Another "hinge point in history" it is... Another 4th-Turning Crisis manifested by a Russian unprovoked attack on Ukraine. As William Strauss & Neil Howe put it in their 1997 book "The Fourth Turning" : "Somewhere before the year 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history, commensurate with the American Revolution, the Civ…
Another "hinge point in history" it is... Another 4th-Turning Crisis manifested by a Russian unprovoked attack on Ukraine. As William Strauss & Neil Howe put it in their 1997 book "The Fourth Turning" : "Somewhere before the year 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history, commensurate with the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the twin emergencies of the Great Depression and World War II." (p.6). Like clockwork, every roughly 80 years since the War of the Roses in England (1485) when a commoner deposed the King of England there has been a 4th-Turning Crisis in the form of a deadly, life-changing war. One might ask: "What on Earth is going on here?" How can such devastating crises manifest so far apart in time & place...and yet so regularly? A big clue is to be found in the War of the Roses: The tradition of monarchies was long a part of European history by the middle of the 15th century, but a commoner, Henry Tudor, defeated & killed King Richard III of England. This broke the well-established social more known as the divine right of kings--a Human creation justifying its authoritarian social hierarchy. Henry Tudor challenged that tradition....and broke it....thus expanding the consciousness of people all over the world that one is not necessarily locked into one's position in society by birth. In short, this was a major milestone on the socio-political human evolutionary road that eventually saw the overthrow of many European monarchies as people rose up and demanded greater recognition and say in their governance. Three centuries later the first modern experiment of a "democracy" was established in America via the Revolutionary War with England. And very significantly, in each of the six 4th-Turning Crises, the victor has each time been on the side of the egalitarians and not the authoritarians. In our crazy, dichotomous universe it seems to take a BIG BAD DUDE--and I use the word "DUDE" pur- posely--to stir up the mild, peace-loving people to finally rise up and fight off the dictatorial DUDE. Again, like clockwork--80 years + 2.5 months since the USA was drawn into WWII on Dec. 7, 1941--another dictatorial leader (Vladimir Putin) has attacked a peaceful, democracy (Ukraine)....and it's up to the rest of the world to decide which side it wishes to be on....and then hopefully muster enough strength to tip the balance once more toward a more egalitarian future.
OK, digging deep into what I used to know: wasn't Tudor dancing-master to the former queen, (Ann of Cleves?) and married her, so he was able to claim kingship as husband to the queen? In other words, he promoted himself into the "established social more," far from vanquishing it.
My Google research says that Henry Tudor had only a very weak link to the English monarchy before he fought & killed King Richard III (the last English king to die on a battlefield) in 1485. In 1486 Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of former King Edward IV--thus establishing / fortifying his claim to the monarchy. Henry Tudor...aka King Edward VII...reigned from 1485 to 1509...by putting a strong, protective guard around himself ! As in all instances where the overthrowers of monarchs become the new rulers, they don't "vanquish" monarchy....they just become the new head of it...eh? The American Revolutionary War changed that pattern....yeh? We established a democracy in place of the British monarchy.
Thanks, Deepspace ! Yes, it's too bad we humans have to learn the lessons for a better future the slow, painful way--but that appears what it's taken to bring us from a band of hominids swinging in the trees to where we are today....yeh? This has been our evolutionary path of consciousness thus far....but as the previous 6 mass extinction events prove to us, there are no guarantees....eh? I didn't want to sound too alarmist, but I will share with you what Howe & Strauss outlined as the possible outcomes of this current 4th Turning. 1st: "The next 4th Turning could mark the end of man....an omnicidal Armageddon, destroying everything, leaving nothing." Or 2nd: "The 4th Turning could mark the end of modernity...terrible but not final." Or 3rd: The 4th Turning could spare modernity but mark the end of our nation [USA]....our political constitution, popular culture, & moral standing in the world. 4th Turnings are critical thresholds for national survival." ... "Or the 4th Turning could simply mark the end of the Millennial Saeculum. Mankind, modernity, & America would all persevere...[and] be reborn...in a new mood, a new mood, a new High, and a new Saeculum." (pp. 300- 301) Looks like it's really up to us hominids....still.....yeh? Best o' Luck to us !
