Hello, Thoritsu. You must be a Viking. Is Thor your name?

It is "One Political Plaza"---where Conservatives and Liberals fly at each other's throats. You'd love it! I mentioned in another post to you that I am going to refresh my memory on what I have read about Mongols, and take our discussion up again tomorrow. I too think the Mongols are an interesting part of history. But they were indeed savages, and only their exposure to more civilized cultures aided in their domestication, so to speak. And it is knowledge of their homeland, Karakora (not Karakorum, that I believe is a different environment) that explains their savagery and enormous admiration for strength. Did you know that it was the men who milked the mares, and drank the mare's milk, and the women who milked the goats? Only a man had the strength to, and drew from the strength of, the horse. I sometimes wonder if it was the Mongol tribes, or the early peoples who resided in that area, who first domesticated the horse, but I need to research that more closely.

Find a copy of "The Secret History of the Mongols"---written shortly after GK died. A primary source document.

I think a study of Mongol culture would give us great insight into the spiritual and intellectual evolution of man. As I said, their attitude (not unlike early Native American tribes) was: I want what you have, and I'm going to take it. A raider philosophy. The first Vikings had it, but they also became more sedentary in their travels.

And Rand never castigated emotions as such; she expected people to act based on their ability to reason through the consequences of their actions. Emotions give people value; reason entitles them to virtuous action. Remember, at the end of Anthem, she says, (and I'm paraphrasing) "It is MY eyes that give beauty to the world." I always remind people that her novels are filled with feeling and emotion.

Thanks, DOB