Re: CHAT: better than others (late reflection)

At 07:01 21.3.2000 -0600, Thomas R. Wier wrote:
>the Greeks thought that some races were born to
>be free, and other born to be slaves (literally -- "douloi")*.  The
>Greeks, naturally,
>belonged to the former group, and the Persians, as part of that whole
>"oriental
>despotism" myth the Greeks believed in, to the latter.
Funny, because the Persians believed themselves a master race too, you know!
*They* had the Good Mazda-worshipping Religion, etc. etc.  Nietzsche knew
what he did when he exploited "Aryan" hubris.  Needless to say Hitler
hadn't a clue when he exploited Nietzsche's exploitation, because the
Persians were a basically benevolent master race, much like the Victorians
(same conceit, same misconceptions too, alas!)  So we have to spell
_Airiian_ in Avestan or Iran in New Persian to go free of the Nazi
association.  Personally I like Middle Persian _Eran_.


/BP

"Doubt grows with knowledge" -Goethe