The Summer of the Rising Tides, Day 5: Fascism, Part 3

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 5, 2020 in collaborating, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving

June 5, 2020, Jacob Lake, AZ-

Here, we look at the possibility of a fascist regime, or several, in our own time.

One common definition of the term, frequently cited by reliable sources as a standard definition, is that of historian Stanley G. Payne. He focuses on three concepts:

the “fascist negations”: anti-liberalism, anti-communism, and anti-conservatism;
“fascist goals”: the creation of a nationalist dictatorship to regulate economic structure and to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture, and the expansion of the nation into an empire; and
“fascist style”: a political aesthetic of romantic symbolism, mass mobilization, a positive view of violence, and promotion of masculinity, youth, and charismatic authoritarian leadership.^{[27][28][29][30]}

Since 2000, several central andeastern European states have seen the rise of charismatic and authoritarian leaders. To varying degrees, the leaders of Russia, Hungary, Poland and Belarus have adopted a Fascist style of governance, though they have not been as full-on, in adopting a culture of violence as their predecessors in the last century. Russia has certainly built a nationalist economic structure, with a view towards restoring at least some of its past territorial range.

Fascists in other European countries, who have less of a chance to gain power, have nonetheless pursued attempts to remain in the public eye. Rallies, and intermittent acts of harassment against non-native residents, have increased in frequency, in Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Greece and the Netherlands. The United Kingdom and France have seen less of such incidents, mainly because the extremists have been subsumed into the more “mainstream” far right parties, led by Nigel Farage and Marine Le Pen, respectively. Neither of those leaders is given to promoting a Fascist agenda, eaudi Arabia, Hungary, myanmar,ven if their stress is nationalistic.

Elsewhere in the world, we see Fascist sentiments, expressed by leaders as disparate as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the Presidents of Brazil, Myanmar and the Philippines, as well as the Supreme Leader of Iran. In each case, all three fascist negations are in evidence; a nationalist, nativist economic system is being encouraged; ethnic and religious minorities are being disparaged as enemies of the state’; the glories of the nation’s past are being used to whip up a nationalistic fervour and violence, combined with a near worship of the charismatic, authoritarian leader is being enkindled.

Is this being repeated in the United States? The very question has set the nerves of some conservatives on edge, and in fairness, the current president does not show an anti-conservattive bias, has a utilitarian view of relations with communist countries (albeit a love-hate relationship) and focuses most of his disdain on liberals and progressives. A dictated economic structure, which he is certainly capable of arranging, would appeal to many citizens, who are as tired of the weekly grind, as members of ethnic minorities are of daily harassment.

Although he shows appreciation, and a need for, the attention being showered on him by his admirers and tends to lash out at even his slightest detractors, there is not a strong cult of machismo being established, as such (The image of the president as a “Rambo” figure, here in Arizona, is more a red herring, than anything else.). He does not place as much emphasis on physical training as, say, the leaders of Russia and the Philippines. Authoritarianism, however, is a growing concern. His ability to accept defeat, gracefully, needs to be displayed, and followed up with evidence of personal growth, if the fears that many people have, of an emergent fascist regime, are to be assauged.

We are not immune to seeing fascism take the reins of governance, in the United States. This is one of the prime reasons for a system of checks and balances- and for the Bill of Rights being the first ten amendments to our Constitution.

The Summer of the Rising Tides, Day 4: Fascism, Part 2

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 4, 2020 in Historical, impediments, Social

June 4, 2020-

One common definition of the term, frequently cited by reliable sources as a standard definition, is that of historian Stanley G. Payne. He focuses on three concepts:

the “fascist negations”: anti-liberalism, anti-communism, and anti-conservatism;
“fascist goals”: the creation of a nationalist dictatorship to regulate economic structure and to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture, and the expansion of the nation into an empire; and
“fascist style”: a political aesthetic of romantic symbolism, mass mobilization, a positive view of violence, and promotion of masculinity, youth, and charismatic authoritarian leadership.^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30]

The period 1929-45 is notable for the rise of several regimes that were based on continuity of government, on strong rule by a coterie of “dependable” officials, and a critical mass of public support, for those in power.

This was accomplished in the United States, by elections which were judged free and fair, resulting in the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1932, and his re-election in 1936, 1940 and 1944. When Roosevelt died, barely into his fourth term, there was a peaceful transfer of power to his Vice President, Harry S. Truman.

