INEVITABLE? Not really. War Games & Kaiju

Alternative Endings
By Alex Ness
March 21, 2022

RECENT EMAIL AND VIEWS OF HISTORY

Over the last two weeks I've had dozens of questions regarding the world we see out our window and from social media and the news media.

Every time I answer emails questions I get many more in response. That is ok, I think it means people are reading this. But I think we all know, you aren't likely to find out much from me, other than what I think and my areas of taste. Still, it does make me smile to think that someone wants to know something I might know about something."Now that the world dealt with the pandemic and the brand new war, what would you say that would make America finally be upon the right path? You complained about both the Left and Right, so you must have an idea of what you want, or do you?"

I think the limits of democracy are found in the response to crisis. The old saying that "While Democracy Debates Tyrannies Act" is absolutely true. When invading other countries or responding to revolutions, having the ability to act with swift reply or initial thrust is an advantage tyrannies possess. But one of the greatest strengths of democracy is the joint efforts, agreed in principle for the well being of all, and through that joint action, there is a determination that weathers most storms. The problem with the pandemic is the lack of honesty in some, the desire to control in others, and the use of popular opinion versus facts for many, leads democracies astray. It isn't a single leader or person's fault, or even one ideology's fault, however much it participated, because among other things, pandemics don't behave how anyone would wish them to do so. In reply to war, democracies gather the best information and find united goals and response. The war in Ukraine will end sooner than the pandemic.

My response to the pandemic would be to give people options and let the real truth of accurate science convince them, and if they choose not to mask or vaxx, then society should limit interaction. In war the best response is to listen to those who fight, those who have the most to lose, and your gut. While I've said and mean what I said, that Russia had standing grievances that led to the Ukraine war, that doesn't we should assume the war is just and ignore it.

Most of the questions asked focus upon Russia being evil and Ukraine's response being heroic and good. I've grown reluctant to make any comments, because while I think Ukraine is a victim, Russia has been making a case for their side for almost 25 years. We might blame the aggressor but if America were surrounded by allies of an enemy, we might feel differently. Look at the roster of NATO and compare it to the WARSAW Pact all members who have time in both, are the crux of the problem. Beyond the fears of being surrounded by former friends now enemies, the world has forgotten the 30 million Soviet war dead from the First and Second World Wars. History isn't important to many in the present world, but that is a problem. In this modern world there are persistent, damaging, and flawed perspectives upon the past. Each of those views can be tragic.

A person can be seen as "dwelling" upon the past, for caring about it, and knowing the details of what happened. These people are perceived as ignoring the present, quite often, for a preference of the past experiences, past glories, and even the past worries. They refuse to live in the moment, live for the day in which they live, and know what is important to those who live in the present. An example would be an older generation saying "This generations doesn't know how easy they have it..." or "In my day..."

A person can live relatively well in their modern life and not care at all for what happened in the past, because life has become so isolated into compartments. This isn't the tragedy, but living without a context of how we arrived in the place we live, has an arrogance about it, a sense of entitled inevitability about it that abandons every sacrifice, ignores every achievement and forgets every single wrong that has been corrected.

Lastly, someone can perceive the past as an impenetrable mystery, unworthy of effort to know, and better left to the mists of time. And that is fine, perhaps even true, but seeing issues that can be addressed as permanently unsolved, or unknown, leads to a person being content with whatever the world events happen as being disconnected from it.

THE PRESENT

Why are these points of view seen as flawed thinking and not just a different way to think of things? If the man who stood in front of tanks headed to Tiananmen Square, perhaps hundreds or thousands more would have been slain. Had President Lincoln followed the previous US president's stance, the Southern states of the Confederacy would have become established and the social and economic institution of slavery would have been further entrenched. And it goes into a negative territory as well. Had Hitler been slain by any of the assassination attempts, would the Nazis have still fought most of world for half or more of a decade? Had the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor been lawfully preceded by a legal declaration of a state of war, would the attack have seemed so outrageous and murderous? Would Americans have dropped the atomic bomb, if they saw their opponent as being honorable or moral and only by an accident of geopolitics enemies in war?

Outside of war, imagine if the whistleblowers who changed society's course into the future had decided that they couldn't change the world, that their well being was far more important than problems they actually fixed or tried to fix. Karen Silkwood was murdered for telling the world about the safety lacking in the nuclear power industry.  Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange literally stopped the continuation of the Iraq war by shocking revelations of mistakes, accidents of war, and choices showing that the military use of force was flawed by how the US viewed Iraqis and other people.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

WARGAMES

Is this a rant about history and the loss of it in the minds of the present? No. While I have issues with the current mindset, I don't know that everyone having a perspective and context regarding the present.  Over time I've spoken here about alternate history. In fiction it can be a wonderfully new way to look at things or a way to beat a dead horse. But the way to learn about history and the importance of certain events, is to change the outcome. That is, by knowing about the past, we learn something. But in changing the outcome, we have to know the forces that caused the initial event, and then we can observe and understand the changes, and realize how things might be more important than we might know otherwise.

