[lit-ideas] Re: Al Zarqawi
- From: Paul Stone <pas@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:21:31 -0400
AA: There's a skit by Abbott and Costello wherein I think Costello proves
that he's not there by using logic. Since we're neither vegetables nor
minerals, yes, we're animals who like to think we're superior to all the
other life forms on this planet, even as we behave like monsters half the
time, including rejoicing when fellow monsters are killed. When we're not
behaving like monsters, we're wishing death and destruction, on a big
scale or small, like monsters.
Man, I thought _I_ was a pessimist. You make my outlook like rosier than
Ronald Reagan's cheeks. Do you ever see the good in people? I just don't
think you are able. People are, in my experience generally good. Misguided,
stupid, greedy, narcissistic, yes, it all goes with looking out for number
one -- a very, if not, Darwinian, at least Dawkinsian concept -- but we're
not monsters. We surely have the capacity to exhibit and perform behaviours
that could be construed -- in non monstrous situations -- as being that of
monsters.
But I'm not going to give up my faith in the goodness of humanity. We are
strong, intelligent, superior, albeit evolving creatures with tremendous
potential for that evolution into something fully good. There will always
be 'bad' stuff and there will always be behaviours which someone else will
deem 'monstrous' but we are better than animals and we are very, very
overwhelmingly 'good'. We have to be... being monsters all the time would
result in anarchy and then we'd kill each other... that's not conducive to
fulfilling our potential. It's very hard to potentiate when we're dead.
But rejoicing in some evil fuck's end is not monstrous, it's normal
behaviour. This guy beheaded people with a sword that required sawing
through the person's neck as they cried in agony. He and anyone like him
who would carry out such acts deserves a dirt nap. Regardless of the way he
was hunted down and killed, the world is better off with him dead. You
can't argue that. You can argue that we shouldn't have done x or y to get
him and we shouldn't have expended innocent lives and started a war etc.
etc. and I would tend to agree with all that, but people who are willing
(not just able) to apparently callously carry out such barbarity should
themselves be immediately dealt with in a vicious retaliation that result
in their demise as swiftly as possible. That's not monstrous, that is human
and humane justice. For the good of humanity we, as a people should not
tolerate the likes of him. We can deal with monsters without turning into
them ourselves.
sleighing,
paul
##########
Paul Stone
pas@xxxxxxxx
Kingsville, ON, Canada
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