Tuesday

IT's just one of those long days when I'm stuck in office while some meeting just refuses to end and I'm left high and dry without any real food cept for a couple of grapes and wasabi pops. not exactly the kind of dinner Jamie would have in mind...

Either way, I'm here.

I started re-reading Adam Zamoyski's Holy Madness: Romantics, Patriots, and Revolutionaries, 1776-1871.

It's everything I expect my first yr module in Oxford to be. Broad-based with a somewhat thematic approach covering lots of ground together with the ability to see trends. It wasn't till I got through the first few pages that I remembered his horrilbly factual ramblings were the reason I stopped halfway the first time. Almost 2 yrs ago in fact - i bought the book in New York and stopped reading soon after I got back. In a way it's a good thing too, cuz I actually know a little bit more now to comprehend whatever he's trying to tell me.

For instance, I managed to get through a good 80% of Tommaso Astarita's Between Salt Water and Holy Water: A History of Southern Italy, which is really REALLY easy to read. It's fascinating, exciting and colorful. He has a lovely writing style. Simple easy to understand prose that captivates like any good novel does. That really contributed much to ameliorate the severe drought in understanding rgrding not just Italy, but also medieval history in general.

And back to Zamoyski. My initial impression was pretty much transfixed on his ability to make a wonderfully exciting era become so placid and boring that I almost fell asleep at my desk (again). Nevertheless, things really picked up towards the chapters on 'Civil Rites' and 'Holy War' where he went rather in-depth into the French Revolution - which is in my opinion is a fascinating epoch. A turning-point in the evolution of humanity.

From what I gather, 'nationalism' then is really the rationale by-product of religion after processing it through the factories of the enlightenment. The desire to supplant the Catholic Church in turn brought about a newfound religiosity in REASON as the ultimate aim and goal in life. This was a process started way back from the renaissance and the two reformations. As of now, religion has fought back but we never replace the role of reason and science in society

- unless you're living in some polygamist sect in the middle of America -

SEA nationalism then is different in that it's leaders aimed to create that kind of emotionale fervour from scratch. in some cases, nationalism = a more refined expression of culture and religion in that particular society. This differs much from that in Europe, in degrees of course. Nationalism, as with many other -isms, was merely layered upon the fabric of society and in many ways became entertwined with its various parts. You can't pick them out easily anymore.

And I'm only in Chapter 7 trying to get through Hungarian nationalism! Got to plough through my details...

I've also unfortunately stopped reading Anton La Guardia's Holy Land Unholy War, which is actually very good but just overflowing with details. It's good journalism. Less boring than academia, but the style of writing gets into you after a while. Good for general knowledge, bad for studying. And yes, it was getting really depressing too.

One of the things that baffles me greatly is the ongoing Israel V Hamas war. Arrogance? Hubris? The belief that they would actually achieve some long-lasting good out of a punitive strike in Gaza? Have they never considered the lives lost, the anger and pain, the possibility of greater support for anti-Israeli movements regardless of the short-term capabilities of Hamas?

One wonders what leaders think. Maybe they don't think at all.

And we all know which one doesn't.

All hands up in favour of the inauguration!

I'm so proud to be alive to witness history in the making. Daunting as it may seem, I hope to place my little and tiny faith in the possibility of Obama making a difference to the ongoing crises. He is no messiah. The least we could do though is to give him a chance.

No more shit from the Whitehouse! That should be our slogan.