Weaponization

A hammer has many uses depending on the hand that wields it. It can install a shelf or it can bash in someone's head. In itself the hammer has no moral compass. Though its virtue (arete) is to drive in nails, that function can be easily applied to the cranium. So it is with many tools.

That which is first designed for a constructive purpose may have that design perverted. Look at nuclear energy. The promise was clean, efficient energy of the future. The atomic age. Yet, at the tail end of the second World War, America found itself embroiled in the war of the Pacific. Japan refused to submit. The samurai spirit drove the Japanese airmen to dive bomb battleships, it drove infantrymen to fight to the bloody end on islands that previously were just dots in the ocean. Truman made the difficult choice to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagisaka. Two bombs suggested there could be more. Japan opted surrender over annihilation.

The promise of nuclear energy progressed to the threat of nuclear holocaust. Soon the Soviet Union designed their own atomic bombs. The cold war placed the world in the center of a tug of war, a Western styled standoff. The bear and the eagle had bombs. If one dropped, they all dropped.

The perversion of technology into weapons of war is seen even earlier. The Nobel prize gets its name from the creator of dynamite. The explosive originally featured in construction. No longer had man to chip away at mountain sides. Drill a hole in the granite, place a few sticks in, then ignite the fuse. It did not take long however for dynamite to fall into the hands of bandits and bank robbers. Dynamite features as the weapon of choice for labor union activists. The railroad industry notoriously overworked and underpaid their workers. The Chinese suffered most, having been hoodwinked into the promise of the American dream only to find themselves dangling in a basket over a cliffside with a stick of dynamite in hand.

Weaponization features in the medical field as well. The same technologies used to develop a vaccine or an antivirus are used to develop biological weapons. The Resident Evil series centers around the T-virus. It's original use was medicinal. Soon its darker purpose was exploited. What once was meant for healing the sick now animated the dead. The virus spread, reanimating the victims of zombie attack. Resident Evil takes weaponization as an overriding theme. The T-virus and its offshoots are characters in their own rights, driving the story arc and influencing the behavior of the various characters.

Iron Man vs. Iron Curtain

Stan Lee created Iron Man during a turbulent time in America. 1963 saw an emerging culture war between conservatives and radicals. The civil rights movement was building as the stage was set for the Vietnam War. With the help of writer, Larry Lieber and artists Jack Kirby and Don Heck, Stan Lee created a character that defied everything the youth movement aimed for. Lee took it as a challenge to see if you could design a hateful character and still make it a success.

Tony Stark embodied everything young America stood against. He was made to be a cold war icon, America's defense against the Soviet Union.

A wealthy industrialist, Tony was a far cry from the bohemian artists, beatniks, and flower people of this era. Tony is very much the capitalist. He buys and sells things. Manufacturing those things is his role in life. This includes everything that comes with capitalism. Supply and demand. Advertising. Competition. Buy outs. Investment. During a generation that turned a wary eye towards wealth, Tony's excesses were just that, excessive.

Moreover, Tony Stark is a hawk. He is pro war. He designs and sells weapons to countries, weapons with the very specific goal of eliminating life. These weapons are aimed primarily at socialists that threaten the free market system Tony represents. In short, Iron Man employs capitalism to defeat socialism.

Ayn Rand keeps making her appearance in this blog. Tony Stark is not that far off from a Gail Wynand or Roark type of character. Tony Stark is a self mover. He is self sufficient. An inventor, he designs the product he sells. He is creator and salesperson in one. He is Stark Industries. Furthermore, he is the epitome of narcissism. Most heros keep their real identity secret. Not Tony Stark. Not content with passing by the publicity and the acclaim, he admits to being Iron Man. The two are synonymous. Based loosely on Howard Hughs, Tony Stark has his eccentricities. He has also had many loves. Indiscriminate sex is just how he rolls.

Despite what appears to be a checklist of things young people hate, Iron Man had gained considerable popularity. As far as superheros, he has received the most female fan letters. Self confidence, intelligence, and wealth speak volumes when it comes to attracting the ladies. But that is not all. Consider his injury, a wounded heart. The metaphor is clear. Here is a great, yet vulnerable man. The technology he builds to protect the world also serves to keep him alive.

