Country (3)

“Child, you must understand that witchcraft is merely a conduit. Different people offer different solutions to the same problem. The difference in the status of women in the East and West of Earth is not caused by witchcraft,” El said gently. “You know that what causes all these differences is not witchcraft, but the different choices that humans themselves have made. Witchcraft can inspire thought in humans, but witchcraft itself does not participate in human activities.”

“Is that so?” Mi looked up. “The West also went through a long and dark Middle Ages, and women’s rights were gained little by little.”

"My child, you must understand that human society started out as a matriarchal society, and men gradually gained power from women. This is fair."

“Yes, the West values ​​fairness.” Mi shrugged. “This way, women gained property rights, and then they gained the right to vote. In this way, little by little, they gradually eroded and swallowed up the status of women in the West.”

“I can understand why the West so deeply resents witchcraft. Women who are like witches or possess witchcraft powers have taken everything back from men.” El lowered his head and thought for a moment before continuing, “This is a result of differences. But doesn’t the East value fairness? There must be more than one reason for these differences. According to you, the living conditions for female infants in the East are much harsher than those for male infants. It’s impossible for there to be so many women for every man to have multiple women; monogamous families are definitely more common.”

El's words made Mi fall into deep thought. After a long while, she said, "Family and country, I think the nature of a family and a country is the same. There is also exploitation within a family. Western countries are expanding their colonies everywhere. They use external conflicts to solve internal conflicts. Sometimes, the way to avoid domestic war is to open up foreign battlefields. Once people go out, their horizons broaden and their mindset changes. Women who can leave the house cannot be kept at home. But it's different in the East. In the East, daughters are kept at home. They build a boudoir for their daughters and keep them in the garden until they get married."

"It's been locked all this time?" Al glanced at Joe, who lowered his head in shame.

Mi continued, "In our area, there's a coming-of-age ceremony for girls called 'Leaving the Garden,' which means that the girl has reached adulthood and can leave the garden to get married. We also have a very cruel custom there—foot binding. When a woman is very young, her feet are broken and bound, so that even if the youngest daughter wants to run away, she is too weak to do so."

“It’s all in the past.” El gently stroked Joe’s back, looking tenderly at Mi: “It’s easy to make a rule, but only rules that stand the test of time can be passed down. Rebellion comes swiftly and is inspiring, but changes in ideas and actions take time.”

“Yes, time. Any change takes time.” Mi looked up and around. There was no time in the Witch Forest. All the changes outside had nothing to do with this place. At this moment, Mi finally realized the benefits of this forest.

Al said gently, "This is human nature. It is inevitable in the process of human evolution. Divinity is the foundation of human nature, but human nature is a more advanced attribute that develops faster than divinity."

What does this mean?

“This is self-correction. Only humans can self-correct. This is human nature,” Al said. “At first, slaves obediently remain slaves. But over time, slaves will also want to become masters, and thus the slave liberation movement came about.”

"Is this human nature?" Mi was confused again. "Having a state and enslaving others is human nature, and now liberating slaves is also human nature. Is human nature so fickle?"

“Human nature is so complex and changeable.” Al nodded. “A country is made up of people, so the complexity of human nature is reflected in the rules of that country. Have you ever thought that a country is backward compatible, and that a country’s laws and regulations must ensure the stability of the most basic level?”

"So, when a woman is at the very bottom of a country's social hierarchy, the country's laws will do everything they can to prevent these women from resisting?"

“It’s not just the law, is it? Let me think.” El pondered for a moment before continuing, “After humans learned to cooperate and divide labor, they began to create their own gods, and they granted these gods the power to rule everything. As long as humans believe in the existence of gods, this rule can continue indefinitely, because gods are invisible and cannot be resisted. Once humans believe in the existence of gods, then humans will move from obedience to submission. The other side of obedience is resistance, and submission is nothing but endurance; the backbone of resistance has been broken.”

"hypocritical."

“This isn’t their hypocrisy, but rather their cleverness,” El said. “God is long gone, and God’s representatives are hiding behind Him, enjoying everything.”

"Isn't this just governing the country through religion?"

“Yes,” Al said, “the laws of a country can be changed, the leaders can be replaced, but the gods in a religion are immortal. This is a rule that can never be overthrown. As long as the gods exist, the rules exist. Religion leaves no room for resistance to survive.”

“The most pitiful people in a religiously governed country are women,” Mi asked again. “Why is it that men always rule the world in religions? How is that any different from the law?”

“Child, laws are made by men, and religions are founded by men.” El said sadly, “Haven’t you noticed that in some religions, even if there are goddesses, they revolve around male gods?”

“Ha, you’re right. The Virgin Mary’s greatest role was to give birth to a child.” Mi felt that the religious world was very cold. “If a woman couldn’t give birth, she wouldn’t even have the chance to appear in the Bible.”

“Child, if women couldn’t bear children, there would be no distinction between men and women in this world.” El was somewhat confused. “Actually, I’ve been to many worlds, and clearly both men and women are born from women. How could those men treat their mothers who gave birth to them like that?”

