Welcome! I am Mark Anderson, a self-published writer and independent researcher. This blog is an intellectual crossroads where I explore the deep connections between history, politics, religion, and culture. From deep-dive book and film reviews to tracking trends in music and geopolitical history, I unpack the stories and structures that shape our world.
There are so many great Zimbabwean novels that should have been turned into novels already. It is a shame that they have not converted these captivating tales into cinema. In no particular order.
Harvest of Thorns by Shimmer Chinodya
A book about the Rhodesian bush war also known as Chimurenga 2. Action packed and full of drama.
Takadini by Ben Hanson
I read it in a high school. It's about an albino boy growing up in a hostile environment in precolonial Africa.
Nguo Dzouswa by Aaron Chiundura Moyo
Written by Zimbabwean literary legend Aaron Chiundura Moyo. It delves into the treacherous world of politics.
March of the Titans by Arthur Kemp is the complete history of the White Race. To summarise it suggests that all civilisation comes from the White Race and race mixing with non-whites lead to their destruction. The ancient Egyptians were white. The ancient Sumerians were white. The founders of the Chinese civilisation were white. The ruling elite of Roman empire were Nordic whites. And all the great civilisations collapsed when whites race mixed and interbred with non-whites thus bringing their societies to ruin.
Now I am not a historian, archaeologist or biologist so I do not have a clue whether Arthur Kemp is right about whites being the source of all civilisation. However, I did enjoy the book and it is a delightful read. Though it is 1689 pages I sailed through the giant book like it was a pamphlet.
My thoughts on the book
Culture is a product of race
I think Arthur Kemp is right in stating that a certain people will create a society and a culture that reflects their intellectual abilities. Whites will create a social system that is unique to them. Blacks will create a civilisation that mirrors their culture. Asians will construct a civilisation that only they can build. Blacks will never build a white civilisation and whites will never build a Asian civilisation. Different races and groups evolved in different climates and have certain attributes that helped them survive in those environments. When Whites become a minority or disappear, the civilisation will reflect that. When blacks become a minority or disappear their society will go along with them. Which is why whites were able to build a European-like civilisation in Africa and why Africans built an African-like civilisation in the Caribbean.
Whites are too extroverted to form an ethnostate
Kemp mourns the fact that white civilisations get overrun by non-whites and eventually die off. But that is only because whites invite foreigners in. White civilisation follows a cycle. First they expand, then they assimilate non whites and finally they race mix into oblivion. The Greeks, Romans and Indo-Europeans were all expansionist and created multi-cultural empires. And multicultural empires inevitable lead to race mixing. The Chinese and Japanese nations tend to be more introverted. Historically, they have tried to close off their societies from foreigners. The Chinese built a massive wall to keep out the invaders and during the Tokugawa Shogunate the Japanese banned all foreigners. That time of introversion is impossible for whites who have a wanderlust that is a blessing and a curse. Ultimately, it does seem that Europeans will become a minority in their own countries. The fact that they do not have many children certainly does not help.
The "White Man's Burden"
During the age of conquest, Europeans believed that they had to carry the "white man's burden" which meant it was the duty of white people to look after the uncivilised masses and bring them civilisation. It is true that white colonisation brough many benefits but colonisation was certainly not a charity event. Back then the 'white man's burden' was just an excuse to conquer and plunder the world. The "uncivilised" races did not beg whites to come and save them. Back then the Africans, native Americans and Australian Aborigines just wanted to be left alone. Today the coloniser has become the colonised. London looks like Kabul and Paris looks like Lagos. Europe is being quietly conquered by the children of those who demanded freedom from colonialism.
With that said, today the white man's burden is a real thing. Millions flock to Europe and America to look for jobs and a better life. It is very clear that non-whites cannot take of themselves in a highly advanced technological world. Only the North East Asians are capable of maintaining a first world country. Now the white man must decide if he still wants to carry the burden or shut out the non-whites and leave them in the "shit hole" countries to languish.
Sloth and Lust
Sloth and lust have been described as deadly sins. And truly, lust and sloth will destroy civilisation. The need for slaves and cheap labour has been the death knell of many civilisations. If a people are too lazy to do their own menial labour and get slaves and cheap labourers to do it for them, in time the slaves will become a majority. And sooner or later the ruling elite will race mix with the slaves and everything will fall apart. That is where the lust comes in and people begin having sex for fun and not for child making. Homosexuality, porn and prostitution become prevalent and the population decreases.
