The world had seldom seen before or since

[Glizdka]

This comes from a YouTube video. My questions are about the last part.

At 14:12, the narrator says, "China split up into waring states as it had so many times before, with strong men weeding each other out until only the strongest were left, with completely new mandates of heaven, only this time it came with the intervention of a foreign force that under the guise of liberation brutally slaughtered its way through the country in acts of cruelty and barbarity the world had seldom seen before or since."

Is this just a way of saying these were the worst atrocities in human history?

Can I change this fragment to "...had seldom seen before or has seldom seen since" and keep its meaning?

Does it work if I replace had with has? ("...has seldom seen before or since.")

 

[jutfrank]

Yes.
Yes, but change or to and.
No.

 

[Glizdka]

Would the original work with and, too? ("...had seldom seen before and since")

 

[jutfrank]

Would the original work with and, too? ("...had seldom seen before and since")

No. The original isn't right. I guess that's why you created this thread. I say it has to be like this:

... the world had seldom seen before and has seldom seen since.

 

[Glizdka]

No. The original isn't right. I guess that's why you created this thread. I say it has to be like this:

Yes, it doesn't sound right. It sounds good enough, though. I can clearly understand what he means, so it achieves communication.

 

[probus]

With respect I disagree that "yes" is the correct answer to the first question. Since he says "seldom" it doesn't mean they were the worst, but only among the worst.

 

[Glizdka]

With respect I disagree that "yes" is the correct answer to the first question. Since he says "seldom" it doesn't mean they were the worst, but only among the worst.

*Is this just a way of saying these were some of the worst atrocities in human history?

I think I meant that, sorry.

 

[Tarheel]

Apparently, the writer is talking about the Japanese invasion of China. Apparently, the writer doesn't know about all the horrible acts of barbarity that have been committed before and since. History is rife with them. They have certainly happened often enough. And in every time period.

 

[Glizdka]

Apparently, the writer is talking about the Japanese invasion of China. Apparently, the writer doesn't know about all the horrible acts of barbarity that have been committed before and since. History is rife with them. They have certainly happened often enough. And in every time period.

I'm not here to judge his views. It's a strong geopolitical opinion. I'm just curious about the use of had, before, and since in one sentence.

Józef Piłsudski once said that opinions are like as*es; everyone's got one and they all smell of sh*t.