Another "hinge point in history" it is... Another 4th-Turning Crisis manifested by a Russian unprovoked attack on Ukraine. As William Strauss & Neil Howe put it in their 1997 book "The Fourth Turning" : "Somewhere before the year 2025, America will pass through a great gate in history, commensurate with the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the twin emergencies of the Great Depression and World War II." (p.6). Like clockwork, every roughly 80 years since the War of the Roses in England (1485) when a commoner deposed the King of England there has been a 4th-Turning Crisis in the form of a deadly, life-changing war. One might ask: "What on Earth is going on here?" How can such devastating crises manifest so far apart in time & place...and yet so regularly? A big clue is to be found in the War of the Roses: The tradition of monarchies was long a part of European history by the middle of the 15th century, but a commoner, Henry Tudor, defeated & killed King Richard III of England. This broke the well-established social more known as the divine right of kings--a Human creation justifying its authoritarian social hierarchy. Henry Tudor challenged that tradition....and broke it....thus expanding the consciousness of people all over the world that one is not necessarily locked into one's position in society by birth. In short, this was a major milestone on the socio-political human evolutionary road that eventually saw the overthrow of many European monarchies as people rose up and demanded greater recognition and say in their governance. Three centuries later the first modern experiment of a "democracy" was established in America via the Revolutionary War with England. And very significantly, in each of the six 4th-Turning Crises, the victor has each time been on the side of the egalitarians and not the authoritarians. In our crazy, dichotomous universe it seems to take a BIG BAD DUDE--and I use the word "DUDE" pur- posely--to stir up the mild, peace-loving people to finally rise up and fight off the dictatorial DUDE. Again, like clockwork--80 years + 2.5 months since the USA was drawn into WWII on Dec. 7, 1941--another dictatorial leader (Vladimir Putin) has attacked a peaceful, democracy (Ukraine)....and it's up to the rest of the world to decide which side it wishes to be on....and then hopefully muster enough strength to tip the balance once more toward a more egalitarian future.
OK, digging deep into what I used to know: wasn't Tudor dancing-master to the former queen, (Ann of Cleves?) and married her, so he was able to claim kingship as husband to the queen? In other words, he promoted himself into the "established social more," far from vanquishing it.
My Google research says that Henry Tudor had only a very weak link to the English monarchy before he fought & killed King Richard III (the last English king to die on a battlefield) in 1485. In 1486 Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of former King Edward IV--thus establishing / fortifying his claim to the monarchy. Henry Tudor...aka King Edward VII...reigned from 1485 to 1509...by putting a strong, protective guard around himself ! As in all instances where the overthrowers of monarchs become the new rulers, they don't "vanquish" monarchy....they just become the new head of it...eh? The American Revolutionary War changed that pattern....yeh? We established a democracy in place of the British monarchy.
Wonder if I got the 'dancing master" part right! never mind.....
Great summary of the Hunchback King! Hope springs eternal. It's too bad humans have to learn the lessons for a better future the slow, painful way.
Thanks, Deepspace ! Yes, it's too bad we humans have to learn the lessons for a better future the slow, painful way--but that appears what it's taken to bring us from a band of hominids swinging in the trees to where we are today....yeh? This has been our evolutionary path of consciousness thus far....but as the previous 6 mass extinction events prove to us, there are no guarantees....eh? I didn't want to sound too alarmist, but I will share with you what Howe & Strauss outlined as the possible outcomes of this current 4th Turning. 1st: "The next 4th Turning could mark the end of man....an omnicidal Armageddon, destroying everything, leaving nothing." Or 2nd: "The 4th Turning could mark the end of modernity...terrible but not final." Or 3rd: The 4th Turning could spare modernity but mark the end of our nation [USA]....our political constitution, popular culture, & moral standing in the world. 4th Turnings are critical thresholds for national survival." ... "Or the 4th Turning could simply mark the end of the Millennial Saeculum. Mankind, modernity, & America would all persevere...[and] be reborn...in a new mood, a new mood, a new High, and a new Saeculum." (pp. 300- 301) Looks like it's really up to us hominids....still.....yeh? Best o' Luck to us !
“It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” - Yogi Berra
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