The consensus seemed to be that if really large numbers of men were sent to storm the mountain, then enough might survive the rocks to take the citadel. This is essentially the basis of all military thinking.
~Terry Pratchett, Eric
Oy. Impeach now. We can send him to the Hague later.
2 comments:
My good lady:
The term "Man" (Mannish, Mankind) once referred not to males, but to humankind, both male and female. That's what I mean when I say "Mankind". I believe I mentioned this in my article, before my discussion on the two Wunjo symbols.
Dear Cuan Maqq Beli,
Indeed, you did mention that. However, that was (and is) a sexist practice. It implies that women are subsumed within (and less deserving of mention than) men.
I have a suggestion, though, since men so often insist that there's nothing sexist about this usage and that women shouldn't be offended. Let's use the terms Woman, Womanish, Womankind for the next several thousand years or so and agree that those terms will also refer to men. You won't feel excluded or diminished by it, since it's just a convention, right? Right? Like Humpty Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland, we'll assert that the words we use mean exactly what we intend them to mean, nothing more and nothing less.
Except that language is too powerful for us to cabin it that way. Why use a term that you know offends, especially when "people" or "humans" works as well, unless your goal is, as I don't believe that yours was, to be offensive?
Otherwise, I thought your post was fascinating and insightful and it taught me quite a bit that I never knew.
Blessings,
Hecate
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