Ethnostates are the best societies
Multiculturalism does not work. The minority will always chafe and complain about oppression whether real or imagined. Multicultural empires are fragile and can only be held together by brute force and suppression like in Russia and China. On the other hand ethnostates such as Japan and South Korea tend to be relatively peaceful. One cannot be an empire and an ethnostate at the same time and Europeans and Americans are finding out the hard way.
A glimmer of hope?
Orania is an Afrikaner only town in South Africa. There are about 3000 white Afrikaners in Orania. They do their own labour. There are no black garderners and domestic workers there. The sad thing about Orania is that it should have been done sooner. If white South Africans had done their own labour from the get go, South Africa would look like Australia. If Europeans did their own work today the Caribbean islands would be like Europe. But alas, laziness and greedy have led Europe to its darkest hour.
Europe has survived plagues, famines, world wars and violent invasions. But time will tell if they will survive their own misplaced altruism and their need to assimilate foreigners and turn them into English and French citizens. If history repeats itself it seems Europe will go the way of ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. Today Egypt and Greece are a former shadow of themselves. The descendants have fallend from grace and are not as mighty as their ancestors. Spain and Portugal are no longer great empires. Was it because of race mixing or other complex reasons? If Arthur Kemp is right then it was interbreeding with non-whites that spelt doom for European civilisations. Time may prove him right or wrong. Is he a racist bigot or a realist prophet? Is he the voice in the wilderness that no one cares to listen to? Will Europeans disappear into the evolutionary dust bin like Neanderthals? Only time will tell.
If you are interest in learning more about Arthur Kemp, check out this video below.
I had heard about The Northman movie many times from Youtubers and from the critics giving it raving reviews. How The Northman got 90% on Rotten Tomatoes I will never understand. Many times I had heard people say it is a great movie and fans were heaping praise on the film. So I decided to watch the TheNorthman. I was expecting to see something akin to Ragnar from the Vikings series. And I was disappointed. I felt like I wasted 2 hours of my life. The Northman is a poor man's Hamlet. The magic scenes and hallucinations are too long and waste a lot of screen time. The ending was very unsatisfying. I am not one for sad endings that seem pointless. It would have been better if Amleth and Olga escaped and lived happily ever after.
A few things did not make sense to me
Where did the boat come from that got Amleth and his blonde girlfriend, Olga? So Amleth and Olga escape and all of a sudden there is a boat waiting for them?
How could Queen Gudrun not recognise her own son? Even if 20 years had passed, a mother would know her own son.
How did the Slavs and the Viking Scandinavians communicate? I thought they spoke different languages.
Where did the ravens come from that freed Amleth when he was tied up? I can't figure out where there is magic or not in the film and whether it's real or not.
How was one man Amleth able to kill all the men belonging to Fjolnir his uncle? Amleth is a one man army like Rambo who has plot armour until the very end.
The Positives
Though TheNorthman was a awful movie apparently it was an accurate description of life amongst the Vikings and Scandinavians. If The Northman is accurate then the Scandinavians must have been barbarians. All the human sacrificing, cutting heads of horses, raiding and killing show that the pre-Christian Scandinavians were savages. I can now understand and appreciate Christianity for civilising the Scandinavians. Today there are the most peaceful and civilised people in the world thanks to Christianity.
I loved the twist in the story when Amleth finds out his mother was involved in the plot to kill his father. I did not see it coming and it was exciting to watch.
But all in all The Northman took 2 hours of my life I will never get back. I wish I never watched it.
I just watched the 8 episodes of the Rhodes series that was created in 1996. I encourage everyone to watch it. It looks at the life and career of Cecil John Rhodes, the mining magnate and imperialist. Cecil John Rhodes is often painted as an oppressor, racist and evil man. But Rhodes makes the viewer sympathise with Cecil Rhodes. It humanises him. I would give Rhodes a 9/10. Every episode is well written. The script is impeccable. The acting is realistic. The costumes are flawless and are an accurate portrayal of the 19th century. The cinematography is breathtaking and the soundtracks heighten the sense of adventure. You feel like you are a part of the journey with Cecil John Rhodes. Do watch Rhodes. It is free on Youtube.
With that being said, it is amazing what Rhodes achieved in such a short life. He died at only 43 years old on 26 March 1902. Was he a racist? Yes. Was he an ambitious imperialist? Yes. But he was also a man of his time. If he was alive today Cecil Rhodes would probably be like Elon Musk. To some people like native Africans and white Afrikaners he was the devil incarnate. To English speaking white Africans he was the Anglo-Saxon Messiah. But noone can deny he was a great man. He was one of the few men in history who could mold reality to his will. Rhodes was like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Constantine and all the titans of history. He could drag destiny by the scruff of the neck.
