07-08-2013, 12:03 PM
Phil,
My sense, (and I could be and often am wrong) is that historical analysis can connect events which might not be directly cause and effect. It's like connecting the dots you want to create a structure that makes sense. Think of these analyses... conceptualy like hundreds of ink stops on a page... and then someone draws lines between certain dots and voila a picture is seen of a man, or maybe a dog... or bird and so forth. All of these images are in the collection of dots... you simply find the ones which make the picture you want. Maybe.
Historical events appear to be driven by several types of forces.. top down, bottom up and random "natural" ones. Top down are easily understood as those in power driving events for whatever motivation they have because they have the power to it... control of resources and people to do it for them (armies, workers, media etc.). Bottom up forces are mass movements of individuals or usually individuals with little individual power acting in concert... such as in revolutions or on a smaller scale - insurgencies or terrorism.. assymtrical struggles or growing mass movements (which also become top down structures as well). Bottom up is a response to top down pressure. When top is not opressing... bottom does not push back... like a piston at the top of the cylinder.
Natural events can put either or both top and bottom into react mode and change the nature of the control system one way or the other or may not.. just slow it or push things back a few steps
Clearly those with power are not interested in yielded it or playing by rules if they can get away with not playing by rules... and they can... and they do.
My sense, (and I could be and often am wrong) is that historical analysis can connect events which might not be directly cause and effect. It's like connecting the dots you want to create a structure that makes sense. Think of these analyses... conceptualy like hundreds of ink stops on a page... and then someone draws lines between certain dots and voila a picture is seen of a man, or maybe a dog... or bird and so forth. All of these images are in the collection of dots... you simply find the ones which make the picture you want. Maybe.
Historical events appear to be driven by several types of forces.. top down, bottom up and random "natural" ones. Top down are easily understood as those in power driving events for whatever motivation they have because they have the power to it... control of resources and people to do it for them (armies, workers, media etc.). Bottom up forces are mass movements of individuals or usually individuals with little individual power acting in concert... such as in revolutions or on a smaller scale - insurgencies or terrorism.. assymtrical struggles or growing mass movements (which also become top down structures as well). Bottom up is a response to top down pressure. When top is not opressing... bottom does not push back... like a piston at the top of the cylinder.
Natural events can put either or both top and bottom into react mode and change the nature of the control system one way or the other or may not.. just slow it or push things back a few steps
Clearly those with power are not interested in yielded it or playing by rules if they can get away with not playing by rules... and they can... and they do.