We have given a lot of platitudes in the last 14 hours.
"Violence begets Violence"
"Violence only understands Violence"
"All lives are sacred"
"Tolerance cannot tolerate intolerance"
Etc
Trite statements that want to be profound when what takes place is a very complex, emotional and deeply entrenched situation. Again, like everything in life, there is no black and white. There is no "single" thing. There are nuances and conditionals.
Is violence the answer?
Sometimes, yes. Violence is the answer.
Sometimes no.
The Art of War is a very good guide on when violence should and shouldn't be used to prevent the biggest loss of life.
Sometimes the life of one can save hundreds. Sometimes the life of one ends up becoming the many headed hydra. If you aren't sure which will be the outcome, you need to reflect on the strategy.
Did yesterday's killing do anything?
Not really. I predict it will become the many headed hydra. In many ways, it already has. People have already said they would devote their time to spreading his messages.
The way I have seen things, we are already so deeply divided as a nation, we are beyond the brink of no return. We have hand wrung and tolerated actions that never should have been allowed to get so far. We are already perpetuating the worst horrors on others because we have already dehumanized our opponents. The right has dehumanized anyone who isn't just like them. The left has dehumanized the right. Both have the word "vermin" in their lexicon to refer to their enemy.
I read an article back in 2018 that said, "America isn't headed to civil war. It's been there for a while. Welcome to the decline of a nation!" And it was very true.
I don't know what to think about it all any more. I've pretty much gone numb to a lot of it. We have been headed down this road to the abattoir for at least a decade. Now its just a straight fall downward.
"Violence only understands Violence"
"All lives are sacred"
"Tolerance cannot tolerate intolerance"
Etc
Trite statements that want to be profound when what takes place is a very complex, emotional and deeply entrenched situation. Again, like everything in life, there is no black and white. There is no "single" thing. There are nuances and conditionals.
Is violence the answer?
Sometimes, yes. Violence is the answer.
Sometimes no.
The Art of War is a very good guide on when violence should and shouldn't be used to prevent the biggest loss of life.
Sometimes the life of one can save hundreds. Sometimes the life of one ends up becoming the many headed hydra. If you aren't sure which will be the outcome, you need to reflect on the strategy.
Did yesterday's killing do anything?
Not really. I predict it will become the many headed hydra. In many ways, it already has. People have already said they would devote their time to spreading his messages.
The way I have seen things, we are already so deeply divided as a nation, we are beyond the brink of no return. We have hand wrung and tolerated actions that never should have been allowed to get so far. We are already perpetuating the worst horrors on others because we have already dehumanized our opponents. The right has dehumanized anyone who isn't just like them. The left has dehumanized the right. Both have the word "vermin" in their lexicon to refer to their enemy.
I read an article back in 2018 that said, "America isn't headed to civil war. It's been there for a while. Welcome to the decline of a nation!" And it was very true.
I don't know what to think about it all any more. I've pretty much gone numb to a lot of it. We have been headed down this road to the abattoir for at least a decade. Now its just a straight fall downward.
