Tag: Anonymous

(even though i’m on anon, you can probably guess who this is as I’ve been going thru one of ur tags. if ur more comfortable talking off anon, i’ll message you privately) can an abuser not know that they’re being abusive? or not know that the way they’re treating you is manipulative/damaging?

It’s one hundred percent possible. In fact, I’d posit that the majority of abusers do not, in fact, understand what they’re doing to the people around them. You get the odd one that’s just a sadistic fuck, but for the most part? No, I don’t think they get it, or they wouldn’t be doing it. And it doesn’t matter one tiny bit if they know it or not – they’re still hurting people, and it still needs to stop.

It has taken me so many years to realize that, Anon. It doesn’t matter what happened to the person that abused me the most over the years that made them the way they are – or rather, it informs their decisions, but it doesn’t excuse them, and I need you and everyone else to remember that, because it’s waaaaay too easy to listen to society say “you should forgive them” and keep getting hurt, because you keep trying to find ways to sympathize with them. To empathize with them. To say, “it’s not their fault,” and miss the simple fact that what happened to them? 

It’s not your fault, either, and you shouldn’t be the one to pay the price.

I saw your tags about Vane being an ambush hunter and I agree! Esp when an integral part of his ambush is setting Anne on someone.

See, the thing is that when he’s using that tactic, he has a habit of using himself as the bait. If Anne’s getting involved in something, that’s usually a sign that he’s not bothering with stealth. Look at the complete lack of subtlety on display in s1, vs when Vane is on his own, sans Jack and Anne. He becomes a lot more strategic when he doesn’t have them with him, because he knows he can’t afford to make mistakes the way he can with Jack and Anne to back him up.

I get why the writers chose an open ending. Why they wanted to explore “story is true, story is untrue” concept. But I feel like Flint wasn’t really the right person for it. His story is all about unveiling of the truth. Of shading light onto the things that history tried to bury. And Silver’s story is all about not knowing the truth. “What happened to him? Was is the truth?” would’ve fitted him perfectly. I know it wasn’t possible because of TI, so they had to do it with Flint, but… meh.

I agree, Anon. I think the ultimate irony is having a character whose entire story hinges on truth be condemned to being nothing more than the stories that are told about him – it’s a tragedy that they underscore in the narrative with the stories that are told about Charles Vane, actually. Jack says to the woman he talks to in Philadelphia that Charles was one of the bravest men he’d ever known, only to be shown in no uncertain terms that it doesn’t matter what someone’s friends say of them – it only matters what their enemies say, especially when those enemies win, and that’s the very thing that James was fighting all along. That, right there, is the heart of it, and it’s why it makes it a screaming, hair-ripping, agonizing thing to see James and Thomas fall prey to the same thing

Silver, on the other hand- he’s never been anything but one story after another. He’s never actually BEEN as opposed to being SAID TO BE, if that makes any sense, and in a way it makes him even more dangerous as a character because it sort of means that we know nothing about him. He’s no more and no less than what people say about him and I think that he derives power from that. He reminds me, actually, of every dangerous, fae character that has ever walked the pages of a fantasy novel – I’m talking straight out, Goblin King kind of power that’s derived from the power that people agree to give him. Anyway – what I’m saying in a long-winded kind of way is that I agree, Anon. James Flint is meant to be about truth and justice and fighting back against the stories told about him, whereas John Silver has only ever been a story, albeit a particularly powerful one.

I m sorry to do this to you,but i need to vent. I happened to read a post on the shame farm. they said it was amazing that now flint and thomas would no longer have to make decisions. I mean … what ????

Oh Anon. If you’ve been following me, you know what I think of the shame farm. You know that the idea of it is soul-shudderingly awful to me, for so many reasons, but the chief among them being that the men there aren’t just relieved of the responsibility of making decisions – they’re denied the right to, and those are two very different things. So while I think that for a time, yes, James might find it a relief to not be in charge of anything, I think that Thomas has had ten years of being denied the right to decide his own life, and I think by the time James finds him he’s probably absolutely burning up with anger about it. And I think that when James is done being absolutely exhausted and hurt down to his very marrow, he’d get them both out of there faster than you’d believe, and probably burn the place down in the process, and Oglethorpe would deserve that and more for stripping them of their rights and their dignity as people.

