after a video game trailer featuring an aztec warrior goes viral, posters bravely stand up against human sacrifice — and the knee-jerk defense of a uniquely evil society
I never understood why people can't just admit that the past, and pretty much everyone in it sucked. By our modern moral standards even the most benign society from a few centuries ago is far worse than our modern "deplorables".
History has almost no good guys, especially when we compare entire societies. Some are worse than others, but none come close to meeting modern moral standards. Who do you root for during Peloponnesian war? The Spartans were a militaristic war machine and the Athenians had democracy. But in Sparta women were treated better and they were botch conquering empires with oodles of slaves.
That past sucked. Rather than trying to create simple good vs evil narratives, we should try to learn and be grateful we don't live back then.
Dank memes, comrade. History keeps repeating. Modern day Aztecs are ESG commissars who urge sacrifing cows and kids to reduce carbon emissions and appease the weather gods. They use slave labor in Africa to mine minerals and China to build solar panels and batteries. The great reset is the new Great Leap Forward: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-repeat-history-part-2
The option to play as both sides seems nice. I remember playing the computer game "swat" as a kid, where you led a swat team against a terrorist cell. You could also lead the terrorists in the 2nd story arc. My mom lost her shit that this was even possible. I bet moms today would lose their shit on the pro police aspects of the game.
But for real. We need a nice violent conquest game that shows both murderous sides of complex historical situations. Unity....the murderous chronicles. Que trailer.
Others have pointed it out but this game just got "No Man's Sky-ed." It was exposed to the video game hype machine way too early, and as a result of the backlash this inexperienced developer has committed to a massive increase in scope. There's no way this game will be good now, or if it is it will be good sometime around 2030.
My step-father came from an island where there’s no word for love but there’s a special single word that means “You have shit in your eyes.”
That word is Massaypoonan.
I had a lot of struggles overcoming the prejudice I felt toward him and his family, since I felt like I personally knew a statistically significant number of his direct relatives but I have to say after reading this article, River, that there is no shit in your eyes.
Fun fact, everyone alive today is descended from someone who ate somebody else. IMO population density explains a lot of the institutionalized ritual violence in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs would not have been defeated without allies in Mexico who were tired of being sacrificed to hungry gods.
If you're interested there is a whole bibliography on primitive warfare worth reading.
I pay for pirate wires but I wonder if it ever gets boring for the writers to constantly serve the purpose of policing the woke police. Do most people actually think Aztecs were peaceful and pure? Probably not. Referencing crazed tweets is pathetic evidence and this article isn’t representative of a unique perspective. Say something more interesting river, you’re smart.
Mostly Peaceful Aztec Empire
I never understood why people can't just admit that the past, and pretty much everyone in it sucked. By our modern moral standards even the most benign society from a few centuries ago is far worse than our modern "deplorables".
History has almost no good guys, especially when we compare entire societies. Some are worse than others, but none come close to meeting modern moral standards. Who do you root for during Peloponnesian war? The Spartans were a militaristic war machine and the Athenians had democracy. But in Sparta women were treated better and they were botch conquering empires with oodles of slaves.
That past sucked. Rather than trying to create simple good vs evil narratives, we should try to learn and be grateful we don't live back then.
Dank memes, comrade. History keeps repeating. Modern day Aztecs are ESG commissars who urge sacrifing cows and kids to reduce carbon emissions and appease the weather gods. They use slave labor in Africa to mine minerals and China to build solar panels and batteries. The great reset is the new Great Leap Forward: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-repeat-history-part-2
Me: Hey River what are you up to today?
River: Not much, just banging out another fire article.
The option to play as both sides seems nice. I remember playing the computer game "swat" as a kid, where you led a swat team against a terrorist cell. You could also lead the terrorists in the 2nd story arc. My mom lost her shit that this was even possible. I bet moms today would lose their shit on the pro police aspects of the game.
But for real. We need a nice violent conquest game that shows both murderous sides of complex historical situations. Unity....the murderous chronicles. Que trailer.
Others have pointed it out but this game just got "No Man's Sky-ed." It was exposed to the video game hype machine way too early, and as a result of the backlash this inexperienced developer has committed to a massive increase in scope. There's no way this game will be good now, or if it is it will be good sometime around 2030.
Great article River!
My step-father came from an island where there’s no word for love but there’s a special single word that means “You have shit in your eyes.”
That word is Massaypoonan.
I had a lot of struggles overcoming the prejudice I felt toward him and his family, since I felt like I personally knew a statistically significant number of his direct relatives but I have to say after reading this article, River, that there is no shit in your eyes.
Finger directly on pulse. Well done.
Such a great article!
Fun fact, everyone alive today is descended from someone who ate somebody else. IMO population density explains a lot of the institutionalized ritual violence in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs would not have been defeated without allies in Mexico who were tired of being sacrificed to hungry gods.
If you're interested there is a whole bibliography on primitive warfare worth reading.
Quick. Someone tell these idiots about Nuclear Gandhi.
I pay for pirate wires but I wonder if it ever gets boring for the writers to constantly serve the purpose of policing the woke police. Do most people actually think Aztecs were peaceful and pure? Probably not. Referencing crazed tweets is pathetic evidence and this article isn’t representative of a unique perspective. Say something more interesting river, you’re smart.