tadpole theory In Mexico and Prague in 1968, in Argentina and Chile in 1973, in the catastrophe of Southeast Asia and Iran's Islamic purges, it's always the young who go first, always the young who die: unless the Revolution wins for a time, as in Disneyland cartoons. Reluctantly we learn that the old are cruel, and will turn on their children to save themselves. Later we learn why this must be so: by defeating our elders in a contest, we may absorb their cruelty and survive. It's like the tadpoles who make it to be frogs, because they aren't eaten. While they are still young, many of the rarer mutants are consumed as trophies by their own flock. This lessens the decibel range of the swarm, naturally. Often the most sensitive receptors burn out first. The purpose of initiation is that it is a test. Since any member of the flock who reaches adulthood may propagate, undesirables must be weeded out before the age of potency. This can consist of ritual teen warfare, letting both sides narrow the field a little, or it can take the form of intimate plots and duels. Abandonment, or sale into slavery, are other options. No accurate statistics exist, however, prior to the eighteenth century. For us Europeans, it was in our vision of America from the beginning to seek here the gates of Paradise. What we found instead was "savagery," "brutishness," God's cruel mockery of everything we valued: our work ethic, our sense of character. So what did we do? We annihilated the peoples, put them in bondage. We denied them souls, and sold them like horses. Often they were broken down and killed. These people later grew up to be our brothers. Their sisters are our mothers. Everyone in this room is guilty. Don't feel bad, you're among friends.
	location: San Francisco date: Fall 1995 average rating: [not rated] your rating (0-10):