Notes from a Small Island Vol 1: The Banality of Evil

[Cain]

That,Äôs one of the scary things about these modern times, its so unsure and unsettling that we can never be quite sure of who we surround ourselves on a daily basis.  We so desperately wish to believe what the people we know tell us, because to question otherwise would feed our paranoia and exhaust us on a daily basis.

Well, we all know what I think about paranoia.  Its impossible, as virtually everyone, from crazy Islamic fundamentalists to crazed Baptists to unthinking secret police.  But that,Äôs the exciting sort of evil that makes the news nowadays, and not the sort that,Äôs the real problem.

The real one is the otherwise quite nice and well adjusted people who would condemn you for the smallest of infractions of custom  The people who mentally condemn you to hell every day for reasons that are as ludicrous as they are petty.  But its worse than even that.

It,Äôs the guy you go drinking with, who voted for Bush in the last election, despite being an otherwise intelligent individual who disagreed with invading Iraq and his own health policy.  It,Äôs the school assistant who straps a bomb to his back and goes out to cause in London that which he disagrees with so vehemently in other parts of the world.  Otherwise ordinary people who just,Ķsnap.  Or worse, truly  believe what they are doing is right.

We all know about Nazis.  No-one takes a man like that seriously anymore, except a few deluded nuts.  There is no question of evil cloaking itself in the face of the righteous anymore, it is that same face.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions, so they say.  We have plenty enough of those nowadays ,Äúto protect the people,Äù, to disarm dangerous states of weapons,Äù, ,Äúto prevent another 7/7,Äù.

I know people (through other people) who work high up in Government.  They aren,Äôt evil Machiavellian schemers, mad with power and plotting over the brandy.  They don,Äôt have the intelligence or time for it, for starters.  Instead, they are mostly otherwise good and decent people, who want the best for their constituents and country.  A few are tarnished, admittedly, but that can go with the territory sometimes.

So where is this problem?  Damned if I know.  The world is seriously fucked up, and at times like this I wonder if there really is some giant conspiracy, or just reach for the scotch to stop those thoughts at all,ĶThe system is broken.  The machine isn,Äôt coming for you, bits of it have broken and are flying off, catching random passer-by,Äôs and the occasional mechanic who tries to fix the problem.  Don,Äôt get me wrong, I have little faith in our leaders.  I,Äôm not that na?Øve, they,Äôre still scum and as much my enemies as any people still alive.  Of course, there are a few who thrive on breaking the bits of the same machine and then extending their contracts to fix it, but they are surprisingly uncommon.

Perhaps the ideas are the problem?  Rigid adherence to the ,Äúideals of the cause,Äù be it neo-conservativism,  Salafi Islam or the mythical Third Way.  These ideas all start with helping people, yet end up in disaster for many involved.  Something to think about, maybe?

[LMNO]

Nice rant.

Depressing, but nice.


Sometimes I think there is a size limit on effective government.  Once the population grows too large, there are too many conflicting interests to govern effectively.

Other times, i just drink.

[Cain]

I think that often also.  Then I check the world population, then drink.

[Zurtok Khan]

Drink first, then think.  It's not nearly as depressing that way.

[Cain]

I cant think while drinking. After you look at my drinks cabinet, you'll understand.

[Verthaine]

One of the biggest problems with this planet is that everything is being made for one woman.

First name:     Lois
Middle name:  Common
Last Name:     Denominator

[BADGE OF HONOR]

One of the biggest problems with this planet is that everything is being made for one woman.

First name:     Lois
Middle name:  Common
Last Name:     Denominator

[LHX]

One of the biggest problems with this planet is that everything is being made for one woman.

First name:     Lois
Middle name:  Common
Last Name:     Denominator

nice


she like it raw

[DJRubberducky]

Your mom likes it rough from this turnstile