Rhodes founded new countries and expanded the British empire. Had he lived longer, I believe he could have united southern Africa into one country. Perhaps southern Africa could be like the United State of America. Southern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia, Botswana and Malawi would have surely joined the Union of South Africa.
Rhodes left no children, perhaps because he was homosexual. But he left money that funded Rhodes scholarship and built universities. Thus, he has many heirs in those who have benefited from his tireless work.
Though he is dead and buried in Southern Rhodesia nowadays Zimbabwe, he will never be forgotten. Though the Rhodesia nations he founded and named after him are just a memory, his legacy is immortal. They can remove his statues and rename roads and states named after him, but noone can erase his name from the history books.
A few shows are able to remain interesting and consistent. Sopranos, the Shield, Breaking Bad and the Wire were fun and intriguing from beginning to end. On there other hand there are tv shows that started out great and somewhere in the middle they lost their way and the story got stale.
Vikings
Vikings was and is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. The opening music theme set the tone and got me at the edge of my seat. Ragnar Lothbrok was one of the most charismatic characters I have ever seen. The actor that played the part did an amazing job. The first three seasons of Vikings were enthralling. There was action, battle scenes, romance, comedy and drama.
However, after Ragnar dies in a pit of snakes, the series went downhill. The whole story of his three sons looking to avenge the death of their father started well but became nonsensical. I doubt the real Ivar the Boneless crawled on his belly. Looking at the character who played Ivar moving on all fours was unbearable. Then the whole story of the Vikings on Iceland or Greenland was so boring. The series goes to Russia and that was boring as well. Not to mention Bjorn Ironside dying on a horse on the battlefield.
Vikings should have just stuck to history as much as possible. It would have been interesting seeing the story of Cnut, Harold Bluetooth, Harald Hadrada and even of William the Conqueror. But alas we had to see the Vikings go to America in some nonsensical plot.
The Last Kingdom
Last kingdom followed the story of Uhtred as he navigates between the Anglo Saxons and the Danes and Vikings. But the character who stole the show was Aethelwold. The sniveling villain in Aethelwold was the stand out character. He made the show all the more interesting with his schemes. However, when he dies in season 3 episode 10 the story fell flat and became stale. I had to skim watch season 4 nodding off in the middle. The silliest part of season 4 was when the battle between Uhtred and Edward stops midway. I didn't even bother watching season 5 because it was boring.
Sons of Anarchy
The story of Jax and the motorcycle was great until Clary Morrow died. A story is only as good as the villain and Clay was the bad guy you love to hate. After Clay is killed in season 6 episode 11 the story went downhill. Season 7 was lackluster. The idea of Jax killing his own mother was silly. And Jax committing suicide by riding into a truck was nonsensical. Still a great show though.
Top Boy
The first two seasons of Top Boy was amazing. The show looked at the lives of drug dealers in the Londond borough of Hackney. It was fast pace and unpredictable. Top Boy was like the Wire but in England. However, after the two seasons Top Boy was dropped in 2014 and came back in 2019 after Drake intervened and managed to get Top Boy reinstated on Netflix.
However, seasons 3, 4 and 5 were a struggle to watch. The story archs were repetitive and the acting apart from the lead actors was atrocious. I had to skim watch season 5. With that being said, the ending of Top Boy was great and conclusive. Unlike the Sopranos ending, Top Boy gave the audience closure and we walked away feeling that the bad guys had got their comeuppance. Friends turn on each other and Top Boy shows that crime doesn't pay.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones was a juggernaut from season one to season four. Game of Thrones was the greatest thing since slice bread. It took the world by storm and had people get withdrawals between seasons because it was so addictive.
However, when the show producers ran out of book material Game of Thrones tumbled into mediocrity. The stories made no sense, Tyrion lost his wit, Littlefinger became an idiot and Daenerys turned into a raving lunatic. The plot was so boring and painful to watch and everything was about subverting our expectations. Game of Thrones could have been one of the greatest shows ever but will be forgotten and tossed into the abyss of irrelevance.
I am tired of the Cleopatra films and American slave movies. Every few years they churn out these movies and people are tired of it. I speak on behalf of the whole world when I say we are sick of Cleopatra and slave movies. I will never understand why the following events haven't been depicted on the film. If I had a billion dollars or a magic wand I would turn these historical events into movies.
The Maccabean Revolt 160 BCE
A group of Jewish zealots fight and defeat the Seleucid Greeks. Judah Maccabbee is the Jewish Braveheart.
The Roman Jewish War and the fall of Jerusalem 66-73 CE
A great historical event that still has ramifications to this very day. The destruction of the Jewish temple was a moment that haunted Jews for thousands of years and yet no movie has been made about it.