In neighbouring Canada, a similar process resulted in the election of William Lyon Mackenzie King as Prime Minister, in 1921, and his re-election in every contest, save 1930-35, until his retirement from public life, in 1948. King’s tenure was more based on public support for his policies, than on any cult of personality, however.

Across the Atlantic, the harsh terms imposed upon Germany, under the Treaty of Versailles, resulted in severe economic conditions. Coupled with the worldwide economic collapse of 1929, the grief felt by many Germans proved fertile ground for Adolf Hitler, and his National Socialist Party (NAZI). Hitler’s willingness to apply a particularly efficient form of brute force ultimately brought more ruin to Germany, after his Armed Forces staged a sweep across Europe, only to expend their resources and fall to defeat, at the hands of a three-pronged Allied offensive, in World War II. His legacy of infamy is signified by the mass ethnic cleansing campaign, which is known today as The Holocaust.

Was Hitler a Fascist? Certainly, he employed portions of all three of the concepts identified by Stanley G. Payne, as definitive of the Fascist system. His economy, though, did not alienate itself from standard business-oriented conservatism. He conducted a robust, if clandestine, trade with large multinational corporations, based in both North America and neutral European nations. Otherwise, Hitler adhered to both Fascist goals and style of governance.

At this point, I wish to point out the more “orthodox” Fascism, followed by Benito Mussolini. Mussolini began his public life as a socialist, but grew bored with the efforts at seeking an egalitarian society. He turned instead to the concept of Fascism, embracing a total state control of economic structure, a renewal of the “Italian Empire”-his take on ancient Rome. and a social network that promoted the use of violence and an emphasis on masculinity-with himself as the prime example (Il Duce-“The Leader”). He ruled Italy from 1922-1945, managing to establish a fairly efficient transportation system and large homegrown industries. As with Hitler, however, Mussolini’s ambitions outgrew his nation’s resources, and his government fell, before an Allied invasion, from 1943-45.

Mussolini’s protege, Francisco Franco, of Spain, took power, as a Falangist (the Spanish equivalent of Fascist), in 1936, assuming total control of Spain, with both German and Italian military assistance, in 1939. Franco ruled Spain until his death, in 1975. Franco’s Fascism focused promarily on achieving Fascist goals, particularly state regulation of the economy. He did not renounce conservatism, as Mussolini had, as one of Franco’s goals was preservation of the Church and eventual restoration of the Spanish monarchy. He did not pursue as active a cult of personality, as Mussolini, either, though he took the title of El Caudillo (” The Strongman”). Franco’s caution, with regard to World War II, kept Spain out of that conflict, though he supported the Axis Powers in principle. Franco’s brutality relaxed, in the 1950’s, though Spain remained something of an economic backwater, lacking the natural resources and capitalist minds of Italy. With that relaxation, however, a group of younger businessmen and entreprenuers did emerge, leading to the “Spanish Miracle”, for which Franco took personal credit. His long rule was largely due to his more moderate take on Fascism.

Finally, for this section, let it be noted that fascism, like communism, is not limited to the European continent. Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada, a military careerist, with considerable informal education, became rather enchanted with the period of Nazi rule in Germany. Although Amin was not enamoured of Communism, he did abide its presence in his country of Uganda, mainly to procure aid from the Soviet Union and East Germany. Amin pursued what he thought of as Fascism, though his economic model was negligible, being mostly focused on enriching himself and a coterie of advisers. He did encourage a cult of personality, with himself at the center, allowing thugs to operate, with impunity, against real and perceived opponents. His one attempt at trying to carve out an empire, proved his undoing. In 1978, Amin sent troops into the neighbouring Tanzanian province of Kagera, with the idea being its annexation by Uganda. Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, a no-nonsense man, sent his nation’s Army to take back Kagera, and to finish the job of ridding Africa of Amin.

So Fascism, like Communism, has been several things to several people. Could it happen in our time?

The Summer of Rising Tides, Day 3: Fascism, Part 1

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 3, 2020 in Historical, impediments, Social

June 3, 2020-

The word “fascism” has been bandied about so freely, these days, it seems useful to take a look at what the term means (Part 1); how it has been applied in the past (Part 2); how, if at all, it is being applied now (Part 3).