However, Tony's rather unique independence caused concern over the years. He founded the illuminati, a society of superheros originally formed to make the various heros answer for their actions. Ironically, Iron Man also went on a rampage, destroying everything based on his tech, including the S.H.I.E.L.D. Mandroids. Furthermore, Tony Stark pushed for the reinstatement of the registration act that led to the Marvel civil war.

Tony is quite the conundrum, having been the head of The Avengers, having been an inquisitor, having been a drunk, having been a soldier for peace. Yet, basic elements of the character remain throughout. At the root of it all he is a playboy industrialist in a shiny, armored suit.

On Determination

One of the core traits of a Taurian is determination. Strength of will has its benefits. It also has its weaknesses.

Positive aspects of determination include persistence. Whether at work, at the gym, or at home, the ability to follow through on one's goals is impressive. Many couples insist that one won over the other through persistence. The first impression is not always the best. Asking someone to coffee or dinner may return a negative response, but frequent offers eventually may lead to a yes. From that first date other dates follow. The couple grows to love and appreciate one another. It is a slow burning flame, but a lasting one. Grown old, the couple look back at the first, awkward attempts at wooing with laughter in the eyes. Additionally, women like to feel wanted, to be pursued. Repeated attempts to woo a lady impressed upon her the seriousness of a man's devotion. Of course, this is a rocky road as if she feels absolutely no attraction then the man is simply and persistently annoying her. More on that later.

A determined individual exudes confidence. A confident person pursues a goal in an uncompromising fashion. Things get done. When doubt is pushed aside the path to success is clear of obstruction. The forgers of history were just as clear in their intent. The list features Leonardo Davinci, Sigmund Freud, George Lucas, Karl Marx, and Orson Wells. Visionary individuals, social realists, explorers of the mind, all develop some concept and pursue it - sometimes to the bitter end. In creating a new philosophy, an economic system, a wonder of engineering, or a movement in art the confidence to carry forward is essential. One cannot soar if one is afraid of heights.

The same traits have negative connotations as well.

A persistent person can be a danger if that person is disturbed, vengeful, or in any way violent. Imagine the scorned lover, the terrorist, the mob enforcer. Such individuals can hold a grudge for a long time. They will repay a debt in kind whatever the case, even to the point of losing their own life. Persistence in a suitor as mentioned above can escalate into obsession. When one's grasp of reality slips, to persist only leads to destruction and despair. Better to let go of desires, to forgive minor slights, to forget and move on.

The same is true of confidence. Absolute certainty serves no purpose in a twisted mind. It only leads to disaster. Look at Hitler, Machiavelli, and Cromwell. Confidence dissolves into narcism - egoism. When one's goal is global domination, deceit, or genocide, the absence of doubt equates to the absence of guilt. Second thoughts prevent the pursuit of twisted ideals. In short, confidence aids the righteous or inspired man and leads the others to ruin.

In sum, what serves one may lead to well earned success and another to mass murder. The traits of determination are the same. Only the ideals set the two apart.

The Glory of Gory

To borrow the tag line from the horror podcast, Gore Boy Radio, "Always celebrate the glory that is gory." This begs the question. What is it about gore that so fascinates the horror fan?

Take the average commuter. As he rides to work he passes by a car accident. Other people in the vehicle crane their necks to observe the scene. An ambulance is present. A man lay on the asphalt, a stretcher beneath him. The emergency medical technicians work apply first aid. There is a great deal of blood on the man's white shirt. The average commuter at once despises the others for their curiosity. Yet, despite his reservations, he finds himself turning an eye to the gruesome event. A similar story plays out in The Republic of Plato. A traveller returns from the seas. On disembarking, he passes a vessel returning from the war with Troy. On board are stacked the many bodies of the slain. A great sheet covers the morbid pile, yet a split in the seam reveals the bloated corpses of a few slain men. The traveller is torn. At once he knows that to look will sicken and sadden him. Yet, the curiosity is strong. Something wicked commands him to look. Finally he succumbs to desire. He looks full on at the corpses and cries to himself, "See this. Look upon this horrific sight, you fool."