“I once heard a saying—children grow up stepping on their mothers’ corpses,” Mi said. “In order to maximize the use of mothers, humans have created many guiding theories on how to be a good mother and what a good mother is like.”

“That’s human nature too,” Al asked. “I think these theories are found in countries where there is no religious rule.”

“Uh,” Mi thought for a moment before saying, “you’re right, but why?”

“Because that’s how human rule has always been: when direct suppression is possible, it’s direct suppression; when direct suppression is not possible, rules are used; and when rules are ineffective, appeasement is employed.” El sighed. “This is the process of divinity moving towards humanity; this is civilization.”

Is the progress of civilization a reflection brought about by long-term oppression and resistance?

"Civilization is self-correction. Regardless of where the force causing the correction comes from, whether internal or external, once the correction is completed, humanity takes another step forward." El looked at the lifeless Mi. "Even in what you perceive as the darkest times, rules are at work. Stable rules form different civilizations. The establishment and collapse of rules are like the alternation of night and light. After a long night comes a bright light. However, no matter what kind of light it is, it will eventually be replaced by darkness. The alternation of night and light forms human civilization. Civilization gives humanity more choices, and choices can obliterate divinity."

"Why?"

What do you think civilization is?

“I don’t know,” Mi asked tentatively, looking at El. “Is civilization a method of governance?”

“When we talk about a civilization, we inevitably come to the rules governing its operation. But many people say that modern times are more civilized because civilization is about freedom and choice.” El looked at Mi and asked, “What is freedom, and who grants us the choice?”

“Freedom means I can make choices, and choices mean that a society is civilized enough not to offer only one way out for anything,” Mi said after thinking for a moment. “When a society doesn’t make people say ‘I have no choice,’ I think that society is civilized enough.”

“The existence of choices means there’s more than one path,” El asked again. “Have you considered what constitutes the core of civilization, and who provides these choices?”

“The main body of civilization is the state?” Mi was also puzzled. “After all, different countries make different choices for the same thing. The state is the subject and adjudicator of the law.”

“Child, the core of civilization is people, and it is people who provide choices,” El said gently. “A nation is made up of people, and only people can formulate so many complex laws. The emergence of a nation is an expansion of divinity. For better survival and reproduction, a nation cares about population, while people and humanity are the ones who rebel against divinity.”

“But in modern society, the core of civilization is the state, and everyone enjoys freedom under the laws of that state.” Mi disagreed with El’s words, saying, “One person cannot make the laws of a country, nor can one person use the laws of another country to defend himself.”

“Laws are rules that apply to the majority. When a law is resisted by the majority, it will be amended or repealed,” Al said gently. “Since we left our habitat, we have not been alone. Humans must unite, and the stars must shine together. This is true for humans, and even more so for women.”

“A constellation of stars shining together?” Mi didn’t know what that meant. “Are you talking about democracy? Democracy and freedom.”

"True democracy and freedom, or rather, unlimited democracy and freedom, do not exist. Only anarchism promotes individual humanity and freedom. Unrestrained democracy and freedom will only lead to war and disorder. The beautiful utopia is still full of rules and hierarchy. What everyone must do is written down clearly. It seems to be unlimited freedom, but in reality, there is no freedom at all."

"Without true democracy, there is no freedom without constraints?" Mi seemed a little confused. "Without constraints, there is no freedom. Freedom is a relative concept?"

"Yes, divinity needs restraint. Humanity and divinity are like day and night. Without restraint, day and night would coexist, and the world would be doomed."

"Reality is that day and night coexist."

“In reality, day is a reflection of night. After a long period of darkness, humanity makes changes, bringing light. As time goes by, the light will turn back into darkness, and so on,” Al said. “No matter how great a rule is, it will inevitably be revised and broken over time. This is because rules are meant to ensure the stability of the pyramid, but those at the bottom who bear the pressure have a critical point in their endurance. When this critical point is exceeded, the pyramid will collapse, and the rules will need to be rewritten.”

“Rules initially bring light, but ultimately they will inevitably lead to darkness,” Mi pondered this statement. “Doesn’t that mean humanity is destined for darkness no matter what? Doesn’t humanity see no hope at all?”

"It can be said that civilization is always solving the problem of darkness. However, civilization does indeed rise in a spiral, and humanity is progressing, a very difficult progress, accompanied by bloodshed and struggle, and bringing back understanding and tolerance. Civilization is accumulated little by little, while darkness and destruction are almost overwhelming, sweeping and unreserved."

"Can a single spark start a prairie fire?" Mi wondered again. "What exactly is humanity? Is it civilization? Or rules?"

“Human nature is self-reflection, learning, and self-control. Witchcraft intensifies human desires, but at the same time, it brings people to think. This is the inevitable result of the existence of witchcraft in the human mind.” Al tried to make it clearer. “Those things you call development and civilization, those thoughts and reflections, those rules that are constantly being torn down and rebuilt, those voices that you can’t hear but can feel, are human nature.”

Those voices we can't hear but can feel—El and Mi stood up together, looked up at the distant clouds, "Is this what you want?"