History of Philosophy Audio Archive Hemlock #28 Watchmen: A Cold War Essay (Part One) Ozymandias, The Doomsday Clock, Rorschach, Nukes in Vietnam, Berlin Pop, Rilke, Thomas Merton & the Unspeakable, and Confronting the End of the World
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Music Credit (Cover of 99 Luftballons by NENA, performed by /millibeep)
https://youtu.be/gTss-rBgUl8
What the song means (Genius):
[Verse 1]If you have some time for me
Then I will sing a song for you
Of ninety-nine balloons
On their way to the horizon
Are you perhaps thinking of me right now?
Then I will sing a song for you
Of ninety-nine balloons
And something that came of them
[Verse 2]
Ninety-nine balloons
On their way to the horizon
Were taken for UFOs from space
Hence, a general sent
A squadron after them
To give the alarm
But there, on the horizon
Were just ninety-nine balloons
[Verse 3]
Ninety-nine jet fighters
Each was a great warrior
Regarded themselves as Captain Kirk
There was a great display of fireworks
The neighbors didn't understand
And instantly felt offended
But they shot at the horizon
At ninety-nine balloons
[Verse 4]
Ninety-nine ministers of war
Matches and petrol canisters
Regarded themselves as clever people
Already on the scent of a hunt
They shouted, "War," and wanted power
Man, who would have thought?
That someday it would come this far
Because of ninety-nine balloons
[Verse 5]Ninety-nine years of war
Left no place for winners
War ministers don't exist anymore
Neither do the fighter jets
Today, I stroll around
See the world in ruins
I've found a balloon
I think of you and let it fly
--//--
Sources:
Archaic Torso of Apollo
Summary: This poem by Rainer Maria Rilke explores an ancient, fragmented statue of the Greek god Apollo, contemplating its powerful and enduring presence despite its missing parts. The poem ultimately concludes with the famous line, "You must change your life"
JFK and the Unspeakable
Summary: James W. Douglass's book argues that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was the result of his conversion from a Cold Warrior to a peacemaker. It posits that Kennedy was killed by his own security apparatus for pursuing peace with the Soviet Union and Cuba.
Merton Lectures on Rilke
Source: Goodreads: Thomas Merton on the Poetry and Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke
Summary: This is a collection of remastered talks by Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and renowned poet, who deeply admired Rainer Maria Rilke. In these lectures, Merton explores Rilke's poetry and letters, demonstrating how Rilke's work informed his own Catholic spirituality.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke
Summary: This is a collection of ten letters written by poet Rainer Maria Rilke to a young officer cadet, Franz Xaver Kappus. Rilke advises the young man not on his poetry itself, but on how to live an authentic and artistic life by looking inward for truth.
Robert Bly Commentary of Rilke
Source: Scribd: Rilke and Bly
Summary: Robert Bly, an American poet and translator, is known for his influential translations and commentary on Rilke's poetry.
The Sonnets to Orpheus by Rilke
Summary: "Sonnets to Orpheus" is a collection of poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, written as a tribute to a young woman who died from illness. The poems explore themes of art, life, and death through the mythological figure of Orpheus, the legendary musician who could charm all of nature with his song.
Doomsday Clock
Source: Britannica: Doomsday Clock
Summary: A symbol maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to represent how close humanity is to a human-made global catastrophe. The clock is a metaphor, with "midnight" representing the end of the world, and the time is assessed annually based on threats like nuclear weapons and climate change.