Here is a commonly-accepted definition of the term:

“One common definition of the term, frequently cited by reliable sources as a standard definition, is that of historian Stanley G. Payne. He focuses on three concepts:

the ‘fascist negations’: anti-liberalism, anti-communism, and anti-conservatism;
‘fascist goals’: the creation of a nationalist dictatorship to regulate economic structure and to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture, and the expansion of the nation into an empire; and
‘fascist style’: a political aesthetic of romantic symbolism, mass mobilization, a positive view of violence, and promotion of masculinity, youth, and charismatic authoritarian leadership.^{[27][28]“[29][30]}

Fasci were bundles of sticks, fastened together around an axe handle, in Roman times. The tool was used by lectors, who served Imperial Magistrates, as a means of corporal or capital punishment. Although Fascism, as a system, is not commonly associated with the Roman Empire, the ‘fascist style’ certainly could describe the cults of personality that sprung up, during the rules of Julius Caesar, Octavian (Augustus), Claudius and, even more to the extreme, in the days of Caligula and Nero.

Thus has Fascism come to suggest a regime that purports to signify a government of high efficiency, yet often is marked by high levels of caprice and corruption-with the chief civil authority figure and the chief operating officer, underneath him (so far, no women have been identified as Fascist figures), running the affairs of state, virtually by decree.

NEXT: A look at three Fascist states of the Twentieth Century

Altogether Fitting and Proper

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on May 20, 2020 in collaborating, Community, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

May 20, 2020-

I woke today, feeling the power that comes with a day which may be written as 05-20-20, and which is the midpoint of the twentieth week of 2020. Being Wednesday, I found myself in two consecutive Zoom calls, for two different reasons, this afternoon.

After those were finished, it was time for a regenerative cat nap-THEN came the urge to finally take the first of four directional walks. So, on went the sneakers, sunglasses and ballcap-and east I went.

Today was the last of a series of mild, rather breezy days, so walking was a veritable pleasure. My eastward route took me as far as the still-shuttered Planet Fitness franchise, in a shopping center called Frontier Village. This was a 1 1/2 mile-one-way jaunt, and relatively easy.

The way back led me along the edge of Prescott VA Cemetery, resting place of many military veterans, and a place where I usually join a large group of volunteers, placing American flags at gravesites, on Memorial Day weekend. I’ve heard nothing about that, this year, so am thinking it’s another casualty of COVID19. I stopped and read Abraham Lincoln’s “Address at Gettysburg Memorial Cemetery”, thinking about what, today, is “altogether fitting and proper”.

There are three things that come immediately to mind:

Treat all citizens, especially those with whom one disagrees, as worthy of respect.

2. Honour those who may need us to make small adjustments in our daily conduct- i.e. people who might be immunocompromised, and need those around them, in public places, to wear face masks.

3. Continue thinking for self-and that means THINKING, not following the loudest voices in the room, on the Internet or in the streets.

These are altogether fitting and proper, nearly 157 years after our nation’s 16th President dedicated a military cemetery, receiving the remains of those who fought in one of our nation’s bloodiest, and most divisive, conflicts.

Light, Out of Calamity

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 27, 2020 in collaborating, Community, Education, Historical, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 27, 2020-

In some of mankind’s darkest moments, advances have come from the suffering, like small mammals coming forth after the Age of Dinosaurs. These advances, in short order, became a part of the fabric of human culture.

After the Great Plague, of the Fourteenth Century, Europeans began to return to embracing science, rather than superstition, in treating illnesses. The primacy of Cardinals and Bishops began to face widespread scrutiny, and the stirrings of Protestantism were felt. The Catholic Church itself had to make changes, under Ignatius Loyola. Advances in scientific discovery came, as a result of these trends.

After the American Civil War, the Red Cross was started, by Clara Barton, as a means of assisting soldiers, in time of calamity. It quickly expanded to help society at large, in times of disaster.

After World War I, movements to assist disabled and unassisted veterans, in returning to civilian life began, with the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. These organizations still make large scale efforts to assist those who suffer from dislocation, or from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

After World War II, mass production of houses, the science of rocketry, television and large computers became part of the civilian world, having been first advanced within the military sphere. From large, room-sized computers have come hundreds of technological products, many of them falling into the realm of nanotechnology.

