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Yes, there are monsters in the world

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Yes, there are monsters in the world

from JoeUser Forums

Recently I was involved in a discussion regarding the two Boston Marathon bombers.  It started off with someone expressing concern about the amount of anger and hatred being directed towards the bombers.

I am dismayed and afraid about the amount of hate and vengeance for the two who planted the bombs. It is spreading the attitude of vengeance in our country. I saw a quote from Ghandi this morning which I have not verified, but it struck me as true. "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". What is the difference between those two and us wanting to kill them?

This comment launched a discussion that had one side advocating that we should try to understand – show “empathy” towards how people could become so “disenfranchised” that they would commit such violent acts?  They also argued that it was unhealthy for us, as a society, to feel so much anger, hate and a desire for vengeance against the perpetrators.

I disagree.

We have the ability to indulge ourselves in this discussion precisely because we live in a civilization that instinctively and actively removes the monsters from society. We should be thankful that the instinctive emotion by our society is anger, disdain and hate towards these monsters and not empathy or compassion.

A civilization that frets too much on whether it's acceptable to dehumanize monsters has little expectation to survive in the long-run. It only took two monsters to shut down Boston. And I think we all know that there are many many edge cases out there that could become such monsters.  Our civilization could be severely disrupted by a handful of individuals like the Boston Marathon bombers.  We should show no tolerance whatsoever for individuals that act in this way.

Therefore, as a society that seeks to survive, we should absolutely show the maximum amount of disdain, disgust and contempt for human beings to engage in such behavior. We should absolutely make it clear that people who engage in this act are so loathed that we no longer even think of them as human but rather as animals, vermin, and monsters. We so reject their actions that we figuratively have kicked them out of our species.

I think it's intellectually facile to argue that it's somehow "wrong" to dehumanize human beings like this. At best, it's the result of not thinking through the consequences of what would happen if a significant plurality of our society showed an ounce of compassion or empathy towards these kinds of monsters. And at worst, it's simply indulging in feel-good sanctimonious back patting (i.e. "Look at me, I'm an intellectual because I imagine that intellectuals are above feeling 'negative' human emotions).

If we want to keep our society, we better hope that people continue to think of human beings that would seek to destroy them as monsters, vermin, animals and worse.  “What is evil?” someone asked. Pointlessly and indiscriminately murdering innocents who were there to support loved ones participating in an event that celebrated excellence. That’s evil.

Just my 2 cents.

644,301 views 176 replies
Reply #126 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting TwoWolves, reply 121




Specifically President Putin asked the US administration to stop supplying the terrorists with arms.

 

Fuck I hope we have learned to not supply terrorist, rebels, or freedom fighters with arms.  It's pretty much bit us in the ass later every time. Very dangerous tactic.

Reply #127 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Of course they were set up, the act of shooting police and throwing bombs at them is perfectly normal behaviour for innocent people...

 

I wish someone would shoot all these conspiracy theorists too ;)

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #128 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Fuzzy, reply 128

Of course they were set up, the act of shooting police and throwing bombs at them is perfectly normal behaviour for innocent people...

 

I wish someone would shoot all these conspiracy theorists too

Couldn't agree more.

Reply #129 from JoeUser Forums Top

There are now reports out that Djokar was not in possession of a gun in the boat.  Not sure how an 'exchange' of gunfire occurred as reported if that turns out to be true.

Reply #130 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Daiwa, reply 130

There are now reports out that Djokar was not in possession of a gun in the boat.  Not sure how an 'exchange' of gunfire occurred as reported if that turns out to be true.

Looking at this thread you can't figure that one out?

Reply #131 from JoeUser Forums Top

Guess I shoulda used the sarc tag.  My bad.

Reply #132 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Koalab, reply 123
This bombing will be just another excuse to take away more freedom from the american people even though a thousand times more people die from gun related crime than from terrorism.

Actually, odds are better you will die from bee stings then by terrorists

 TERRORIST

If you eat honey, you support TERRORISM

Reply #133 from Elemental Forums Top

And with guns, you are more likely to die from shooting yourself than being shot by someone else.  