Granted there are those of a petty nature that delight in the suffering of others. A series of documentary films called Faces of Death compiled a number of recorded, actual deaths and dismemberments. In the early 80s, boys at my school discussed these films with morbid passion. A man was attacked and eaten by dogs. Another was decapitated in a motor accident. Another was blown up. I felt curious, yet I never watched these films. A fan of the underground even then, something about it appealed to me. Yet, my better judgment convinced me that such films were the worst of pornography - essentially they were snuff films. I have seen actual deaths on film since then - usually in documentaries or on film. The images always convey the same sensations of disgust and sadness. Most recently, NBC showed graphic footage of the luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, as he flew from the track and into a supporting column. The footage was unnecessarily sensational. In later segments, NBC chose not to replay the footage.

But what does this say about horror movies? Well, for one it says that we as human beings have a morbid fascination with death, particular if that death is gruesome. Secondly, we of a compassionate nature are simultaneously put off by the suffering and death of others. So, how does one satisfy the sick curiosity without compromising the soul? The answer is simple. Provide gruesome images, but ensure they are fictionalized.

Blood and gore go way back to the days of theater. The ancient Greeks applied basic techniques to imply blood. At the end of Oedipus Rex, the titular character gouges out his own eyes. As the Greeks wore masks on stage, it was a simple process to make blood seep from the sockets. The Roman's were less subtle, of course. Instead of using stage tricks, the presenters at the Colloseum would announce some historic battle, then let loose gladiators against armed prisoners. In Shakespearean plays, a simple, red handkerchief would be held to the stomach or chest tom imply a stab wound. The make up and effects have grown more involved over the years. Most notable gore scenes are, I think, the chest burster scene from Alien, the transformation scenes in John Carpenter's The Thing, the shotgun blast to the head in Maniac, the arrow through Kevin Bacon's throat in Friday the 13th, James Earl Jones' decapitation at the end of Conan the Barbarian, the axe to the chest of Scatman Crothers in The Shining, and the laser sequence in The Cube. These are only to name a few.

The average horror fan is not a violent individual. Indeed, actual acts of violence are regarded as disturbing and distasteful. As Tom Elliot of The Gentlemen's Grindhouse podcast puts it, horror acts as escapism. The horror fan knows it is fake. Yet, at the same time it satisfies that morbid curiosity. One gets to see disemboweling without causing anyone actual pain. Knowing that the gore is fake allows certain directors to use gore for comic effect. In Brain Dead, Peter Jackson uses gore for many sight gags, including a floor so slicked with blood and guts that the hero of the film slips. This same movie has the hero taking a lawnmower to zombies, the hero pursued by an intestinal tract, and an elderly woman attempting to swallow a dog. The disgust factor also features in movies like the remake of The Fly.

Other films attempt to present violence and gore in a more realistic matter, thus affecting those sentiments of compassion and disgust in the viewer. The scenes are riveting, yet cannot be called entertaining by any means. Films like Martyrs portray violence in a very real sense, thus evoking the natural response. This makes the film a difficult watch to be sure, but somehow there is a catharsis. The viewer knows the violent images are not to be romanticized or glorified. They are present to evoke true horror and disgust. Art summons an emotional response. The more artistic the film, the greater the emotional response.

Those who seek to ban violent images from film fail to see the point. The gore is there as an alternative to the real thing. Rather than seek actual violent images, the horror fan delights in practical, special effects. I studied biology is school. I have witnessed many gruesome sights. I have dissected a frog, a cow's heart, and a sheep's brain. I have seen preserved abominations such a cyclops cat and a twin headed snake. Toying with pre med, I have seen actual images of bisected human cadavers, a filmed autopsy, and images of various hand injuries. I changed my major to English. I must say I prefer the false images to the real ones.