Now, we will await the advances coming out of the struggle against Coronavirus Disease 2019. Teleconferencing, already available for business, government and limited conversations between family members and other small groups, has exploded in use, as nearly every group, which conducted its business in person, has found ways to meet virtually. Even when the crisis has ended, I can see the sheer range of teleconferencing leading to its continued wide use among the public at large. It will also greatly modify the educational process, even more than it has to date.

The retrofitting of factories that produce a wide variety of products, from airplanes to distilled spirits, are now also producing items that will help face the virus. Ventilators, medical-grade masks and hand sanitizer will still need to be stockpiled, even after this virus has spent its rampage. Preparedness will not soon, if ever, be relegated to the realm of memory.

There will be many tasks, which the technology and skill sets coming out of the current crisis will need to be called to perform. Not the least of these is completing the still gargantuan effort to provide all homes with clean, running water and reliable heat or cooling. This work will occupy post-pandemic humanity for years, if not decades.

Out of the darkness comes a greater light. Baha’u’llah teaches:

“O SON OF MAN! My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy. Hasten thereunto that thou mayest become an eternal light and an immortal spirit. This is My command unto thee, do thou observe it.”

Stop the Squeeze

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on March 23, 2020 in collaborating, Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Striving

March 23, 2020-

I watched a video last night, which, while not made by a Baha’i, explains Baha’u’llah’s vision of a unified planet, perfectly. The part that is most relevant for what we are seeing now is this: Earth is in the beginning stages of cleansing, with simultaneous earth quakes and a huge humanitarian crisis forming the physical manifestations of that cleansing. What is most needed, for us to build out of these calamities, is true unity of the human race. This is starting to appear in several countries, with the United States conspicuous in its absence from their number.

Instead, what we are seeing is the same intense squabbling over details of a national response that has been part of the American scene since the Constitutional Convention of 1781-88. Back then, there was no real nation, so the states and territories had time to sit and hash things out. The governors and legislators, back home, had matters pretty much in hand.

Governors and legislatures have things in hand today, as well, to varying degrees. At the Federal level, though, no such luck. The two “sides” have pretty much continued throwing bones to their bases, forgetting that, in a pinch, liberals and conservatives left to themselves, without being poked and prodded from above, can get along quite nicely. I have friends on all points along the spectrum, and do not think of any of them as worthless or a waste of DNA. Everyone has a piece of the truth.

The jigsaw puzzle, though, is being kept unfinished by perfectionist wire-pullers, for whom a solution would be like poison. For them, being in positions of power is the most critical state of affairs. Unity, in their view, would lead to wisdom among the populace, who would then cease to follow the leaders.

More’s the pity. Unity among the people would only enhance the grand national economy, cherished by conservatives. Unity would decrease, drastically, the number of marginalized people, a major concern of liberals and progressives. It would show that “white nationalism” is a myth made up out of whole cloth and would also diminish the need for a the trappings of a Nanny State-so counterproductive to human dignity.

It can be accomplished in either of two ways: Leaders showing the resolve to put the country ahead of any personal or partisan ambitions, and encouraging people to work together OR fed-up groups taking matters into their own hands, with a possibly long and bloody conflict, that would make the Civil War look like childsplay.

It is time, past time, to stop squeezing the bases. Let it be known that love of country and its people, at long last trumps ambition.

Quantum, and Other, Leaps

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 29, 2020 in collaborating, Community, Historical, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Spiritual, Striving

February 29, 2020-

Whilst working as a teacher aide in a small school in Maine, I was paired with a seasoned teacher, who also happened to have been born on February 29. She had flexible birthday celebrations, usually sticking with the 28th, for the three years that her actual birthday was not on the calendar.

Leap Day has long been a source of fascination to me, as my own date of birth is the 28th of November, and thus I mark mensiversaries in my mind-especially as I’ve gotten on in years. So, today is a bonus, of sorts, as I mark being 69 1/4 years of age.

Many of us take quantum leaps in our minds, in any given area of life with which we may be dissatisfied, or in which we think matters are not quite moving in the direction that they might. Flights of fancy, while temporarily assuaging discomfort, don’t actually end up solving problems.