I believe that from the middle of the third season James has come to reconcile James McGraw and Flint within himself. A place where James McGraw and Flint exist together, occupy that space together, and that’s the person we see in the finale.What do you think?

I think that’s exactly what we’re seeing, Anon. I think the dreams of Miranda are significant in that when they end, we see James start to be able to function again the way we’re used to him doing. He goes to the Maroon Queen, makes his speech to her, and it’s the first time all season that we see him actually believe that there’s something worth fighting for beyond vengeance against England for Miranda’s death. He says himself in the beginning of s3 that he’s fighting because of what England did to Miranda (and of course, to Thomas – that’s been true all along, though, and goes without saying). As of the middle of s3, though – that’s when we see him give up completely and then Miranda in his head raises the idea that he’s not alone. Whatever you want to believe she meant, I think that’s the moment that James picks himself up off the ground, dusts little bits of Flint off of himself, and figures out how to live with what’s left. I distinctly remember several moments in s4 when I found myself thinking “oh thank fuck – he’s doing so much better,” and it’s because he’s stopped being just Flint and clawed some bit of McGraw back out of the depths. I think that’s also why he throws himself so wholeheartedly into being part of the Maroons’ cause – because it gives him someone to fight alongside, someone that understands what he’s been saying. 

I wanted to thank you for your post about the plantation You could do the same about the treaty signed by the maroons I read something online you but I’ m sure you know something more in depth about it From what I read there were some horrible clauses I mean if the war was not to be fought because history tells us so the same goes for that treaty thanks :)

You know, Anon – that’s a very good idea! 

So – for anyone who was not aware, the treaty that the historical Maroons signed, and that was the basis for the treaty Woodes Rogers offered in the show – sucked. It sucked big time, and here’s why.

A little background. Historically, the Maroon Wars were ended by not one but two treaties, given that there were two different groups of Maroons, the Windward and Leeward Maroons, both of whom inhabited Jamaica at the time. I’ve picked out a selection of clauses from both treaties, because they strongly resemble each other. 

All of these quotes come from the website of the National Library of Jamaica

Source

So – Problematic Clause Number One:

 That the said Captain Cudjoe, the rest of his Captains, Adherents and Men, shall be for ever hereafter in a perfect State of Freedom and Liberty, excepting those who have been taken by them, or fled to them within the two Years last past, if such are willing to return to their said Masters and Owners, with full Pardon and Indemnity from their Masters and Owners for what is past. Provided always, That if they are not willing to return, they shall remain in Subjection to Captain Cudjoe 

Please note this clause. It’s bullshit, because it’s asking the Maroons to hand over their own people or, even worse in some ways, to enslave them themselves. 

“But wait!” you might say. “Couldn’t that clause be taken to mean that they’ll just be subject to Cudjoe’s rule?” And yes, it very well could, except:

That if any Negroes shall hereafter run away from their Master or Owners, and fall into Captain Cudjoe’s Hands, they shall immediately be sent back to the Chief Majistrate of the next Parish where they are taken; and those that bring them are to be satisfied for their trouble, as Legislature shall appoint.

From the Windward Treaties:

  1. That in case Captain Quao, or his people, shall take up run away negroes that shall abscond from their respective owners, and shall be paid for so doing as the legislature shall appoint.

Yeah. There it is. They were expected to not only hand over any people who had fled to them within the last two years – they were expected to hand over any escaped slaves PERIOD who made their way to the Maroons. I’d also like you to note the phrase “satisfied for their trouble.” They were offering A REWARD for the Maroons to participate in slavery from that point on – asking them to fucking SELL PEOPLE BACK TO THE ENGLISH. If the treaty that was offered to Madi and her people was anything like this – why the fuck would Julius support it? He and his people definitely fall into the category of “people who had run away to the Maroons within the last two years.” They definitely would have understood that they were not safe among their own people – go ahead, raise your hand if you think that the English definitely intended to have black people selling black people, even perhaps those who were not runaways, while the local magistrate gave a wink and a nod and just took whoever was brought to him on the theory that they ran from SOMEONE. I’m not saying it happened that way, but I’m saying that was the intent. 