On Satire

Satire is a means for making the ridiculous stand out, often by carrying an argument or opinion to the extreme. Although used primarily for comedic effect, the goal of satire is to expose some perceived evil, often that of an opposing viewpoint. Thus, satire often takes the form of a polemic. In some instances the satirist will assume the position of his or her opponent in the form of a parody. Parody proves effective if performed straight or as pantomime. However, although playing it straight adds gravitas, there is a danger of being take too seriously. Straight parody often goes over the heads of the more ignorant.

SATIRE ON THE STAGE

The pen of the playwright is often the tool for insurrection. Aristophanes, author of many of Ancient Greece's famed comedies, is regarded as one of the best satirists. In The Clouds Aristophanes turns his critical eye to philosophy. The plot involves an indebted father who enrolls his son in The Thinkery that he may learn rhetoric and defeat their accusers in court. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, however. The boy learns instead to turn his back on social customs and moral behavior. Following an argument, the boy batters his father. Outraged, the father burns The Thinkery to the ground. Aristophanes portrayal of philosophers, Socrates in particular, was pointed out by Plato as one of the leading causes of Socrates' subsequent trial and death. Socrates indictment was that of corrupting the youth, an accusation that mirrors his character in the play.

SATIRE IN POETRY

Roman poets Horace and Juvenal are to satire what Plato and Aristotle are to philosophy. Horatian satire is light hearted, often poking fun at one's own vices. The goal is to provide insight in dealing with social problems. Juvenalian satire is often bitter. It is caustic in the way it shines a spotlight on some social ill. It seeks to ridicule. Satirical poetry had a considerable run during the 18th century with such poets as Dryden and Pope at the quill. John Dryden is famous for his mock-heroic satires, particularly MacFlecknoe, an attack on the poor literary sensibilities of his contemporary and rival, Thomas Shadwell. In a word, Dryden paints him as dull. Sadly, libel laws have nearly put an end to the polemic poem in England.

SATIRE IN ESSAY FORM

The direct and formal nature of the essay makes for a good polemic. Yet, because of the serious tone in most essays, satire in essay form is easily misconstrued. Take for instance Jonathan Swift's famous essay, A Modest Proposal. In it Swift suggests that to end poverty and starvation in Ireland you need to introduce but one policy, eat babies. In this regard, you cut down on the population, feed the starving, and cut costs of raising children. The number of complaints from people who took this seriously is staggering. In his essay, Swift meant only to bring attention to social ills. When writing a satirical essay it is perhaps best not to overestimate one's readers.

SATIRE IN FICTION

The novel and the short story present ways an author can introduce satire in narrative form. Children's literature, strangely, serves as one of the best options. Carrol's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass contain several elements of satire. If one looks as the red and white chess pieces as political figures, the satire comes through. The Red King and Red Queen represent conservatives. They are combative and accusatory, the Red Queen often shouting, "Off with her head!" This iron grip and war like attitude is typical of republicans. Then you have the White King and White Queen that represent liberals. The White Queen is anxious and flighty. She means well, but is utterly incompetent.

SATIRE IN SONG

For those who could not read or write, the song proved a welcome tool for satire. As such, satirical songs were prominent in the Middle Ages. However, even the literate lace songs with acerbic wit. Voltaire (the musician, not the philosopher) has written and performed many satirical songs. One of the most blatant and scathing is "Bomb New Jersey." Voltaire grew up in New Jersey and suffered the abuse of the many, ignorant people there. Being goth and having a hot girlfriend did not help matters. Voltaire takes revenge in this anthem. "God Thinks" addresses the hypocrisy of those who claim to know the wishes of God. "Mr. Irresponsible" is an attack on those who live with little regard for the environment.

SATIRE IN FILM

Parody plays well on film. The Marx Brothers and Charley Chaplin have used the Silver Screen to knock the legs out from under the haughty-taughty. The latter also displayed the life of the unemployed during the depression, characterized by his lovable, yet hapless tramp. The Great Dictator is Chaplin's attack on Hitler and Mussolini. When the film was made, they had no idea of the atrocities that had been committed against the Jews. In retrospect the tone of the film seems a bit light and frivolous.

