Can you finish this famous latin line?
Anyway I decided to add a column where I'll post anything of interest, importance, inspiration, or controversy that I read recently. Typically it'll be wikipedia or news articles. I posted about the recent riots in Tibet cause I think it's important, and it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
Dulce ed Decorum est Pro Patria Mori.
In my Japanese Intellectual History class, we recently studied Bushido, the way of the warrior. This is a mentality that in my younger years, i believed in. It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. I thought on some level there was beauty in it, and I admired the likes of Samurai who gave their lives to protect their masters, and kamikaze pilots who would do anything to protect their motherland. Now, I realize there is nothing glorious about this kind of death. Alot of times, these people were simply running from troubles by committing suicide. The original writer of the poem was a British soldier in WWI, who was using sarcasm to criticize the senselessness of young boys giving up their lives. The latin phrase was used by some war monger Roman, trying to convince boys that their death in war is glorious.
I think most of the world has changed, and most people don't still subscribe to such foolishness. But I feel bad for people who are still so ignorant to believe in such thought.
I first heard and read this phrase in high school. It makes me sad, because so much of what we were taught in high school, when looking back on it, was really rich and great stuff. I'm ashamed that I didn't pay more attention back then, I was just a stupid kid. I would basically BS my way through high school. But looking back, I can have tremendous appreciation for what we studied.
To close, I will never let my schooling interfere with my education ever again.
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2 comments:
lol, that is an awesome juxtaposition in that last sentence.
In a time of war, especially if enemy soldiers are massacring civilians, this Latin phrase makes sense. However, this is generally not the case. Furthermore, people often forget to ask "why is there a war in the first place?" Human civilization has evolved a bit, and we no longer invade at the slightest sign of insult. However, we are still fighting over things that are worth less than human lives.
Nationalism/propaganda is an important tool for convincing the populace about something, and will remain so. I think it should be put to better use, such as convincing people to get a better education and improving this world. Why do I not hear "it is unpatriotic to be criminals"?
The poem itself was actually pretty awesome.
I don't think most people have stopped believing in this; I'm pretty sure a lot still do. The problem is fanaticism in general, and not just excess nationalism. Modern terrorists often operate under the supposed direction of a supreme diety.
I don't think you bsed your way through high school; you did get into UPenn, afterall.
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