The Bar Kokhba rebellion and the third Roman Jewish War 132 CE
Another moment in history that had great consequences. It led to the exile of Jews from their homeland for thousands of years and the renaming of Judea to Palestine. Problems from 2000 years still affect the world to this day. Simon bar Kochba was another failed Messiah who whilst brave led his nation to ruin.
The Battle of Tours 732 CE
Charles Martel defeating the Muslims at Tours in 732 saved Europe from Islamicisation. Without that victory history would have been very different and Europeans would be speaking Arabic today. Charles Martel should be honoured for his bravery by making a film about him. Considering how Europe today is being quickly conquered by Muslims via migration it is more important than ever to remind people of the threat that Islam has posed for Europe for a thousand years.
The Zanj Rebellion 883 CE
The Arab slave trade is not talked about enough. Every few years we have movies about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the public is tired of these movies. The enslavement of Africans by Arabs happened for a longer period and was far more barbaric than the American slave trade. Millions of Africans were dragged to the Arab world, many were castrated and died from their wounds. The slavery was so horrible that the African slaves fought a war of liberation against the Abbasid Caliphate in 883CE. One Ali Ibn Muhammad led the rebellion that was ultimately crushed by the Arabs. Nevertheless, I hope one day there can be a big budget Hollywood flick about the Zanj Rebellion.
The Voyages of Zheng He 1405
I am honestly tired of seeing kung fu movies that revolve around the over used plot of revenge against a villain who killed the hero's master. There are other subjects from Chinese history to make movies about. Producers can make movies about the lives of Sun Tzu and Confucius. Or Bi Sheng the inventor of the printing press, Wei Boyang the inventor of gunpowder, Shen Kuo the inventor of the compass, Cai Lun the inventor of paper and Zheng He the explorer. Not every Chinese movie has to be about kung fu and not every Japanese film has to be about the samurai.
In the 15th century the Chinese seafarer Zheng He embarked on seven voyages around the world. While there have been many documentaries on the subject it would be cool to actually see a movie about Zheng Ye who was the greatest Chinese mariner of all time.
The fall of Constantinople 1453 CE
Turks conquering Constantinople and bringing about the end of the Roman empire is something that should be seen in a movie theatre. The last Roman empire throwing himself into battle knowing he would perish is something that should be captured on film and not just read about. (On a sidenote I still don't understand why there aren't more cities named Constantinople in honour of the fallen city).
The Spanish Reconquest 1492 CE
The greatest comeback in all of history. After 700 years of Islamic rule the Christians retake their land and become an empire. The reconquesta has everything required to make a great movie. It has romance, battles and victory.
The Battle of Vienna 1683 CE
The Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683 is another pivotal moment in history. It stopped the Ottomans from conquering all of western Europe. John Sobieski leading the cavalry and routing the Turks should be depicted on film for the world to see. The thousand year old rivalry between the cross and crescent ended that day.
The Rise of the House of Saudi 1727
The story of the House of Saudi is an interesting one. I can see a trilogy of movies being made about the House of Saudi. The first movie would be about the Emirate of Diriyah which began in 1727. The second movie would be about the Emirate of Nejd which lasted until 1891. The third and final movie would be about the Emirate of Riyadh and see the rise of Ibn Saudi and the making of the modern Saudi Arabia state. It is amazing how the House of Saudi rose to prominence and turned a desert into a modern country that is safe and prosperous. With all the money the Saudis have there is no excuse to not make a big budget movie about the House of Saudi.
It seems like the American gangster genre is dead and buried. In the past few years we have gotten a few films about the gangster and they were all lackluster. The Irishman was overrated and garbage. It was too long and the CGI was not very realistic. People only pretended to like it because it was Scorsese and Pacino and Robert De Niro and Pesci.
Gone are the days in the 90s when we had Scarface, Goodfellas and Casino. Gone are the early 2000s when we had the Wire, Breaking Bad and the Sopranos. Maybe Hollywood is too obsessed with super hero movies and don't care about the gangster genre anymore.
Nevertheless, there are still many stories to be told in the gangster genre. There is still a fascination with the outlaw who lives by his own rules. One of the few series that I appreciate is Narcos. It does not glorify crime and paints the mobsters as the vicious bandits that they really are. Gomorra was also another television show that was very realistic and did not sugar coat the lives of criminals and showed how pernicious organized crime is to society.
If I could rewind time I would have like to see Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci play John Gotti and Sammy the Bull respectively. If I had a billion dollars or a magic wand I would like to see the movies made about the following books.
