Avalon has the popular democratic institution of Khruaths, derived from the mother planet, Ythri. On Dennitza, a demonstration of zmayi, always more self-controlled and disciplined than a comparable human gathering, can march into the Shkoptsina (Parliament) and be heard and ordinary citizens can also take action in an ispravka.
A Technic colony less in the spotlight is Esperance which was a pacifist experiment built on the premise that, if we help other intelligent species, then they will have no motive to attack us. When a Terran fleet gathers at Esperance to attack the Domain of Ythri, some Esperancians demonstrate against the war but this happens off-stage. I would have preferred if Anderson had shown us the demonstration as he does with the turbulent events on Dennitza. To many people, a demonstration is just something that happens elsewhere but, to the demonstrators themselves, it is not. One such demonstration in London numbered a million according to most of the media or two million according to one section of the alternative press.
I was prompted to reflect on Anderson's dismissive reference to the Esperancian demonstration by a vivid passage in John Le Carre's most recent novel. First, he describes the sights and sounds in central London, then, not packing any punches, he tells it like it is to many people and like it is not to many others:
"The streets of London may be languishing in the record heatwave, but they are swarming with angry marchers with banners, Prue and her left-leaning lawyer friends among them. Improvised bands pump out protests. Gas-filled effigies sway above the crowds. Police and ambulance sirens scream. The City of Westminster is unapproachable, Trafalgar Square uncrossable. And the reason for this mayhem? Britain is rolling out the red carpet to an American President who has come to sneer at our hard-won ties with Europe and humble the Prime Minister who invited him."
-John Le Carre, Agent Running In The Field (London, 2019), 13, p. 160.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
First, the main point. There were and are just as many or more people in the UK who would not only agree with Trump's contempt for the futile EU, but also march and demonstrate against the despised bureaucrats in Brussels. And the Euroskeptics voted in a Tory gov't with a mandate to evict the EU from the UK, which finally happened this past January 31st.
As for Esperance, why should we have seen the demonstrations there? The main focus of THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND was on AVALON, not Esperance.
And, by and large, I remain skeptical of the value of demonstrations. A demonstration is a crude, clumsy, and unnuanced way of trying to effect policy changes, if that is what you wanted. Politicians and bureaucrats are more likely to simply do what they can to get demonstrators off their backs as quickly and as easily as possible. Which is not a good way to change policies!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Of course to your first paragraph. I was quoting Le Carre to show both his vivid description and his powerful commentary. Many people on that demonstration would not have agreed with his way of putting it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And I appreciated Le Carre's vivid way with language and description! And you think he was understatedly expressing contempt for that demonstration himself? A second reading of the text you quoted makes me suspect that was the case.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
Another thought I had was the UK's "secession" from the EU has shattered the myth of EU dominance, that it was inevitably fated to devour Europe. The UK's defiant departure from it will hearten and embolden people elsewhere who want their countries out of the EU.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I don't think Le Carre was expressing contempt but he can be ambiguous.
The EU doesn't like Brexit because it could be the beginning of the unraveling of the EU.
Paul.
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