[extropy-chat] FWD [forteana] Re: No CNN reports of Wormsign in Iraq Iss yet

[Terry W. Colvin]

It's long struck me that, for those who like to look for conspiracies, 
propaganda, and subversion under every bed and every rock, Frank 
Herbert's whole "Dune" series might be seen as diabolically clever 
Muslim and jihadist propaganda! The whole culture and ecology of 
Arrakis/Dune and its inhabitants are essentially Middle Eastern and 
specifically Arabic, a sort of extraterrestrial far-future Saudi Arabia 
or super-Sahara, the language is a sort of pig-Arabic,  the religion is 
a sort of para-Islam, etc. Frank Herbert was obviously fascinated by  
Arabic and Muslim culture and attitudes, and felt that any future 
Galactic human civilization  would include a prominent Middle Eastern 
component that would  dominate some inhabited worlds. He may have even 
specifically thought of worm spice as a far-future counterpart of 
petroleum--just as 20th century industrial Earth civilization ran on 
Middle Eastern oil, so far-future space-faring Galactic civilization ran 
on worm vomit from Dune! Of course, Herbert died long before 9/11, and 
had apparently no idea how prevalent and virulent jihads would in fact 
become within just a few years of his own time! I sort of wonder how (or 
whether!) he would have revised or rewritten  his "Dune" series if he 
had lived into and past 9/11??

Salaam alaikum,
T. Peter

lawrie wrote:

>Just been watching the fiction called dune
>about prescience and fat domineering 
>Harkonens and an Emperor attack peaceful 
>Iraq-iss for spice and how the freedom 
>fighters declare jihad (that is the word 
>they used) and fought them off with the help
>of god and by throwing shattering voices at 
>the invaders.
>
>A curious mix that gave me a bad case of
>dissonance. 
>
>Lawrie _____


-- 
"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
     Alternate: < fortean1 at msn.com >
Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html >
Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB *
      U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program
------------
Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List
   TLCB Web Site: < http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org > [Southeast Asia
veterans, Allies, CIA/NSA, and "steenkeen" contractors are welcome.]