Mafia Prince by Scott Burnstein and Phil Leonetti
It is unforgivable that Mafia Prince has not been turned into a movie. This book should have been put on screen in the 90s. Joe Pesci could have played lunatic mob boss Little Nicky Scarfo and Michael Imperioli could have played his nephew Crazy Phil. The book has every ingredient required to make a great movie. It has action, murder, psychotic violence, dark humour, treachery and redemption. I hope one day Hollywood execs come to their senses and finance this project.
Mob Cops by Greg B Smith
This book should be turned into a movie. Why not? It is about two corrupt cops who worked and killed for the mob. I could easily see Steve Schirripa and Michael Imperioli play the two crooked cops.
A multitude of movies have been made about Mandela. A few series have been made about Shaka the Zulu. But I hope one day we get to see the story of precolonial African leaders who fought against colonialism and were great and capable rulers. Below are books about the men.
Sekhukune king of the Pedi
He fought and defeated the Dutch and deserves to be put on screen.
Mzilikazi king of the Ndebeles
He was brave and intelligent. Fought the Zulus, Boers and Griquas and survived.
Dingane king of the Zulus
Brother of Shaka and king slayer. He resisted the Boers and fought them at Blood River.
Maqoma legendary Xhosa warrior
He fought against colonialism and participated in the Cape Frontier Wars against the British.
Moshoeshoe king of the Sotho
Founder of the Lesotho nation and bulwark against imperialism, Moshoeshoe deserves to have his life put on screen.
It's unbelievable to me how these three books haven't been put on the cinema. Hollywood makes movies about everything but Africans fail to honour their greatest books by depicting them on film. Hopefully one day one of these books will be put on television.
God's case no appeal by Dan Fulani.
Read it when I was a kid and I will never forget it. Awesome story.
Mpho's Search by Sandra Braude
Read it in Literature class in high school. It's a sin that noone made a movie about it.
A Song of Ice and Fire could have been one of the greatest stories ever told. It found its way onto television via HBO and the world got to witness great story telling in the form of Game of Thrones. For four seasons the world was captivated by the world that George RR Martin had built. We felt like we knew the characters on our screens. We cried for Rob at the Red Wedding and grieved when Ned Stark got beheaded. We felt a mixture of joy and sadness when the wicked Joffrey choked to death. And when David Benioff and Dan Weiss ran out of book material the show became a parody of itself and lost its way. Game of Thrones became all about "subverting expectations" just like George Martin had done to the fantasy genre. George Martin did not want to have heroes in white and villains in black. He wanted morally ambiguous characters where good does not triumph over evil. And thus Game of Thrones became a caricature of that staple. From season 5 to the horrid finale it was all about giving viewers something they did not expect. So we got to see the rape of Sansa, Jaime and Cersei dying under a ton of bricks, Jon killing Daenerys and ultimately Bran becoming king of the Seven kingdoms. I cant blame Dan and David for making a mess of the series when the writer of the story himself is failing to finish the books.
Perhaps George Martin is a fraud and an overrated writer. Maybe he was just a glorified screenwriter who got lucky and stumbled into a great story. Or it could be that George is just a lazy son of a bitch. All he wanted was the fame and money and now that he has it, he does not care about the fans or his magnum opus. Maybe George wrote himself into a corner by adding a host of unnecessary plots and characters and now he has dug himself into a hole and is entangled in plots he cannot unravel. Whatever the reason for his failure to finish the books maybe the fault ultimately lies with the publisher and editor. Why didn't the editor tell George to cut out all the characters and plots and stick to the story? Maybe the publisher should have insisted on George finishing the story or they would give it to someone else to finish it.
If I was George RR Martin, I would give up on trying to break the norms and attempting to reconstruct the fantasy genre. I would have Jon Snow defeat the Night King, marry Daenerys Targaryen, sit on the Iron Throne and live happily ever after. Everyone likes a happy ending. But George Martin does not want to do that. He want to recreate the wheel. He wants to subvert expectations. Unfortunately, that will lead to him not finishing A Song of Ice and Fire which would be the ultimate subversion of expectations.
In 2007 the controversial last episode of the Sopranos, Made in America aired and was the last chapter of the Sopranos universe. Personally, I didn't like how it ended. I think Tony died and there are many signs that Tony got clipped in front of his family as revenge for Phil getting killed in front of his wife and grandkids. Signs like 3 o'clock, the bathroom homage to the Godfather, the orange tiger behind Tony are signs he got killed and the waitress pointing to her head are all signs Tony got shot in the head.
