5 April, 2024 09:53

The near past or distant past was not *so* much better. Peoples memories are entirely faulty. Especially anything from our own chidhoods. We shape those memories to fit a narrative. It is extremely hard to discuss a time period / year, and say "oh wow it was great[er]". There was never a time where 3-4 billion people could post easily with a few pushes of buttons, and have those words [or videos] out instantly.

Recently, I did some research on the family Gernsbacher — Ben and I come from this family (in parts). Anyway, many/most lived almost dead center of Germany/France. Literally the heart of Ashkenaz… the place itself was regionally called Gernsbach., so of course members of our family took the name Gernsbacher.

Rosenthals were Nurkins – from Vilnus, not Ukraine. Savta Chayas family ended up on boat that landed in Brasil and not a Spanish speaking port of South America.

The distance between towns /villages was often a river, or mountains, and thus languages, customs became localized.

The Spanish [Spain] have a small region called Basqe and they claim to speak the true language, and are literal militants [some of them].

What makes arabic and hebrew? What makes French and Spanish? Or Portuguese?

Usually it was rivers, mountains… distances as close as Tenech to Manhattan (without a bridge). Too much of a hassle to take a boat.

So masses and masses stayed put. People did not go anywhere — unless forced [or] curious, or heard of tales.

The Kings Highway was [is] mentioned in the Torah. Who built it? How did people get around? Somehow Alexander got all the way to Indus River in [about 10 years]

Ghengis Khan (the first one) swept across Asia with hundreds of thousands on horses — in the Spring /Summer…. because every knowns you can’t attack Russia in a land war.

— BUT HE DID. But no one speaks Mongolian. Eventually he died, his empire split. Exactly the same story with Greece and Rome and the Brits.

Empires expand. At the cost of millions of lives along the way. All want to "put their stamp" on the conquered.

Everyone wants to be remembered.

What is the deal with our memory and wanting /desire to be known? Do we all not end up the same? Kohelet … it is all just vaniety.

To think we [whomever] "had it better" before Internet, social media, has not studied the horrors of the past. And yes, some of it ( at certain patches was amazing) …

So it is a mixed bag, and it depends on when /who and where. Everyone however seems convinced it was "better" in some mythical past that an Internet meme told them was great.

I am here to tell you — read books. Yeh yeh I guess "get woke". It might surprise you who is screaming about the ills of — check notes actually god forbid reading books!!

What are "they" afraid of?… what will one do with knowledge of the harsh truths of what was. Why burst ones mythical bubble with the sheer shit of the past.

You know what is funny? There is basically one small group of people who were like — we must remember the past! We must write it down. The Oral must get written.

Where would Judaism be if "they" had listened to the people who screamed "you can’t write it". Where would we be without our Tenach and Mishna [and Briasahs]?

Even the parts that got left out found there way into the Talmud.

Our wildest dreams and expressions and visions would be gone.

The past is harsh. It was not "great"[er].

The now is what is. What will be? God knows. Literally.