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Old 01-26-2005, 05:46 PM   #32
The Hierophant
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
 

Join Date: May 10, 2002
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand.
Age: 41
Posts: 2,860
I like where this discussion has led. Lots of good discourse.
OK, apparently I need to touch up my communication skills and articulate myself more clearly....

Arnabas: Nowhere have I ever stated that 'beating up people just for the hell of it' is a wise course of action. What I was trying to allude to is that our culture, as an animal hierarchy, is governed by a 'natural' appreciation of power (much like any other social animal grouping, such as a pride of lions, a hive of bees or a flock of sheep). Whenever you meet someone new you subconsciously size them up in terms of their personalities and physical attributes (including mental capacity). First judgments are by no means the best ones, but nevertheless we, as social animals, need a sense of hierarchy when interacting with others of our species (and with those of other species too). Now, those at the high end of the pecking order will usually only stay there for as long as they can hold onto their power. No matter how strong an individual may be, if a group unites against them they are likely to be deposed from their position at the top of the hierarchy. Therefore, in order to avoid garnering the indignation of their subordinates, it is in a dominant individual's best interests to not exert more force than is necessary to maintain their dominance. Picking on someone in a wheelchair for no logical reason is just plain foolish. Yet if the person in a wheelchair was attacking you (and in essence challenging your power), then one should feel no qualm with eliminating this challenge by force.

Power comes through the ability to inflict pain on others, but there are many different forms of pain, physical pain being only the crudest form of which. Social isolation, public humiliation, removal of access to resources (freezing their assets in a sense), psychological torture (such as threatening to destroy the people or things that a person values and cares about), psychological intimidation (such as saying 'such-and-such a behaviour is evil/sinful, and if you do it God'll getcha and you'll go to hell!'), repression of self-expression and cultural identity (like how African slaves were stripped of their tribal identities when taken to work in the Americas for instance) .... they are all equally potent forms of pain (and often provide more effective methods of maintaining power than by primitively beating people up).

I do not advocate being a belligerant, chest-banging idiot. I simply have no hesitation in recognising and accepting my animal instincts.

Now, ask yourself, with all honesty, what are 'rights'? Indeed, what are 'laws'? Really? They do not exist as physical phenomena. They are psychological codes and limitations, nothing more, but most certainly nothing less. Claiming a 'right' to something is in essence claiming the power to excercise one's will upon the world in a physical way. No two bodies are alike. Sexual genetic variation is a wonderful thing. No two humans are alike. And therefore, no two humans possess equal means of excercising their will upon the world. Therefore, claiming 'equal rights for all' (to be bestowed by the STATE no less! Which is another phenomenon of power altogether!) is a fallacy of catastrophic ramifications. As Link said, equal rights are a phantom, an illusion of security to give the weak of society a false sense of empowerment. Rights have nothing to do with race or skin colour, they have to do with one's ability to influence and subjugate others. But the ARTFUL subjugator shall make their subjugation seem appealing. When President Bush (and any other state leader) says that he shall protect and watch over American citizens, he essentially says that they are under his domination, and are subject to his rule. However, the weak will usually jump at such a promise of security, and thus his subjugation is interpreted rather as patronage. His dominance is viewed as a positive.... the benevolent dictator

Absolutely
Nothing
Wrong
With
That

Now, to bring it back to the boys in question. While I speak from total ignorance of them personally, I imagine they are act out of frustration of being powerless within their own hierarchy (as many others have already stated). Theirs is an impotent gesture of resentment. Resenting their society's unwillingness to support their weakness. There's nothing wrong with being weak, indeed varying levels of strength are vital for maintaining a working social hierarchy. However, the usurpation of 'false', illusory, synthesised power by weaklings is something that I think that those who possess 'real' power should not tolerate. It muddies the structure of the hierarchy. As such, these would-be usurpers and self-gratifiers-out-of-indignation should be made an example of. The weak should accept their place, and the strong should not 'abuse' them needlessly. No guilt, no sin, no good nor evil. Just the strong ruling the weak, wisely and practically.

[ 01-26-2005, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]
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