One Time Patrol milieu was from 1850 to 2000. Another must have begun in 2000 although we do not know when it will end. Sheila and I have lived in Lancaster District since 1973. If we had been Patrol agents based here from 1973 to 2000, then we would have to have known about Austin and many other significant figures whether or not their names were historically recorded. Continuing to live here after 2000, we would have had to learn about comparable figures in the ensuing milieu which might last till 2150 or longer.
5 comments:
BTW, 1850 to 2000 is rather a prescient choice on Poul's part -- arguably it's a distinct epoch, the build-up to WW1, and the "short 20th century" (1914-1991) that covered that conflict, its consequences (the Russian Revolution, WW2, the fall of the European empires) and their denoument.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And I would argue we are all of us still living in the Time of Chaos which began in 1914 and still trying to cope with what started at Sarajevo in that year.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: well, the past always affects the future.
My take would be that the 1914-1991 era encompassed the rise and demise of the totalitarian ideologies of Marxist-Leninism and National Socialism, both of which aspired to world dominance. And that was the essential characteristic of the period.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I don't disagree, but how would you characterize the decades after 1991? From where I sit, mainland China certainly has grandiose ambitions and seems determined to make trouble, where ever the Peking regime can do so, for the US. And Peking still pays at least nominal allegiance to Marxism/Maoism.
Ad astra! Sean
My view: a cycle ended in 1991 so a new cycle begins with the same problems unresolved but a lot more historical experience to apply to them. There is still a lot of resistance which can turn either to the left or to the right. It is to be hoped that something better comes out of it this time. Things can also go a lot worse than either WWI or WWII.
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