They do, however, many times end up being the grist for ideas which may be practical, in a future time. Baha’u’llah offered many concepts, in the mid-to late-19th Century, which seemed ludicrous in the context of that day and age, but many of which make sense now, and others which are predicated on Mankind’s moving beyond the mindset of even our relatively global way of thinking.

Most people, with whom I speak about the Baha’i Faith, are fine with the Oneness of the Human Race, overcoming prejudices, equality of men and women and universal peace. The mechanics and details are another matter. No one, including the Baha’is, wants to see a world government that is less than transparent, or less than a government which honours dignity, harmony and participation by the people. The difference in opinion comes largely from fear that ANY global entity will have nefarious purposes. Christ warns about such tyranny, and so does Baha’u’llah. Only after world peace is truly established, can serious talk about democratically-elected international bodies be undertaken.

So, we continue to take leaps of faith and of mental acuity. Some are quantum in nature; others are more tenuous. I have done both, in my mind, all the while recognizing that some ideas that I have are bound to prove as practical as my short legs would be, were I to attempt Parkour. It’s worth the mental effort, though, to at least run them through my mind.

Happy Leap Day, all!

Barriers Are In the Mind

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 18, 2020 in Community, distraction issues, Historical, impediments, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

February 17, 2020, Yuma-

A commenter on one of my recent posts, on another social media site, took issue with the notion that freedom has a price. Once, an explanation of that statement was offered, he had a better appreciation o fits meaning. He did, for his part, also make a valid point: We can choose not to surrender our freedom to those who would take us down and use us for their own designs. Indeed, I have made several choices, even so far this year, that have not set well with some others. In the end, though, they can also choose for themselves, as to a best course of action. The sun should not rise and set, with any other person, when it comes to making choices of one’s own.

After a three-hour visit with some long-time friends, in this bustling border city, I took in two sites that focus on the consequences of discordance and social unrest: Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park and the border wall at San Luis.

The Prison is, of course,defunct as a place of incarceration. It long ago gave way to a more “up-to-date” facility, in Florence, itself now slated for closure, after over 100 years of use. Yuma Territorial Prison was established in 1875, at the behest of the area’s representative in the Arizona Territorial Legislature: Jose Maria Redondo. It served as the Arizona Territory’s place of incarceration, from 1876-1909.

Since that time, Yuma has alternately used the facility as a temporary high school (1910-1914), a homeless shelter (1930-39) and, most recently, as the centerpiece of the city’s historical heritage preservation.

Here are a few scenes of the present State Historical Park. Below, is a view of the Colorado River’s wetlands, below the Park grounds.

Here is the railroad bridge, opposite the Park. It is still in use.

This was the Parade Ground.

This was the Guard Tower.

These are two views of the Sally Port (Puerto de Salir), or main entrance to the enclosed prison.

The present-day Museum is in the site of the Prison Mess Hall.

Men and women, Mormon polygamists and Mexican revolutionaries, white collar thieves and cutthroats-all shared this facility, at one time or another. The most famous of its prison breaks, the Gates Riot (October, 1877), saw Superintendent Thomas Gates taken hostage, one of his trusted inmates, Barney Riggs, come to his rescue and killed Gates’ attacker. The would-be escapees went to the Dark Cell, Gates suffered the ill-effects of the attack for the remaining twenty years of his life and Riggs was eventually set free.

Here is a view of the main cell block.

Next, a couple of views of the typical cell.

These were the first bunk beds.

Finally, this is a view of the Dark Cell, the holding place of the most incorrigible prisoners.

In spite of appearances, the Yuma facility was progressive for its time. It had electricity, running water and was mostly operated with a rehabilitative, rather than a punitive, mindset.

I left this city, for a forty-minute ride to San Luis, to take a brief look at the border crossing leading to the large Sonoran community of San Luis Rio Colorado. It was peak crossing time for day labourers, who were returning home. In fairness, the barrier here looks nothing like the much-photographed Bollock sections, in other areas along the frontier. I don’t much care for the fortress-like images being promoted as “necessary”, but the real barriers to human progress are in the mind. This puts the onus for social change and justice squarely on those creating the barriers-both the antisocial elements whose actions generate fear and the reactionaries who fancy that building such structures will obviate any further efforts at rectifying the imbalances present in society.

Most of us, whether “liberal” or “conservative”, actually fall somewhere in the middle on this one. I wonder how Thomas Gates, the reformer penologist, would have dealt with undocumented immigrants.