SATIRE ON TELEVISION

The immediacy and the regularity of television makes it a good source for satire. From very early on the sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, offered comedy writers a timely shot at bad politics. Spoofing presidents has been a long standing tradition. SNL also features a fake news segment called "Weekend Update." The fake news banner has been taken up by Comedy Central in The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. In the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert takes on a conservative persona, a construct of Fox News reporters Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck. As parody, Stephen emulates their "journalistic" style, only going the next step into the ridiculous. Often he has no need to as whatever the originals may say need only be repeated, as it is already ridiculous.

Paradoxes of Time

So, the wife has me watching Doctor Who. This is not an altogether bad thing. I have enjoyed David Tennant's portrayal of the Time Lord and despite the much maligned writing style of Russel T. Davies, have enjoyed many of the episodes as well. Granted I am not a Who fan per se, just a casual viewer. As such, I am not as invested in the Doctor and therefore less prone to attacks of fandom good or bad.

The adventures of the last of the Time Lords brings up several ideas about the nature of time. I won't go into great detail on the Doctor's treatment of time as I haven't the sufficient background as a fan to do so. Just the same, he will get the occasional mention. So, here is a brief overview of various time paradoxes.

THE GRANDFATHER PARADOX

This one blows my mind. Take into consideration that you are a traveler through time. Back several decades you encounter a woman. You develop a relationship, fall in love, possibly marry, and beget a child. That child grows older, marries, begets a child. That child grows older, becomes a traveler in time and meets the same woman you did.

In other words, you meet your grandmother and with her beget your father. You become your own grandfather. The rub of this paradox is that to be you qua you, that is to be as you have always been you would have had to meet your grandmother before ever being born. The very fact that you were born verifies the fact that you had already gone back in time. If you had not travelled through time, you would have never been born.

Mind blown.

The grandfather paradox was first introduced by fiction writer, Rene Barjavel, in his novel, The Imprudent Traveller. However, in his novel the time traveller kills his grandfather, thus negating the chance he will ever be born. The aspect of becoming one's own grandfather was addressed in an episode of Futurama.

The grandfather paradox appears to be inescapable and theoretically could lead to the destruction of the universe. However, if the traveller kills his grandfather and therefore is never born, then he could never go back in time to kill his grandfather, thus ensuring that he is born. The circle is viscious. Back to the Future confronts the issue of the traveller compromising his own existence. Marty McFly interferes with the meeting between his mother and father. To restore the timeline, he must get his mother and father to fall in love.

TIME LOCKED EVENTS

The nature of time tat Doctor Who seems to keep to is that of Nabikov's Self-Consistency Principle. In this sense time travel is possible provided the time traveller will not drastically alter the timeline. In other words, what happens in the time line is destined to happen. The time traveller may have certain room to move within the timeline provided key events that are "time locked" are not affected. In Waters of Mars, the Doctor comes to the first Mars colony. He realizes everyone there is destined to die. Having grown tired of so much loss, he attempts to save the colony. In the end, the leader of the colony knowing that she was destined to die, takes her own life. When the Doctor went to Pompeii, he instigated events that led up to the eruption of Vesuvius. As the eruption of Pompeii is an historical event, this suggests it has always been so and the Doctor's actions were permissible.

The problem with destiny is that it undermines freedom of choice. If events are destined to take place, then the efforts of man are pointless. What is meant to occur will occur nonetheless despite all efforts to the contrary.

ALTERNATE TIMELINES

Alternate timelines and parallel universes are favored by science-fiction and comic books. This allows the time traveller full reign over the timeline with little consequences. Any change to the timeline creates an alternate reality. Events taking place at and after the change splinter from the true timeline, that is, the time line from which the traveller originated. What If? comic book scenarios and various Star Trek episodes explore this aspect of time travel. The new Star Trek movie addresses this issue in depth, developing a time line far removed from that of the original series.

Other series such as Red Dwarf have fun with this concept, taking into account that there is a different timeline for each choice made by each individual. This suggests a near infinite amount of parallel universes. Rimmer meets his alternate self, who happens to be brave, charming, handsome, and confident. This extreme departure from Rimmer's jealousy, awkwardness, and self hatred stems from one event. In one timeline Rimmer is held back a year in school. As such, he applies himself, becoming a more upstanding person in the long run. The Jet Li vehicle, The One, suggests a more limited number of alternate timelines. Were one to kill off all the alternate versions of oneself, one would gain their power. This culminates in a showdown between two alternate selves with the equal amount of power absorbed from the destroyed selves.

