Mmmmm. Historical. These are wonderful notes, particularly the bit about the destruction and co-optation (is that a word?) of a culture's knowledge as a form of control. Naturally, that put me in mind of the wanton destruction of the Mayan codexes by the Church, just another in a long line of cultural assassinations.

I think one of my favorite fictionalized "burning of Alexandria" tales is in the comic "Bacchus", wherein the whole thing went up because he was drunk and trying to light a cigarette. I can never decide which is worse: purposeful or thoughtless destruction. I mean, I hate the first, and am completely convinced that the greater amount of evil is done completely without thought, which makes it inevitable. *sigh* Our species is the worst.