http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1633
Here are some one liners...
Galileo Admits His Guilt and Walks -- Galileo gets a complaint about his book from a fellow scientist so the Inquisition forces him to repudiate his book. The trial was not as bad as people make it out to be in the modern day.
A Modest Proposal for Genocide -- A really disgusting essay is published suggesting the need for the genocide of the Irish people. This won't be the last time, and I mention the shipping of baby heads in the modern day.
A Coalition of Criminals -- Chinese pirates are working for the Chinese government to fend off an attack by Dutch pirates and win, but it all could have been avoided if China had not created the conditions for piracy in the first place.
Galileo Admits His Guilt and Walks
Last year Galileo published his book comparing the Copernicus theory of the universe against the Roman Catholic version of the universe. Argument is allowed as long as no firm conclusions are made against Church doctrine. Galileo had already cleared his book with the Inquisition, but a fellow scientist complains to the Inquisition when Galileo appears to insult him. The Inquisition calls Galileo to Rome to account for himself. He is not tortured, and in fact, he is staying with the ambassador of Florence. After waiting several months for a judgement, he is found GUILTY of heresy! Galileo offers to rewrite his book but this is not enough, so he completely repudiates his book. In part, Galileo writes...-
- With a sincere heart and unfeigned faith I abjure, curse, and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally every other error and heresy contrary to the... Holy Church, and I swear that I will nevermore in future say or assert anything... which may give rise to a similar suspicion of me... [1] [2] [3]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
It is a myth that Galileo shouted at the court, "And yet it still moves!" referring to the earth moving around the Sun. Waiting in comfort for judgement and engaging in penance in luxury accommodations suggests that the Church needed a retraction from Galileo more than a dead Galileo. The bottom line is that Galileo got his information out to the scientists who could use it and the Church got it's retraction so that the laity was kept in line during the counter-Reformation fight. Galileo also committed to recite 7 Psalms a week for three years. This was a non-punishment. Galileo loved the Bible and he was faithful, so 7 Psalms a week day was a cinch. [4]
It is a myth that Galileo shouted at the court, "And yet it still moves!" referring to the earth moving around the Sun. Waiting in comfort for judgement and engaging in penance in luxury accommodations suggests that the Church needed a retraction from Galileo more than a dead Galileo. The bottom line is that Galileo got his information out to the scientists who could use it and the Church got it's retraction so that the laity was kept in line during the counter-Reformation fight. Galileo also committed to recite 7 Psalms a week for three years. This was a non-punishment. Galileo loved the Bible and he was faithful, so 7 Psalms a week day was a cinch. [4]
A Modest Proposal for Genocide
The poet, Edmund Spenser, is long dead, but this year his controversial essay "A View of the Present State of Ireland" is published. He suggested that Ireland was in great need of reform of its laws but that could not happen until the people of Ireland were eliminated... writing on a clean slate, so to speak. It was more like "scorched earth." Having lived through a rebellion in Ireland, "the prince of poets" suggested eliminating the Irish language and even selling infant flesh for money. Here is a quote from his essay. (Try not to vomit.)-
- Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might have it at merry meetings, particularly at weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses; and the rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand. [5] [6]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Was Edmund Spencer serious? People seem to treat this essay like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" where Swift suggests that Irishmen can solve the poverty problem by... "buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs." It is satire. Jonathan Swift is best known for his book, "Gulliver's Travels," which is also satire despite what modern movie makers have done with the story. In the modern day I can no longer tell the difference between satire and serious suggestions. In a world where dead baby heads can be shipped cross country with no more news coverage than that given to a local screw-up at the Mayor's office, my sense of the absurd has been pushed to destruction. [7] [8]
Was Edmund Spencer serious? People seem to treat this essay like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" where Swift suggests that Irishmen can solve the poverty problem by... "buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs." It is satire. Jonathan Swift is best known for his book, "Gulliver's Travels," which is also satire despite what modern movie makers have done with the story. In the modern day I can no longer tell the difference between satire and serious suggestions. In a world where dead baby heads can be shipped cross country with no more news coverage than that given to a local screw-up at the Mayor's office, my sense of the absurd has been pushed to destruction. [7] [8]
A Coalition of Criminals
China has won the war against Dutch pirates, with the help of Chinese pirates. Zheng Zhilong is a former Chinese pirate who was lured into going legit with various marketing incentives. He is not the only one but all of the pirates who have become legitimate are Chinese. The Dutch pirates would like to have the same incentives, but they are locked out. Thus, a war begins. It also ends, with the Dutch hiding out at Taiwan and the Chinese winning a decisive victory. [9] [10]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
It is all very nice for the Chinese that they won a great battle. (It really was a great battle.) However, the reason why there was a battle in the first place was because of the Chinese foreign policy and oppressive taxes that discouraged ocean-going merchants from doing business with China. Taxes were so high that it became worthwhile for some merchants to become smugglers. They soon graduated to piracy at sea. At first, Chinese policy was equally oppressive to all, but when China tried to solve the piracy problem that they had created in the first place, they shut out the Dutch pirates. The Dutch got angry and thus a war... which the Chinese won... proving once again that the Chinese government is made up of a bunch really great... pirates.
It is all very nice for the Chinese that they won a great battle. (It really was a great battle.) However, the reason why there was a battle in the first place was because of the Chinese foreign policy and oppressive taxes that discouraged ocean-going merchants from doing business with China. Taxes were so high that it became worthwhile for some merchants to become smugglers. They soon graduated to piracy at sea. At first, Chinese policy was equally oppressive to all, but when China tried to solve the piracy problem that they had created in the first place, they shut out the Dutch pirates. The Dutch got angry and thus a war... which the Chinese won... proving once again that the Chinese government is made up of a bunch really great... pirates.
This Year on Wikipedia
Year 1633, Wikipedia.
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