The problem with alternate timelines is that they lack credibility. As they veer from the original time line, what happens seems to matter less and less as whatever the traveller does has no repercussions in his own time line. This may be why I didn't care much for the new Star Trek movie. That and I seem to be allergic to JJ Abrams.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

The grandfather paradox is but example of the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect is a concept introduced in chaos theory that suggests, metaphorically, that the beating of a butterfly's wings in one part of the word can build over time to a hurricane on the other side of the globe. In short, any simple alteration to the timeline will incur drastic effects over time. A misspoken word, delayed travel, a moved object may instigate a series of misadventures leading up to a completely altered timeline.

The classic example is the tale of time traveller tourists observes dinosaurs. As long as they remain on the established path, the timeline is ensured. However, in trying to take a photo, one tourists steps off the path and crushes an insect. In returning to the present, he finds the alphabet and spoken language to have altered drastically. The events between are unclear, even illogical, suggesting that there is a fragile bond between all things that we not completely understand. Chaos theory suggests that events follow mathematical patterns. However, when a change occurs in the pattern, that change is compounded over time ultimately developing into a different result.

Left Turn in the Doctor Who series explores this aspect of time. Donna Noble is prevented from turning right, thus determining that she never meets the Doctor. As their paths never cross, events from that moment forward also take a different turn leading to the possible extinction of the human race. Only in returning to the moment of diversion can the original timeline be restored.

A Halloween Simpsons episode played with this concept, displaying different results for each different event that takes place back in time. Results varied from raining doughnuts to serpent tongued people.

RUBBER BAND EFFECT - TEMPORAL MODIFICATION NEGATION

If time can be viewed as a flowing river, then it's course can be diverted, blocked, slowed, or quickened, but the flow remains. Eventually the river will claim its original course. So, too, with time. At least that is what this theory suggests.

What ever alteration is made to the timeline is restored over time. The time traveller can do whatever in the past, even killing his own grandfather. However, when returned to his present timeline he will find that the actions he had taken have been negated as though he had never gone back in time. It is like pressing your palm down on a foal rubber mattress. At first it makes and impression. Eventually, though, the impression is restored to the point where no trace of a handprint remains.

Again there appears to be no repercussions, rendering this theory meaningless in a literary sense. What aims at nothing achieves nothing.

RESTRICTED TIMELINES

In a restricted timelines, any attempt to alter the timeline will either fail or ironically contribute to the historical effect. Let us say you go back in time to assassinate Adolf Hitler. As you take aim with your period rifle and fire, another assassin steps in the path of the bullet. You kill the would be assassin, in turn saving Hitler's life.

This fatalist attitude towards time travel makes for a good story. In HG Well's The Time Machine, our hero attempts to save the life of his lover. However, each attempt only leads to her demise in some other fashion. Murdered, drowned, struck by a cart. Similarly, in The Crow television series, Eric is given the opportunity to go back in time. He attempts to prevent the murder of his love only to find her dying by some other means. Having to continually witness the death of your love would become a living hell. Eventually one must accept the event and move on.

This basically is a more limited version of the time locked scenario.

AFTERTHOUGHT

So that is a brief sampling of various time paradoxes. A few more words on time is Nietsche's theory of eternal recurrence. Time is a spiral, like a coil or spring. Though it moves forward, it circles above past events. It follows the same valleys and peaks of decades past. In this sense, certain periods of war and peace repeat. Periods of wealth are followed by economic crashes. Classical art is followed by periods of romanticism.

In Eastern philosophy, time is regarded in less linear terms. Past, present, and future are regarded as coexisting side by side. Just as events in the present color the future, they also color the past. Look to how the discovery of Troy has changed how we look at the Iliad and the Odyssey. Events that have yet to take place, such as the birth of one's child, may influence who we are today. This more semiotic view of history is one of the major cultural gaps between the East and the West.