Art Deco is the incarnation of civilizational energy—the spirit of Achilles and Tesla in architectural form.
The ultimate style for high civilization...
Kenneth Clarke said:
“Vigour, energy, vitality: all the civilizations—or civilizing epochs—have had a weight of energy behind them.”
Art Deco embodies this vitality.
He claimed civilization had 3 enemies:
"First of all fear — fear of war, fear of invasion, fear of plague and famine, that make it simply not worthwhile constructing things, or planting trees or even planning next year’s crops."
Does this look fearful to you?
Art Deco often features exotic materials, such as ebony and ivory, and exquisite craftsmanship.
The fruits of a culture unafraid to try new things.
The next enemy is a lack of self-confidence. A culture regrets its past, stifling its ability to progress.
Art Deco's blocky, muscular designs show a civilization secure yet determined. Its aura is simultaneously ancient and futuristic.
A timeless spirit of crushing grandeur.
So many Art Deco designs look like they could be 5,000 years old. It's an artistic style that appreciates a civilization's past.
Finally Clarke warns against exhaustion:
"the feeling of hopelessness which can overtake people even with a high degree of material prosperity."
Art Deco's imagery is all about vitalism. God-like men, exalted maidens, mythical beasts—dreams of a civilization with a vision.
Art Deco embodies faith in social and technological progress.
It fosters a belief that the best is yet to come.
We need to be Art-Deco-maxing as a civilization.
It's the architectural style of a people who've triumphed—and aren't done yet.
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The Holy Roman Empire lasted ~1000 years, and it looked like this:
How did such a fractured political entity last so long?
It has to do with a concept called “subsidiarity”, and it holds the key to implementing responsible government today 🧵 (thread)
Voltaire famously derided the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) as “neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire”, but what couldn't be denied was its longevity.
Existing from 800-1806, it was birthed before William the Conqueror invaded England and continued on after the American Revolution.
It’s considered one of the longest lasting empires in history, a feat of particular intrigue when one considers its central geographical location and lack of natural defensible borders.
But it was mastery of road construction that made Rome the most connected—and powerful—empire in the ancient world.
Roman roads were engineering marvels in their own right 🧵 (thread)
“All roads lead to Rome” is a saying everyone knows. And there’s a reason for it—Rome developed the most incredible network of interconnected highways in the ancient world.
It’s estimated there were over 50,000 miles (~80000 km) of paved roads throughout the empire.
A 4th century surveyor described the extent of the highway system:
“They reach the Wall in Britain; run along the Rhine, the Danube, and the Euphrates; and cover, as with a network, the interior provinces of the Empire.”
There are a lot of misconceptions about witch trials.
Opponents of religion often point to the Church’s handling of witch hunts, hoping to paint a simplistic picture of an “evil” medieval Church.
But the real story is more complicated…🧵(thread)
Sorcery has been around since ancient times, but witchcraft — loosely defined as the practice of black (or evil) magic to harm others — really came to head once Christianity became the dominant religion in the West.
And though they’re often portrayed as dark age occurrences, witch trials only became popular in the late medieval and early modern period (~1400-1700).
Early on, the Church rejected witchcraft as a real phenomenon and deemed it a “pagan superstition”.
Galileo called him “superhuman”. Tesla said he was the “ideal” inventor. And da Vinci was directly inspired by him.
Simply put, Archimedes was the greatest engineer and mathematician of the ancient world.
Here’s why...🧵(thread)
Born around 287 BC, Archimedes was an inventor, mathematician, astronomer, and engineer from the city of Syracuse in Sicily.
Very little is known of Archimedes’ life other than his discoveries and inventions, of which there were many.
The ancient historian Polybius was the first to reference Archimedes about 70 years after his death, describing various war machines that the inventor built including catapults, a giant crane that destroyed ships, and various stone-throwing machines.
In 1831, French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to the US to study democracy.
He saw some positives, but also noted flaws such as:
-tyranny of the majority
-isolated individuals
-materialism
He claimed religion was essential to prevent these dangers...🧵
Alexis de Tocqueville was a diplomat sent by the French government to learn about the prison system in America.
While abroad, he used the opportunity to investigate American society as a whole, penning his most famous work ”Democracy in America.”
Traveling during the height of the industrial revolution, he believed democracy and industrialization went hand-in-hand—American democracy was the embodiment of this unification.
Tocqueville described America as “a democratic revolution caused by industrialization.”
Everyone dreams of fighting in a "last stand" — battling an overwhelming force against all odds.
The 10 greatest last stands in Western history to fuel your dreams🧵
10. Siege of Antioch, 1098
Shortly after the crusaders took the city, they found themselves besieged by the Seljuk Turks.
Finding inspiration after discovering the Holy Lance—the spear that pierced Christ—they sallied forth and confronted the Seljuks head on, winning the day.
9. Roncevaux Pass, 778
The subject of the epic poem “Song of Roland” was a real event.
As a large force of Basques ambushed Charlemagne's army, he assigned a rearguard to delay the attackers until the Franks could retreat. The move was successful, but at a great cost.