If it was up to me, I would have liked to see either the trial of Tony Soprano and ending the series with Tony of a bus going to jail as Woke up this morning played in the background. Or I would have preferred the same ending but with a gun shot right before the black screen and the member's only jacket man wearing a NY hat showing it was New York behind the hit. I doubt anyone really liked the ending. Perhaps, David Chase wanted an ending that would have people speculating on the meaning for the next 100 years which is what happened. Or maybe Chase wanted an ambiguous ending that would leave an opening for a spin off or movie, neither of which happened. I would have been happy with a spin off about Carmela and the kids or the Lupertazzis where Little Carmine becomes the boss or a spin off where Paulie Walnuts became the boss of New Jersey.
Did the fans get a sequel or an exciting spinoff? No. 14 years later after the Sopranos ended we got Many Saints of Newark in 2021. And holy shit, that movie sucked. It showed that David Chase never had the makings of a film producer. It seemed Chase never even bothered to rewatch The Sopranos before giving us the half-baked Many Saints. I for one do not consider Many Saints canon, it is fan fiction slop that deserves to be flushed down the toilet and forgotten.
Many Saints is inconsistent with the Sopranos universe and many things contradict what we learned from the series.
Who killed Dickie Moltisanti?
In the series Tony tells Christopher that his father Dickie was killed by a rogue cop for stabbing an inmate in the eye or something. But in Many Saints, it is revealed that Junior had Paulie kill Dickie because he laughed at him for slipping and falling on his ass. How ridiculous is that? That doesn't even make any sense that Junior would have Dickie killed for such a trivial reason.
Was Dickie a junkie?
Chris tells Tony during a barbeque that his father and Tony's hero was nothing more than a fucking junkie. In Many Saints Dickie is seen drinking a few times but isn't shooting up heroin and sniffing coke like a fucking junkie. So which is it?
If I were to write everything wrong with Many Saints I would have to write a whole book. David Chase clearly forgot how intelligent Soprano fans are. Putting Gandolfini's son in the movie and having Ray Liotta play twins (which was silly and soap opera like) wasn't enough to make a decent movie. Not to mention, the actor playing a younger Silvio Dante which was god awful to watch. Apparently, Chase wanted to make a movie about the Newark riots and the movie head honchos didn't want to unless the movie was about the Sopranos. So David Chase shoe-horned the Newark riots into the Soprano's universe and the movie felt disjointed like trying to ram a square peg into round hole.
I would have liked to see the actors who played Johnny boy Soprano and Uncle Junior in the series play those characters in the movie. Maybe if the lead characters were Italian it would have been better. The fans would have preferred a sequel about the young Tony Soprano. We wanted to see Tony and Jackie Snr rob Feech La Manna's card game. But we compromised and watched Tony rob an ice-cream truck and give cones to little kids. We wanted to see Dickie take down a whole New England crew when he took the war up to them. But we compromised and watched Dickie drown his girlfriend in the ocean because she fucked a black guy. We wanted to watch how Tony did his first hit and whack Willy Overalls. But we compromised and watched Tony cross his finger with a corpse whilst Woke up this morning played in the background. We wanted to watch Tony, Sil, Ralph, Jackie Snr and Big Pussy do scores and sell a little pot. But we compromised and watched John Magaro do a bad impression of Sil. See where I'm going.
With all that said, we should all forget about Many Saints of Newark and pretend it never happened. Frankly, David Chase should be depressed and ashamed for making such a garbage movie. The Sopranos should be left alone as it is. We do not need prequels, sequels or spin-offs.
Just finished reading Chaminuka Prophet of Zimbabwe by Solomon Mutswairo. It was written in 1983. It is about Chaminuka, the spirit medium who It's a good enough read but I had a few problems with the novel. It should not be read as a historical text and thus there are some historical inacurracies.
Chaminuka seems like a minor character. He appears in less than half of the book. Most of the novel is about other characters and their trials and tribulations. You finish the book without knowing or understanding who Chaminuka was. The writer does not delve into Chaminuka's thoughts and feelings. I did not get a sense of what Chaminuka's motivations were. He just appears on the page like a ghost or an otherworldly figure. Solomon Mutswairo simply writes what was already known about Chaminuka's life and does not really add anything new.
My second criticism is that the writer stuffs a lot of politics and tribalism into the book. Prophet of Zimbabwe seems like an anti-white, anti-Ndebele and pro Zanu pf fluff piece. The Ndebeles come across as one dimensional savages or idiots and the Shona seem like a valiant saints. There is a very strong anti-colonial sentiment in the book where Chaminuka makes prophecies about the destruction of the white colonialists. It is quite obvious that the writer is writing in a post colonial era.
