Reply #217: Shocked?

[tisfortomi]

"Actually, I'm deeply concerned at the fact that order is maintained with either violence or the constant threat of violence. I don't support that, nor do I ask anyone to do it on my behalf.

I know it's a shock to learn that not everyone shares your assumptions."


I would propose to you that the "threat of violence" is one of the ingredients of social order. The degree to which it is present is a negative indicator of the health of the society, but it has been present to some degree in every society this planet has brought forth. Perhaps we one day will evolve to the point where it will not longer be necessary. Perhaps not. In any case, we are a long way from that point.

The paradox of violence is that those who eschew it will end up being ruled and abused by those who don't. If your assumption is that violence is the greatest evil, I must confess that I don't share it. My view is that aggression is the greatest evil. There is a qualitative difference between aggressive violence and defensive violence. Defensive violence against aggression is clearly a lesser evil. Even a relatively healthy social order will find it necessary to avail itself of the lesser evil as a tool against the greater.

I would submit that your stance is disingenuous and somewhat hypocritical since you clearly do benefit from the maintenance of order, whether or not you agree with the means by which it is maintained. Do you have a practical alternative to propose? Something more concrete than "If we all eschewed violence, what a wonderful world it would be"? Steps by which we can collectively move away from violence as a tool and on to more enlightened means of social control? Never forget, though, that social control is what we're talking about here: the actual dirty business of trying to coexist on this small planet.

The current, admittedly imperfect structure provides you with a relatively high degree personal security, freedom, and material comfort. Yet you feel justified in claiming a moral superiority over that structure. The Brahmin deigns to wear the shoes the Untouchable has made.

Shocked? Sadly, no.