Reply #134 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I had a book full of death statistics and stories like that... unfortunately, it's at home and I'm at college. :'(

Reply #135 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lord, reply 134
And with guns, you are more likely to die from shooting yourself than being shot by someone else.

Only if you're an idiot while you handle them.

Reply #136 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Quoting SpardaSon21, reply 136
Only if you're an idiot while you handle them.
Which is why it's so common.

Reply #137 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Scoutdog, reply 137


Quoting SpardaSon21, reply 136Only if you're an idiot while you handle them.Which is why it's so common.

 

Haha  :rofl: , classic. Thanks

Reply #138 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ah, yes...but that's a self-curing illness.... much like if you are so stupid you cannot work out how to procreate....it's actually a 'good thing' [tm] ...;)

Reply #139 from Stardock Forums Top

 

Brings to mind a movie I remember watching a few years ago........Idiocracy.   Funny little flick.....

 

fyi......the 'trailers' out there do not do the film justice by any means.

Reply #140 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting SpardaSon21, reply 136


Quoting Lord Xia, reply 134And with guns, you are more likely to die from shooting yourself than being shot by someone else.

Only if you're an idiot while you handle them.

 

Suicide.  

Reply #141 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lord, reply 141
Suicide.  

Good point

Suicide, Not Car Crashes, #1 Cause of Injury Death

Suicide has overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the U.S.

While public health efforts have curbed the number of car fatalities by 25% over the last decade, a new study shows suicide deaths rose by 15% during the same period.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20120920/suicide-top-cause-of-injury-death

or http://www.livescience.com/23432-suicide-kills-more-than-car-crashes.html

Death by unintentional poisoning, which includes drug overdoses, came in third behind car wrecks and suicide after increasing 128 percent from 2000 to 2009. The data from 2010 would push that rise in death rate even higher, to 136 percent, study researcher Ian Rockett told LiveScience in an email. Prescription painkiller overdoses might be to blame for this drastic rise. Recent research has shown that in some states painkiller overdoses may be responsible for more deaths than suicide or car crashes.

Are there monsters in your medicine cabinet? But I guess since these monsters pay for most of the ads on the MSM networks, you will never hear about them, will you?

Reply #142 from Elemental Forums Top

Some adult language...

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind." Edward Bernays - Propaganda Ch.1 Organizing Chaos http://books.google.com/books?id=3De8nd_B_C8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=propaganda+by+edward+bernays&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Zgl6UdaOGcfi2QWhkYHICA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=propaganda%20by%20edward%20bernays&f=false

"After doing United States Government war propaganda work in World War I, Mr. Bernays realized that, as he put it in the 1991 interview, "if this could be used for war, it can be used for peace." - https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/08/16/specials/bernays-obit.html

 

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Reply #143 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lord, reply 141


Quoting SpardaSon21, reply 136

Quoting Lord Xia, reply 134And with guns, you are more likely to die from shooting yourself than being shot by someone else.

Only if you're an idiot while you handle them.

 

Suicide.  

And suicide victims would just end up dying through other means without firearms.  A desire to reduce suicides is always a good thing, but removing one lethal tool and leaving the rest won't do anything.

Reply #144 from Sins Forums Top

man, do I miss George  -_-   k1

Reply #145 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Tangents.

It's all about tangents.

Everyone here appears to be going off on one...or another.

#143 has exactly ZERO relevance to the OP.

And #144...being pro-NRA bears no relevance either.

Reply #146 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 90

  'whether by intent OR 'dramatic effect'.

 

I was considering this advice and it occurred too me how many TV news shows that would put out, causing me some amusement.

Reply #147 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What has any of this crap got to do with the original topic?

Reply #149 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Scoutdog, reply 149
(Actually, it's strange. Six pages of volatility, and not a single allusion to Nazis, fascism, or Hitler.)

Oh, give it time...

All good things come to he who waits....;p

Reply #150 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 150
Oh, give it time...

What fascist nazi put the mustache on hitler?

 

Now, that it has been done, let's continue with the discussion. :grin: