In the ruins

[itbelongsinamuseum]

[After the battle in the Iraqi desert as the bodies had been cleaned up, Alex could be found walking around the dig site. Stopping to look at newly broken statues or just around where the battle had been. It wasn't really a very big site all told, but did that really matter?]

It's weird. This place has been lying quietly for millennia and war returned to it like this...At least it didn't turn into a full-blown massacre.

Comments

[broken_puppet]

The past teaches us lessons that we are wise to learn from but if there is a source of power hidden within it shouldn't we make it our top priority in this situation? You have unusual powers which have proven to be useful on more than one occasion in battle. Gaining similarly powerful units from other sites could be a great boon in our future survival.

The dead cannot complain about the actions or affairs of the living.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

We won't learn those lessons if we simply loot their graves for our own ends. It's about being mindful of the world and the things in it and how things connect, instead of trampling things underfoot for personal gain.

[broken_puppet]

You have a surprisingly egalitarian view of history for someone who has seen the battlefield and claims to study it.

Look at the history of the world and what comes of it. Those who win will always write their own story in being the "just" party in any conflict. Even in the second World War the Nazi party was originally born out of a desire to stop other nations from bleeding their nation dry and many of it's members or soldiers had little to do with the delusions of one terribly misguided yet charismatic man. Even to this day the cultural conscience still condemns them all.

Compare Rome to the people that they conquered. Mesopotamian cities to their conquered slaves. Even the DC our own government. All examples where the victor and ones with power write the context that will be passed on to the future.

If we die to the invaders it will not matter how many ancient sites we dig up there will be nobody left to tell the story.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

There is more to history than pinning blame and assigning guilt. There's understanding the cultures and people involved and learning the story of those who didn't get to tell it. Including making sure not just the victor's story is told.

Also, I'm not sure how random terrorists looting dig sites and interrupting archaeological work is going to help prevent invading aliens from extinguishing our history.

[broken_puppet]

I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I supported the actions of those terrorists in any form but my point was that if there were a chance of locating another relic such as yours that we should make it a priority for the improved capabilities is can bring to aid our cause.

As for the historical viewpoint; I find that looking into the history of those who were defeated outside of why and how they lost is a waste of time. Once a civilization is gone there is little reason to understand their daily life outside of any particular contributing factors to it's demise.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

(Like that other thread, replying in case you're interested in continuing. I totally understand if you aren't.)

There isn't any realistic chance of locating another Enki.

And a purely functional view of the world like that diminishes our culture and makes it less resilient to threats. I mean, look at Sumerian mythology. Nobody would have thought it had any relevance for anything if you'd asked them half a year ago, now it's become a threat to all of human society.

On a less absurd scale, the more we know about past societies, the better we can understand those that came after all the way up to our own. The past has power over the present, wars are fought over the outcome of wars centuries ago and people draw on the imagery of the past to push political agendas.

[broken_puppet]

The past is done and cannot be undone, why would they put so much weight on that and not make the most efficient choices to achieve their goals? Politics and national pride mean nothing if an enemy threat destroys your entire people. If there is a valuable resource then trade for it or fight for that area there is no need to commit genocide if a more controlled engagement could achieve your stated goal.

I don't see how petty historical rivalries and grudges can help in the face of invasion by extra-terrestrial forces. It's not like our history provides insight to the threat and their stated goals are annihilation or harvest of our population for resources.

As for the "realistic" chance of finding a Enki, the forces were in a desperate enough situation that it was their only chance of turning the tides. Even a 1 in 10,000,000 chance is still better than zero. Is that not what the Unity Group has been doing up to this point, marshaling forces to better play the long odds in what our world has become?

[itbelongsinamuseum]

People are going to squabble over those things anyway. That's why we were out here in the first place, not like they're going to stop just because you say it's irrational.

And I for one wouldn't want to live in a world where everything has been sacrificed for survival. I like that there's arts, sports, knowledge of our past, biodiversity and so on. It makes life more interesting and gives our entire fight meaning.

[broken_puppet]

The meaning of any battle is survival, what further meeting could there be in a fight against someone who wants to kill you?

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Usually they're not trying to kill you, but to get something and you choose to get in the way of that and they're just trying to kill you to get you out of the way...The current alien invasions are an exception.