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You're ignoring that I specifically included soft power. Garnering sympathy as an underdog is a historically effective form of soft power. To your point: not t

You're ignoring that I specifically included soft power. Garnering sympathy as an underdog is a historically effective form of soft power. To your point: not to sound like an antisemitic conspiracy theorist, but it's pretty clear that while the Jewish people have been the victims of many tragedies, they also have managed to accumulate a great deal of political soft power as well, even while being a disadvantaged minority. That's why certain types are so obsessed over the so-called "culture war". While some people just want a right to live and love who they want, the currently dominant cultural factions see that as a threat to their ability to, among other things, control the narrative of history for their own gain.

ajuc 2y ago
I am Polish. I know this from experience. The parts of history we focus on are the parts where we lost. When a society loses political power - it focuses on history and culture to survive (as opposed to "integrating"). Which influences the culture in a self-reinforcing way. Very easy to end up with martyrdom complex. That's what Jews have been doing for 2000 years and their history is one of the best studied out there. When a society wins political power - it looks into the future. A few eggheads will write the history but nobody'll read it. Soft power is secondary - it comes FROM losing and focusing on history. Victors go split the loot, losers go write how they were the "moral winners".
- AlotOfReading 2y ago
  > When a society wins political power - it looks into the future. A few eggheads will write the history but nobody'll read it. Afrofuturism didn't come from winning any kind of political power. It came from the opposite. Similarly, white American males aren't fascinated by Rome, the American Civil War, and WW2 because they collectively lack any representation or political power.
  - ajuc 2y ago
    Black people in USA certainly gained political power over time and white people lost it. There is still white privilege, but the direction is obvious.

ajuc 2y ago

I am Polish. I know this from experience. The parts of history we focus on are the parts where we lost. When a society loses political power - it focuses on history and culture to survive (as opposed to "integrating"). Which influences the culture in a self-reinforcing way. Very easy to end up with martyrdom complex. That's what Jews have been doing for 2000 years and their history is one of the best studied out there. When a society wins political power - it looks into the future. A few eggheads will write the history but nobody'll read it. Soft power is secondary - it comes FROM losing and focusing on history. Victors go split the loot, losers go write how they were the "moral winners".

AlotOfReading 2y ago
> When a society wins political power - it looks into the future. A few eggheads will write the history but nobody'll read it. Afrofuturism didn't come from winning any kind of political power. It came from the opposite. Similarly, white American males aren't fascinated by Rome, the American Civil War, and WW2 because they collectively lack any representation or political power.
- ajuc 2y ago
  Black people in USA certainly gained political power over time and white people lost it. There is still white privilege, but the direction is obvious.