Onward. Next Problematic Clause:

That they shall have Liberty to plant the said Lands with Coffee, Ginger, Tobacco and Cotton, and breed Cattle, Hogs, Goats, or any other stock, and dispose of the Produce or Increase of the said Commodities to the Inhabitants of this Island. Provided always, That when they bring the said Commodities to Market, they shall apply first to the Custos, or any other Majistrate of the respective Parishes where they expose their Goods to Sale, for Licence to vend the same.

So….they have the liberty to grow those crops, but pray tell which one of them in their right mind is supposed to risk someone deciding they’re a runaway slave when they come to market and ending up getting sold themselves? Furthermore, which local magistrate do these people imagine is going to give them license to sell their goods when there are white farmers and white merchants who were most definitely going to get priority and then whoops all the space at the market is gone, so sorry! 

That in case this island be invaded by any foreign Enemy, the said Captain Cudjoe, and his Successors herein and after named, or to be appointed, shall then, upon Notice given, immediately repair to any place the Governor for the Time being shall appoint, in order to repel the said Invaders with his or their utmost Force; and to submit to the Orders of the Commander in Chief on that Occasion.

Again – pray tell, whomst exactly is to decide what constitutes appropriate threat for these people to be summarily used in a war that maybe has nothing to do with them? Who exactly gets to say when they’ve done enough, or are they now meant to be soldiers for the English with no say in the matter, aka FUCKING SLAVES AGAIN?! There are holes in this treaty Swiss Cheese would be proud of.

  That Captain Cudjoe shall, during his Life, be Commander in Trelawney Town, after his Decease the Command to devolve of his Brother Captain Accompong; and in case of his Decease, on his next Brother Captain Johnny; and, failing him, Captain Cuffee shall succeed, who is to be succeeded by Captain Quaco,and after all their Demises, the Governor or Commander in Chief for the Time being, shall appoint from Time to Time whom he thinks fit for that Command.

See my above criticism, only about a hundred times more strongly stated, since this essentially states that if, say, all of these men were to be killed by – gosh, I don’t know, the fucking Governor himself, perhaps, since he’d benefit greatly from it – the said Governor then gets to appoint his puppet to have control of the Maroons. In fact, I don’t see anything stating he can’t put a white man in charge of them and thus end Maroon independence entirely.

That in case any white man, or other the inhabitants of this island, shall disturb or annoy any of the people, hogs, flock, or whatever goods may belong to the said Captain Quao, or any of his people, when they come down to the settlements to vend the same, upon due complaint made to a magistrate, he or they shall have justice done them.

Yeah. Uh huh. Sure. Anyone care to make a bet on how often justice was actually received in the case of a white man hurting Maroons? I’ll wait.

 That Captain Cudjoe with his People shall cut, clear, and keep open, large, and convenient Roads from Trelawney Town to Westmoreland and St. James, and if possible to St. Elizabeth’s.

Uh huh. Sounds legit. Sure. Except, you know – for that thing where open roads – wide open, convenient roads – are really great for anyone who wants to, say, march soldiers to the Maroons’ camp in the future. And oh look – that’s exactly what fucking happened LESS THAN A CENTURY LATER.

That two White Men to be nominated by his Excellency, or the Commander in Chief for the Time being, shall constantly live and reside with Captain Cudjoe and his Successors, in order to maintain a friendly Correspondence with the Inhabitants of this Island.

My, what lovely spies you’ve sent, Lord Governor! Please note that in the case of the Windward Maroons, this number of white men living among black people, reporting back on them, probably assisting in raising tensions and generally causing trouble, was raised to four.

So uh – yeah. Tell me again that the treaty wasn’t shit, or that Madi shouldn’t have rejected it out of hand, or that Julius would have agreed to this, being that it would see him enslaved again in all likelihood? I don’t think so, somehow.