When Relics Crumble

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 16, 2020 in Community, Historical, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

February 16, 2020, Yuma-

Driving down AZ 95, towards this vibrant border city, I passed the remnants-the shell- of a western Arizona mainstay: Stone Cabin. It was, I’m told, a favourite stopping place for people traveling between Las Vegas and Mexico, during the 1950’s, ’60’s and ’70’s. There was a large gas station and a bustling snack bar, with space for families to get out and stretch their legs, in an area which otherwise had no amenities for travelers.

Today, as I drove past, there was only the shell of the building, with no signage indicating what once was. I knew what it was, only because of an earlier road mileage sign, on which Stone Cabin was listed. I could sense happy ghosts, of those who had found respite there, at least during the eight months a year that Stone Cabin’s proprietors kept it open. (There was not as much traffic through the area, during the hottest months of the year: May-August.)

Many things fall apart, in anyone’s life and in the life of a community, during the course of years, decades and, with respect to the larger social entity-centuries. I have a certain amount of time left and, while not knowing-or needing to know, how much that is, I will carry on with what I sense is given me to do.

Society does much the same. Some feel it is a necessary social project, to build barriers: Walls and fences, which they hope will keep unsavory intruders from entering the American nation. I have my doubts, as no wall has thus far accomplished its stated purpose, in perpetuity. We’ll see. The project has accomplished a division of people, but across ideological lines. It won’t physically crumble until long after the generations which have reached adulthood, as of the present day, are gone. My own hope is that it will generate a meaningful and earnest conversation, between the physically-divided peoples, albeit from a spot where the most fearful people are experiencing a sense of relief. When unity is realized, the wall’s builders will have unwittingly obviated its purpose.

Relics crumble, even after they have offered a fair number of people a sense of well-being.

Two Grapes

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on February 3, 2020 in animal and plant life, children, Education, Historical, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

February 3, 2020-

The young girl had less willpower than she had thought. Faced with a sumptuous, fully-laden buffet, she took two grapes for herself. This awakened the buffet’s master, who killed two of the young girl’s faerie guides and nearly captured her. In turn, the faeries’ master, a faun, angrily banished the young girl from his enchanted cave. I got the initial impression, whilst watching Pan’s Labyrinth, last night, that the faun was no more enamoured of the child-or of children in general, than was the girl’s step father, a severe and arrogant captain in Francisco Franco’s Army.

It was 1944, and while the Fascists had largely brought Spain under their control, there were pockets of active partisan resistance. There was little tolerance for romantic notions or for childhood fancies. The girl was tolerated by both of the principal male figures, as mentioned above, and her mother, the captain’s new wife, was merely a means to an end for her husband, who wanted a male heir above all else.

I thought of just how much progress has been made, with regard to gender relations, since that time. Like any other area of life, the most progress towards equanimity has been made since the mid-1970’s, when women stopped gratuitously accepting acts of chivalry. The truer, deeper courtesy that came out of the Women’s Rights movement of 1970-76 has only served to help men become more authentic gentlemen, rather than simply aping the courtesies of the past. Honouring a woman’s dignity meant that she could open her own doors-and even open a door for a man.

The little girl, Ofelia, was as skillful as she was willful, managing to fool a monstrous frog, who had stolen a key belonging to the faun. She also got a dagger from a cabinet in the buffet master’s chamber, and procured mandrake root, which she nourished in order for her pregnant, ailing mother to recover. She never appeared to wallow in self-pity.

The captain and his men made a mess of things, leading to his wife’s death and, eventually, to their own slaughter. This, by dint of their stubborn adherence to Franco’s doctrine of “cleansing Spain”. The faun, also doctrinaire, inadvertently caused Ofelia to be caught by the captain, through his insistence that she let her infant brother be bled.

Everyone serves the Creator, directly or indirectly. As it happened, Ofelia’s refusal to shed her innocent brother’s blood, preferring to sacrifice herself instead, met with approval from her Eternal Father, who welcomed her into Paradise, with a throne of her own, to his left. The chastened faun recognized her goodness in the end, and bowed in service.

The calamities set in motion by the pure child, eating two grapes, leave lots of room for thought: Who is more at fault, a child taking a small bit of food from another being, or the chastiser, full of his own importance?