" I play Devil's advocate so much I forget to specify that's what I'm up to."
I 'd sensed as much, Don, but thank you for clarifyfing. On Jun 27, 6:22 pm, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > So a brutal power that uses brutality to stay in power is a viable > recourse? > > No, of course not. I play Devil's advocate so much I forget to > specify that's what I'm up to. My point is that it is effective. It > works to control a society. This is what the Warlords in Samalia(and > other places) do to remain in power. If they didn't do it they'd be > killed and someone else would. That doesn't make it right(please no > tired 'might makes right' tropes) but to remain in power over a > largely uneducated populace it's the only thing that works. Maybe > control of water or some other resource might help but fear is the > biggest motivator. > > The threat of force(violence) only works if it is known you are > willing and capable of using it. When you have moronic politicians > making statements along the lines of "I voted to threaten to use > force, not actually use it" other countries see us as the paper tiger > we have become. This makes us less effective as the defunct global > policeman we used to be. Perhaps this is a good thing. Perhaps it's > not our job to save other people's from genocide. > > It's a brave new world. > > dj > > > > On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 1:47 PM, Slip Disc<[email protected]> wrote: > > > To maintain a semblance of > > order in a brutal society brutal methods are necessary. Making them > > public would be even more effective.<<<DJ > > > So a brutal power that uses brutality to stay in power is a viable > > recourse? You find justification in murder for the sake of > > squelching the voice of justice, the voice of protest, the act of > > fairness etc? > > > Brutality in controlling populations is akin to genocide. > > > On Jun 26, 8:50 am, Don Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I think a finger or two would have been sufficient :-) > > >> Ah, Tink, a man after my own heart. I hate thieves and liars. Often > >> murder is more noble then these two traits of humanity. A thumb on > >> first offense and the other if he does it again. Brutality is > >> effective in controlling populations. Look how well it is working in > >> Iran. The protests are effectively over. To maintain a semblance of > >> order in a brutal society brutal methods are necessary. Making them > >> public would be even more effective. Remember the brutality after > >> the Shah was brought down in 1979? Tens of thousands were rounded up > >> and murdered. It kept the populace quiet for a generation. This is > >> why keel hauling was used on navy ships in the past. Many times crews > >> were made up of criminals and drunks and scurvy dogs. The almost > >> certain death of a keel hauling and subsequent parading of the flesh > >> torn bodies would scare anyone into towing the line. > > >> On capital punishment. How about public executions? What would be the > >> effect of this? Would it galvanize the public against the death > >> penalty or for it? Would it serve as more of a detriment? We rid the > >> world of a lot of murderers here in Texas every year but it hardly > >> makes a ripple in the news cycle. Put that on cable TV and make it > >> interesting by putting them in a cage with a pack of hungry wolves and > >> it would get international attention. Not that I advocate anything > >> like that; I'm just putting it out there for discussion. > > >> dj > > >> On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 10:00 PM, Tinker<[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > On Jun 25, 1:45 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> As religious tolerance continues, what are we to think about this? > >> > It's time to quit tolerating religion. > > >> >> What are we to do about this? > >> > Change the 'direction' of Society. > > >> >> What do you think? > >> > I think a finger or two would have been sufficient :-) > > >> > peace & Love > > >> >http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8118306.stm- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
