this is really cool .. makes nice reading .. describes some realities ..pk
----- Original Message ----- From: Atul Chitnis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Linux Bangalore/2002 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 1:42 AM Subject: [lb/2002] The Rising (Part 1) > Copyright (c) 2002 Atul Chitnis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > Applicable License: http://www.opencontent.org/opl.shtml > > > It was a troubled time. > > The rebels were winning many battles, but the war was still on. They were > gathering mindshare, and large and small kingdoms, warlords and kingdoms > were joining their cause - which led to serious levels of distress in The > Empire. They gave their followers a new hope. > > But then the Empire struck back. > > It sent out its fiercest warrior, laden with riches and promises. He went > round the land, rousing troops to rise above what he implied to be "the > peasants" and to align with the true cause - world domination by the > Empire. > > It is not easy to do such a thing, and so, to ease the way into the > fortress, he donned the guise of a messiah. It opened doors to him and his > legions, and he was welcomed by the most powerful in the land. Others saw > this, and opened their doors to him as well. > > But while his offerings of aid may have been genuine, he quickly abandoned > the disguise to reveal his true purpose - to quench the fire of the > freedom that was growing in the land. > > He used time-proven ways of conquest- magnificient gifts, promises of > salvation and of a better land. He offered these with a subtle threat - > "hark my words, lords of this land, and do not succumb to this cancer > growing within your territory, this cancer they call 'freedom'. Take these > gifts, and use them well - by using them to buy from me the tools to > govern your land." > > And the lords bowed to The Empire's warrior, and took his gifts, and his > words, and swore allegiance. > > They had all but forgotten the warning that one of their own wise men, > named Enn-Vee-Thal, had uttered years ago - "do not use the tools from > that foreign land, for we know not what they are made of, and they could > be used to enslave us!" > > But no one remembered those wise words. They agreed to use his tools, and > his legions, to rule their own land, little realising that they did not > need them at all - these tools and these riches were already theirs for > the taking, right here in their very land. > > But they were blinded by the glitter they saw through their windows, and > the "not of this land" nature of these tools, and presumed them to be > better than theirs, for such was the way they had been brought up to > think. > > And so the land started falling, for the second time in centuries, to the > rule of a foreign empire. And the way was the same - come to trade, stay > to conquer. > > But deep in the heart of the very land that that the Empire's warrior was > trying to conquer, a not so small group of rebels was already at work, > undoing the damage. > > They offered true help - not fish (or just pictures of them), but the art > of fishing. Not trinkets and toys, but ploughs, axes and tools to help > build a strong foundation. > > And they offered that which was most valuable of all - true patriotism and > a love for their land, which they did not want to again see being > conquered and ruled by foreigners, as it was until half a century before. > > And so they worked hard, day in and day out, to put together their own > offerings of knowledge, utility and hope. > > But the lords of their land rejected their offerings, terming them > inferior and incomplete, and even dangerous. > > The plea for aid to their cause was rebuffed by the Czars of their land, > the barons who were building their fiefdoms using the Empire's tools, > foresaking their own. > > But the rebels struggled on, knocking on door after door, never letting > denial discourage them. > > And they saw moving pictures of their own lord shaking hands with the > Empire's warrior, beseeching him to settle down on their own acres of > land, to bring "wealth" and "employment", and promising to use the > Empire's tools to rule them. > > The rebels continued in a stealthy way, hiding in shadows, but always > there when needed. > > When a trader was in trouble, and needed succor from the cross of license, > they sprang to his aid. > > When people found themselves invaded by pests inflicted by the very tools > the Empire had mandated, the rebels jumped from the shadows, and fought > side by side to beat back the plague. > > When the minds of innocent children were in the danger of being corrupted > by attempts to turn the Empire's tools into means of "education", they > cleansed the young ones' minds, and gave them knowledge, and therewith > freedom, instead of slavery. > > Their hope was that their rulers, the lords who aligned themselves with > the empire, would see the error in their ways, and would rely on their own > people for tools to help govern the land. And indeed, this is what these > people had to offer, and willingly so. > > The mighty lords of trade saw this, and said to themselves - "here is > something that we can see as truly valuable, and it is free to all those > who want it. This is something we must support, nourish and allow to grow, > so that freedom will be not just theirs, but that of everyone who wishes > to emulate their example." > > And indeed, it was the Empire's greatest worry - that other lands would > see the successes of the people they had termed "rebels", and would follow > their ways. This was already happening, in the far away lands of Pay-Rue, > Jair-Money and Nammy-buya, where people had started rejecting the Empire's > advances, and had chosen the ways of freedom. Even in their own midst, the > Empire saw its armies choosing to use these free tools, instead of those > mandated by the Empire! > > And so the lords of trade came forth, and opened their coffers to the > people that were called rebels. They made available resources > unimaginable, and in gesture after gigantic gesture swept away the > depression and the pain caused by the Empire's warrior. > > The rebels, who were called that no more, took these magnificient gifts, > and created a pool of knowledge and of learning, which they shared with > thousands and thousands of people. > > The people, who were once called rebels, and now once again were called > "citizens" instead of peasants who had no right to choose their own > future, found that their fight for freedom had just advanced one major > step..... > > ...To be continued > > -- > Linux Bangalore/2002 > Technology for a Free World > December 3/4/5, 2002 > http://linux-bangalore.org/2002 > > ------------------------------------------- > Atul Chitnis | [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Exocore Consulting | http://www.exocore.com > Bangalore, India | +91 (80) 344-0397 > ------------------------------------------- > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! 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