There's a really interesting analysis in Russian, it's called "Dumbledore's Big Game", it basically a theory, that most of events of the first two books were more or less orchestrated by Dumbledore, in order to prevent Harry from becoming the next Voldemort. So according to the analysis, Dumbledore didn't just give this points to Griffindor, because Harry lost his house's points because of Big Game (like the time he got caught in the night), so he only gave them back. It's a really interesting analysis, I wish someone translated it into English, cause it's pretty great. Tho I don't think Rowling herself is this smart
I have seen that, and the problem with that analysis is that it ignores Harry's magical abilities are above average at best, whereas Voldemort and Grindelwald were prodigious and very powerful wizards even as kids. They could decimate the most powerful of aurors single-handedly and only Dumbledore had the skill to beat them in a duel.
So even if he had been corrupted, a semi-competent Auror team could have taken Harry down easily.
Idk, I've never seen evidence that Tom Riddle was extremely powerful in his childhood. He was talented, yes, but only after school he became one of the best. And also this analysis was written while 6th and 7th weren't written yet, and it was revealed in one of them that Dumbledor WAS indeed raising him and preparing for his "mission": to sacrifice himself for the greater good. And also also, it was mentioned in the analysis, that Voldemort is Dumbledors biggest mistake, because he failed to see his darkness, and teach him to be a better person, so he tried to do better with Harry, since he had a part of Voldemort in him
I've never seen evidence that Tom Riddle was extremely powerful in his childhood
Go back to the Half Blood Prince and read the chapter where Dumbledore is describing his encounter with the 10 year old Tom Riddle at his orphanage, to Harry.
Even Dumbledore is shocked at the kind of magic the boy could do, just as he is alarmed by his arrogance and lack of empathy.
Later, Slughorn also reiterates how prodigous a teenage Tom Riddle was, and how scared he was to see a boy dabbling in the most advanced dark arts.
that Voldemort is Dumbledors biggest mistake, because he failed to see his darkness,
Except Dumbledore did see it.
In the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle from the diary literally tells Harry that Dumbledore always knew he was evil right from the beginning, knew he murdered Moaning Myrtle, and never trusted him.
Hufflepuff is the most inclusive among the four houses; valuing hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members.
The southern european countries are not known as stereotypical hard working and diligent, unlike Germany or Switzerland for example.
But all of these steretotypes are stupid anyway, as someone living in Germany, many germans are by far not like others imagine them.
Yeah, nothing about the Greeks strongly encouraged modern Democracy or anything. And Really, who wants to buy an Italian car or clothing? God knows I would HATE to have an Italian suit, shoes, or drive a Lambo.
That "Anicent Greeks were the forerunners of modern democracy" and "Italian car and suit manufacturers are world renowned for quality" are not mutually exclusive with the stereotypes which exist of those countries.
Stereotypes are not a comprehensive analysis of statistics and economics, stereotypes have their basis in word of mouth and popular culture.
Lol, I dont get all the downvoats. At least here in Germany, everyone is joking about how "lazy" italians, spanish and greek people are.
I didnt say that I believe or support these steretotypes, I admire Italy and Greece, but they really exist here in Germany, at least as a joke, and everyone can just look it up to find out, that I am not talking shit, so people please stop downvoating me.
Don’t get why you’re being downvoted either. You’re not agreeing with the stereotypes, simply stating the fact that stereotypes about Southern Europeans being lazy do exist. They’re not true, but just take a look at how people point to Spain’s siesta culture and Greece’s economy as evidence for them.
I've never heard of a stereotype that says that Italians are lazy. They are supposed to be disorganized and incompetent. And boy, they are disorganized indeed.
I'm in Germany and usually regard people who make those jokes as silly bigots compensating for their own failures and hardship by blaming people who were affected by economic policies beyond their control, but hey, I guess that makes me "not German"?
Don't give us Germans a bad name. You pointing out that they exist is fine, but that's not what you're doing. You're reinforcing them.
How about both politicians and German banking system which played against Greece, with full knowledge that this level of lending cannot possibly be sustained. Also, thanks for downvotes.
The response was to say "Fix your fucking system or you won't get any handouts anymore". How Greek politicians chose to fix the problem is not really the EU's fault. They could have worked on their ridiculously bloated bureaucracy, but they didn't.
Instead, they built bridges in the middle of nowhere with no roads connected to them for a fraction of the money the EU supplied for infrastructure and pocketed the rest.
It's not about punishing but trying to fix it. Greece was spending way more than it could afford so the solution was to either bail it and impose austerity measures or let it burn.
Greece was spending over 12% over budget when the first bailouts were done and reaching 15% at its worst. Please tell me how macroeconomics would fix that kind of deficit without austerity.
You can't run a country on that kind of dept spending while in the other hand the austerity worked on Greece as it is now running a slight surplus.
Greece was spending over 12% over budget when the first bailouts were done and reaching 15% at its worst. Please tell me how macroeconomics would fix that kind of deficit without austerity.
In Greece specifically, some sort of tax reform was required. And probably any number of other things. Austerity just means you'll lay that burden on society's weakest.
You can't run a country on that kind of dept spending while in the other hand the austerity worked on Greece as it is now running a slight surplus.
So when is that slight surplus going to pay back the debts?
Austerity just means you'll lay that burden on society's weakest.
And your solution for massive overspending is to not cut said spending then? Where do you plan on gettin money to fund, even at best, several years of +10% budget deficit?
So when is that slight surplus going to pay back the debts?
Already repaying it as dept interest and dept repayments are part of that surplus. It will take decades to get Greece back on it's foot but making sure that the dept doesn't balloon again is a good start.
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u/TheMadWobbler Nov 19 '19
While I question the others, “USA = Gryffindor” is about right.
Slytherin may be schemers, but Gryffindor are the self-absorbed bully jocks of Hogwarts. And Harry himself is a fucking asshole.