakya's army launched a surprise attack and captured the town.”
[Does this not sound a bit like Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan war? Using a ruse to conquer a city under siege.]
There are more stories about Chanakya for yours to discover ...

Arthashastra

Anyone ever heard of this fascinating, ancient treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy? It was probably written by several authors over centuries, but authorship is typically credited to Chanakya.

“Composed, expanded and redacted between the 2nd century BCE and 3rd century CE, the Arthashastra was influential until the 12th century, when it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1905 … [and] published in 1909. The first English translation was published in 1915.”

“It includes books on the nature of government, law, civil and criminal court systems, ethics, economics, markets and trade, the methods for screening ministers, diplomacy, theories on war, nature of peace, and the duties and obligations of a king. The text incorporates Hindu philosophy, includes … economic and cultural details on agriculture, mineralogy, mining and metals, animal husbandry, medicine, forests and wildlife.”

The important Indian concept of Ahimsa (non violence towards all living beings) can also be found in this treatise.

Arthashastra defined a virtuous, benevolent, and wise king in the following way:
“In the happiness of his subjects lies his happiness; in their welfare his welfare; whatever pleases himself he shall not consider as good, but whatever pleases his subjects he shall consider as good”
“Has self-control, having conquered the inimical temptations of the senses”. “The greatest enemies of a king are not others, but are these six: lust, anger, greed, conceit, arrogance and foolhardiness”
“Cultivates the intellect by association with elders”. “[H]e avoids false and flattering advisors and instead associates with the true and accomplished elders”
“Keeps his eyes open through spies”
“Is ever active in promoting the security and welfare of the people”
“Improves his own discipline by (continuing his) learning in all branches of knowledge; and
“Endears himself to his people by enriching them and doing good to them”
“Keep away from another's wife”. “Not covet another's property”
“Practice ahimsa”
“Avoid daydreaming, capriciousness, falsehood and extravagance”
“Avoid association with harmful persons and indulging in (harmful) activities.”
“[T]hat artha (sound economies, pursuit of wealth) is the most important; dharma and kama are both dependent on it.
“[A]lways respect those councilors who warn him of the dangers of transgressing the limits of good conduct, reminding him sharply (as with a goad) of the times prescribed for various duties and cautioning him even when he errs in private.
“If the king is energetic, his subjects will be equally energetic. If he is slack (and lazy in performing his duties), the subjects will also be lax and thereby eat into his wealth. Besides, a lazy king will easily fall into the hands of enemies.”

One would only wish those busy body, elected, lifetime professional politicians of Western democracies would study and apply the Arthashastra.

Unfortunately, I have not yet had time to study this interesting treatise in more detail. I look forward to come back to it as soon as possible. I am sure it contains so much more ...

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanakya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastra
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Arthashastra