I am working on this chapter right now and i am finding it quite difficult. i want to convey the deep desire of the pirates to be acknowledged for their adventures while at the same time showing them to be the pillaging bastards that they really are. basically, they wanted to be loved, when they found that the people of Long Beach didn’t really give a fuck and were more interested in the sunset, the drinks, the flirtations with sunnyside dudes who preach to high heaven about their 10 day meditation retreat, etc, anger and resentment forced these guys into a liquor and debauch frenzy that was … basically the catharsis of warriors after battle returned home to a peaceful and blissfully unaware homeland.
So it was a sack that could have been prevented. Like Nanjing. Some people say the Japanese went berserk because the Chinese army defended Shanghai for two months and that infuriated the arrogant “liberators” so they took it out on the capital. It is interesting to note that Chiang Kai Shek supposedly sacrificed his army in order to convince the Allies that the Chinese were capable of fighting the Japanese, thereby garnering support, cash and Gen. Stillwell. Or the sack of Constantinople when the Crusaders arrived and realized they did not have their shit together for an assault on the Holy Land and so they took it out on their “hosts” the Byzantines who were rich, decadent and standing in opposition to the Roman Pope. The Byzantines asked the Crusaders to help with those dastardly Turks, and ended up getting raped and pillaged by their “saviors.”
So i am trying to get the mindset of the pillager down. How does one go from wanting to be loved by a group of people to wanting to destroy them? Its a feeling of inferiority in a way, that makes the pillager resort to pillaging. It i also interesting to realize that the Japanese must have felt conflicted about destroying China because China was once the beacon of light for an island of semi-civilized immigrants. How must it have felt for the student to look upon a fallen master, groveling and weak before hairy barbarians? It drove them to destroy. To wipe out their own shame.
And writing that is kinda painful. Cuz i was one of the pirates.
3 thoughts on “The Sack of Long Beach”
I wish you’d write a book, I’d buy it. I am trying to read all you have written, but I keep having to hop around. If you ever do write a book, please send me a short email so I can go buy it.{dabampire@yahoo.com]
You’re living life, lots of info, very good reading! [Just hope I don’t miss much].
What up my brother/sister. I am writing a book and I am nearing the penultimate stage. its slow goin sometimes and fast paced at others. I’ll fo sho let you know when it drops. And if i write one, i expect the flood gates to bust out you know, cuz i got more coming. thanks for the love.
i was explaining to the rebelangel the other day what it is that bees do and why they are so awesome.
they just go about their bizness, gathering pollen and turning it into the honey that they love so much… but in the process they are accidentally pollenating plants over the entire planet, and feeding us all. pretty amazing, huh?
well then i got to thinking that it was kinda like those island boys you’re always going off about in your book — these hobos who are going about their bizness, thinking they are just serving themselves and their own needs, but really they are affecting the world in some powerful way.
or maybe not. what do you think?