Lastly, I want to point to the fact that each of these games offer a way to change the history of an event, as we know it. This has dangerous consequences as well. In the Avalon Hill Game Afrika Korps showed me, winning the game with the Afrika Korps is exhilarating, losing as the UK/Commonwealth troops is disastrous and depressing. The stakes of war become even clearer with the change. A game I've spoken about, Axis and Allies originally from Milton Bradley, then to Hasbro, offers a big picture take upon World War Two.  It allows a fairly well done means of playing out the influences of the result, whether production, territory, bad leadership and chance, and could show people how to take over the world, was a really bad idea.  But losing as the Allies, can give one pause, because you have to wonder what you did wrong, when you had most of the advantages.

If you want some fine challenges to the established facts, and to replay battles and campaigns, you'll need to go upon ebay or visit a retail store that sells used games. SPI produced a great many fun and thoughtful games, many of which are now carried by DECISION GAMES. When I had friends to play games with, time to play games, and money to buy games, I found that SPI did a great job in creating a larger picture so that trends and phases could be understood, from the now great distance of time. I found that AVALON HILL presented really good games focused upon single battles, but also, very good campaign games. In the last decade I received and played two Avalanche Press games. I played them and studied them, and I think that they offer games from different eras and previously unknown events, plans and wars that never happened.

SPI
DECISION GAMES
AVALON HILL
AVALANCHE PRESS

“She was all too sunk in the inevitable, and the abysmal.”  Henry James

ALTERNATES TO KAIJU Film

I was pleasantly surprised when Godzilla 2014 came out. I love the movie and want much more.  But more than me being satisfied and happy, the idea that giant monsters with various powers have grown in popularity to achieve general society enjoyment and success makes me appreciate the journey to reach this place. I remember buying a magazine with monsters on the cover, and the retail clerk said, gee, you look way smarter than to read this stuff. I said, I guess I must be stupid.

Pacific Rim, Godzilla, Cloverfield and many more tickle me, and I am not about to apologize for liking it all. What truly allows me to be excited was the brilliant Ultraman Netflix series. Giant monsters and the warriors who fight them are worth the length of journey it required. But I've been thinking about the question I asked in an interview with a bright and talented friend, are Kaiju stories limited to film or television by the fact that they are perfect in those media? I think they might be limited in that way, the idea of giant monsters is the event, the rush and excitement, the sound and fury, and danger without real danger.  That is, I think Kaiju belongs in film/tv because it is a roller coaster, and that experience must be experienced in order to appreciate it.

However, there are some ways to approach Kaiju stories and events, without being film. Those shown in each image are the best efforts regarding this.

KAIJU GAMES

Losing in a video game as Godzilla or any other monster or monster fighter is depressing, that is true. And while destroying things is fun, or can be, it has limits and in the end when fighting against the computer, you will almost certain lose. However, playing with two players, or more, is absolutely a hoot. It is a necessary part of the experience because then the challenge is how to win versus someone with the exact same agenda.  Being in combat and getting a power up or you throw a building at the other player, is gloriously fun.

KAIJU PROSE

When I saw Gojiro on the shelf as it came out, I thought, this is a fascinating concept, and one that is a prose story. From the liner notes and entry on Amazon... "A lizard made gigantic by atomic bomb testing, and a recently comatose boy--whose family had been killed nine years earlier in the Hiroshima blast--venture forth to discover their identities in a nuclear age" That is, it is as much a story about the monster as it is the cumulative consequences suffered by the human world. It worked for me, but I've heard that others found it rather scattered and meaningless. If I remember right that is what the movie Godzilla 2014 had as criticism from some, and I don't think it is accurate. This book isn't great, but I applaud the idea behind it. The lives in the foreground and background give all monster movies the context, and if you were to say, a nuclear plant explodes and the lives of people experiencing the effects are the basis of a story, or famine, or war, or anything, it gives a nice entry point to a big event or big creature.

KAIJU BASED COMICS

I have read all of these, and while they might all deal with monsters and monster fighters, they differ greatly in result. Giantkiller is a play on the fairytale in title, but gives a clever concept and exciting fights throughout. Giant Monster is technically really well done. But the effect is less satisfying than you might think, even as I love Steve Niles writing as well as appreciate Nat Jones art. It comes off as Gamera when what you want is Godzilla. The Wake isn't at all silly and the tone and concept moves from fear to thrill, danger and escaping the darkness. It is a work that resonates. Rise of Ultraman is good, pretty, well done, but it pales compared to the Manga series the Ultraman Netflix show was inspired by, and adapts. It is good, but, not enough for me. And Kill All Monsters? I've spoken of it here and elsewhere, and have interviewed both of the creators of it.  It is the best of the works shown, and I think it is worthy of your purchase.

Giant Monster  Steve Niles and Nat Jones
Kill All Monsters  Michael May and Jason Copland
The Wake  Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy
Giantkiller  Dan Brereton
The Rise of Ultraman  Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom and Francesco Manna

About Getting Reviews from Me

First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.



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