What I did like about Chaminuka Prophet of Zimbabwe is that it does give a glimpse into the life and culture of the Shonas and Ndebele. The writing is good and the book is easy to read. I would give it a 6/10.
Team America : World Police might seem like a silly comedy about puppets at first glance but it isn't. Team America is a movie that transcends comedy. It is a critic about Hollywood, politics and makes fun of everything American. I enjoyed the movie and implore anyone who hasn't watched it to give it a look. It is funny and while you are laughing the truth is injected into your subconscious.
The best part of the movie is about assholes, pussies and dicks. Dicks just want to fuck all the time. Pussies think everyone can get along. Assholes just want to shit all over everything. Sometimes the pussies get mad at dicks for fucking them but dicks also fuck assholes and if they didn't everyone would be covered in shit.
The final speech is also a goldmine. Gary explains how the pussies keep dicks in line but sometimes pussies are so full of shit they become assholes. And sometimes the assholes get fucked so much and so hard they become pussies, like the Germans and Japanese after World War 2.
It is an analogy that is apt and can be used to relate to everything from dealing with noisy neighbours to global politics.
Take for example the Israel Palestine conflict.
Israel are the dicks who just want to fuck all the time, they blow shit up and kill people.
Palestinians are the assholes who just want to shit all over everyone (Check why they were kicked out of Kuwait and Jordan and Lebanon).
Liberals and America are the pussies who just want everyone to get along.
Using the Team America philosophy it is clear that Israel must sometimes fuck the Palestinians so they dont shit all over everyone. And sometimes America must keep Israel in line but sometimes America is so full of shit they are like assholes. It is a fine balance that often gets out of line but it is the way of the world.
Another example was South Africa under apartheid and Rhodesia.
The colonial whites were the dicks who kept the communist revolutionaries in check, the liberal west were the pussies who wanted everyone to get along. In this instance, the pussies forced the dicks to stop fucking the assholes and now everyone is covered in shit. Meaning, the liberals forced the colonialist to stop fighting the communists and now Zimbabwe South Africa and the whole of the third world are shit holes.
Another example is World war 2.
The Nazis, the Fascists and the Japanese who were the assholes who wanted to shit on everyone. Chamberlain and the peacemongers were the pussies who wanted everyone to get along. As a result of the pussies, the assholes shat all over the whole world and it was up to the American dicks to fuck up the assholes.
So in conclusion, one must decided in life whether they want to be a dick, a pussy or an asshole. It is better to be a dick but one needs a pussy to rein in the excesses of the dick. And assholes really serve no purpose and one should never be so much of a pussy they become an asshole.
And when it comes to electing leaders it is better to vote for a dick than an asshole.
Animal Farm by George Orwell aka Eric Blair is one the greatest books ever written. It is a parable about farm animals driving off the farm owner and taking control of the farm. The pigs lead the animal revolution but soon turn on the animals and become the new oppressors. The book ends with the animals failing to see the difference between the pigs and the humans. Animal Farm was really a jab at the Soviet Union and their revolution. The Bolsheviks led the revolution against the Romanov dynasty then turned around and became the new oppressors who may have been worse than the old oppressor. But the theme of new boss same as the old boss is not only relevant to the Soviet Union and the Bolshevik revolution. The freedom fighter turning into an oppressor is a story as old as the hills. It happened when Napoleon became an emperor. It happened when the American founding fathers continued the slave trade and stealing land from the Native Americans. It happened when the Maccabeans became Hellenist. It happened when the free slaves of Liberia became slave owners. It happened after Cromwell had King James executed. It has happened over and over in history and will continue to happen until the end of time.
And so the Animal Farm story is applicable to Zimbabwe formerly known as Rhodesia. The characters are as follows
Tongogara or Chitepo was Old Major
Farmer Jones was Ian Smith
Mugabe was Napoleon
Joshua Nkomo was Snowball
After Tongogara or Old Major died the Africans won their revolutionary war and kicked out Ian Smith or Farmer Manor, there was a tussle for power between Mugabe or Napoleon and Nkomo as Snowball. Nkomo is defeated and flees into exile though unlike the pig Snowball he does return. Nevertheless, the tyranny of the pigs is similar to the tyranny of Zanu pf after the so called independence. The revolutionaries exploit the Zimbabwean people to such a point there is no difference betweeen the freedom fighters and the oppressors. All Zimbabweans can do is look on as the Zanu pf elite walk on two legs, mimic the former colonial masters and get fat from the ill gotten wealth.
