In the early 80s when I was a kid, we lived about 5 minutes from a really pretty stretch of the Thames, and I used to visit it all the time for years. I have said before that I think in those years the river became part of me. I still feel a deep connection to it, a feeling of home and peace. It is not merely symbolic to say that spirits live in rivers, lakes, mountains and woods. There is a deep truth in it. Respect for these places is yet another traditional form of knowledge that we have forgotten, and those spirits are going to show us their anger at our hubris, if they are not already doing so.
You are so right. Our deep connection with water endures even when is made inaccessible by pollution or drought. Just wandering along the towpath next to it restores one's faith in the order of things. And then there is Turner who is one of the few who can do this justice raising the essence of what a river is as a living thing. Not just as it is in nature but how it appears in our mind, our imagination.
Haunting yet fantastically written. The fact that so many people will look at the once-beautiful dried up river and simply think "oh no muh imported goods" is sickening. God bless, Morgoth.
We have a more distant relationship with most rivers here in the States, possibly encouraged by our shorter history and their names often not being of our own (for example, Susquehanna)
That said, we can certainly relate to this. We have beautified rivers like the Mississippi and the Shenandoah with song and painting and would be horrified if this happened.
Worse though, is that we have a case wherein we inflicted this on purpose. Most of the time the Colorado River just fizzles out in the desert. It’s not climate change or any such. It’s industrial irrigation and hydroelectric dams. We strangle the Colorado for economy.
Maybe our revulsion has good reason. Perhaps rivers are the lifeblood of a living land, a living land that can die.
I'm an educated man but for the life of me I can't understand why climate change would lead to the drying up of a river the size of the Rheine. I'm not saying that it's not happening; I'm honestly claiming ignorance here.
"It is bitterly ironic that the same people who endorsed — enforced — the consumerist model are now screaming loudest about the dire state of the world’s climate because of their own greed and hubris."
Who are you talking about here? The Whigs and their descendents? Liberalism in its original sense? They spawned the modern Left, but are massively different from them
Saw Nativist Concern's post on your telegram channel. I don't have a telegram account so that's why I'm adding my tuppence worth here.
I don't get this whole, who's predictions are more accurate lark. Far more important is the place in person's heart that the prediction comes from.
Does it come from a place of concern for the future wellbeing of your fellow countrymen or is it narcissistic intellectualising. I suspect many prominent figures on the dissident right use it as a vehicle to parade their "superior" intellect and couldn't give a toss about their country's future. Deep down they'd be happy to be chipped and eat bugs as long as they retain their big brain status.
Yeah. I didn't even make any predictions I just entertained and discussed all possibilities.
The reason I never got too carried away was because I'm well aware of the Motte and Bailey and always holding to the moderate position, even if I secretly felt things were worse.
Thank you Morgoth for a closer look at the denigration of the Rhine. You mentioned it once before in a video and it had deeply affected me. I even wrote about it myself but i still can’t come close to your eloquence of insight.
In the early 80s when I was a kid, we lived about 5 minutes from a really pretty stretch of the Thames, and I used to visit it all the time for years. I have said before that I think in those years the river became part of me. I still feel a deep connection to it, a feeling of home and peace. It is not merely symbolic to say that spirits live in rivers, lakes, mountains and woods. There is a deep truth in it. Respect for these places is yet another traditional form of knowledge that we have forgotten, and those spirits are going to show us their anger at our hubris, if they are not already doing so.
You are so right. Our deep connection with water endures even when is made inaccessible by pollution or drought. Just wandering along the towpath next to it restores one's faith in the order of things. And then there is Turner who is one of the few who can do this justice raising the essence of what a river is as a living thing. Not just as it is in nature but how it appears in our mind, our imagination.
This is an absolutely beautiful and tragic piece of work. One of your best writs.
Thanks
Haunting yet fantastically written. The fact that so many people will look at the once-beautiful dried up river and simply think "oh no muh imported goods" is sickening. God bless, Morgoth.
We have a more distant relationship with most rivers here in the States, possibly encouraged by our shorter history and their names often not being of our own (for example, Susquehanna)
That said, we can certainly relate to this. We have beautified rivers like the Mississippi and the Shenandoah with song and painting and would be horrified if this happened.
Worse though, is that we have a case wherein we inflicted this on purpose. Most of the time the Colorado River just fizzles out in the desert. It’s not climate change or any such. It’s industrial irrigation and hydroelectric dams. We strangle the Colorado for economy.
Maybe our revulsion has good reason. Perhaps rivers are the lifeblood of a living land, a living land that can die.
Very powerful analysis 👍
Your best piece of writing so far Morgoth. Brought a tear to my eye.
Thank you
This is one of the best essays I have ever read, Morgoth. Yes, we have replaced the spiritual for the hollow and are now reaping the whirlwind.
Great, thanks.
I'm an educated man but for the life of me I can't understand why climate change would lead to the drying up of a river the size of the Rheine. I'm not saying that it's not happening; I'm honestly claiming ignorance here.
The claim is that the snow on the alps is receding and that's what supplies the Rhine as a main source of water.
"It is bitterly ironic that the same people who endorsed — enforced — the consumerist model are now screaming loudest about the dire state of the world’s climate because of their own greed and hubris."
Who are you talking about here? The Whigs and their descendents? Liberalism in its original sense? They spawned the modern Left, but are massively different from them
Saw Nativist Concern's post on your telegram channel. I don't have a telegram account so that's why I'm adding my tuppence worth here.
I don't get this whole, who's predictions are more accurate lark. Far more important is the place in person's heart that the prediction comes from.
Does it come from a place of concern for the future wellbeing of your fellow countrymen or is it narcissistic intellectualising. I suspect many prominent figures on the dissident right use it as a vehicle to parade their "superior" intellect and couldn't give a toss about their country's future. Deep down they'd be happy to be chipped and eat bugs as long as they retain their big brain status.
Yeah. I didn't even make any predictions I just entertained and discussed all possibilities.
The reason I never got too carried away was because I'm well aware of the Motte and Bailey and always holding to the moderate position, even if I secretly felt things were worse.
Thank you, Morgoth. As so often, you have seen into the heart of the matter. Materialism is not enough and you have found the perfect tragic example.
Thank you Morgoth for a closer look at the denigration of the Rhine. You mentioned it once before in a video and it had deeply affected me. I even wrote about it myself but i still can’t come close to your eloquence of insight.
Cheers!
Gotterdammerung (sorry, can't find the umlaut on this phone). It is not remotely as I always imagined it would be. Not Wagnerian in the least.
Third to last paragraph....another OMFG moment.
What are the trends over say the last 40 years?
Don't get me wrong, I desperately want the water levels to be healthy