Funnily enough, the Animal Farm saga replayed itself again in Zimbabwe politics decades later. The characters are
Mugabe was Farmer Jones
Mnangagwa was Napoleon
Saviour Kasukuwere was Snowball
The politics in Zimbabwe are quite similar to what took place in the Soviet Union. After Lenin died, a power struggle between the brainy Trotsky and the brawny Stalin took place and Stalin took power. Likewise, after Mugabe's death, the brawny Mnangagwa overcame the brainy Professor Moyo who went into exile like Trotsky did.
After decades of corrupt rule Zanu pf became fragmented and Mugabe became the villain and tyrant. Mugabe as farmer Jones was kicked out by his underlings and Mnangagwa as Napoleon became the ruler whilst Kasukuwere as Snowball fled into exile. The Zimbabwean public was duped into believing Mnangagwa would be better than the former tyrant but time has revealed that there is little difference between the liberator and the oppressor. Once again the common Zimbabwe folk are on the outside staring in and failing to tell the freedom fighter and tyrant apart. The lesson one learns from Animal Farm is to never trust or place faith in politicians and leaders because they will ultimately let you down. Like Mark Twain famously said, politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.
I wrote a short story that is similar to Animal Farm the Animal Ranch that deals with the same ideas of freedom, oppression and betrayal. Buy it now. Link below.
This is a fantastic read that should be turned into a movie. It is about Mzilikazi son Mashobane, king of the Matabele nation. Mzilikazi is one of the handful of African warriors who emerge from the Mfecane wars of the early 1800s that saw the wars of Shaka cause havoc across pre-colonial South Africa. Mzilikazi is born to a small chiefdom and is caught between the conflict between Zwide of the Ndwandwe and Dingiswayo of the Mthetwa. Dingiswayo is beheaded and Mzilikazi picks a side and becomes a trusted friend and general of Shaka who later becomes king of the Zulu. For whatever reason, Mzilikazi rebels from Shaka's rule and heads north to create his own kingdom but he will have to fight against Boers, Griquas and Zulus as he journeys. Path of Blood is action packed and paints a picture of a highly intelligent, ambitious, brave and yet cruel African warrior and king. Peter Becker is a natural writer. Every sentence holds the reader captive and the mind does not wander as you turn the pages. It is simply a delight.
It amazes me that there has not been a series or movie about Mzilikazi similar to the one about Shaka that was created in the 80s. Mzilikazi is the student who outperforms the master. He lived longer than Shaka and created a nation that has lasted to this day in Zimbabwe. It is a shame that in Zimbabwe he is not as honoured by the ruling party as Shaka is in South Africa. Hopefully that changes one day and a holiday is set aside on the date of his death on 9 September.
With that said, get a copy of Path of Blood. You will not regret it.
Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most compelling figures in history. A simple carpenter from a one horse town became the son of God, king of the universe and the redeemer of mankind. Not according to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of America. It is very fitting that a man named Thomas would be a Doubting Thomas. Jefferson clearly does not believe in miracles and works of wonder that defy the laws of the universe. In the Jefferson Bible Jefferson cuts out all the miracles and supernatural occurrences. Jesus is stripped bare of his super powers. In the gospel according to Thomas Jefferson he was not born of a virgin. He was not the son of God. He did not walk on water and he most definitely did not rise from the dead.
I found the Jefferson Bible to be more interesting than the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. As an agnostic, I feel the Jefferson Bible paints a more realistic picture of who Yeshua really was. He was most likely, the bastard son of a Jewish woman who was initially the follower of John the Baptist. Then after John is beheaded, Yeshua begins his mission to teach his disciples and the common Jewish peasants about the coming of the kingdom of God. Perhaps he was a con artist or maybe he was a schizophrenic mad man. Did Jesus incur the wrath of the temple establishment or did his teachings get him in trouble with the Roman establishment? How much of the words in the new testament were his own and how many were later added? Was the story of Yeshua a game of Chinese telephone that spun out of control and gave birth to a religion? Will we never know.
Back to the Jefferson Bible. The Jesus of this book comes across as a philosopher, a social activist, a deep and complex figure. A witty banterer and a thorn in the side of the rich and corrupt. This portrait of Jesus is probably closer to the real Jesus than the water walking and water to wine making Jesus of legend. He is more like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and ultimately faces the same consequences they did. He became a martyr. The end of the Jefferson Bible is sad and tragic for there is no Sunday resurrection and no ascension into heaven. The Jesus of the Jefferson Bible dies a gruesome death and is buried and that's where the story ends. There is no happy ending and that is more poignant and leaves the reader in a state of moaning.
Definitely worth the read. I would give it a 10/10.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpg)
.jpeg)