Musings on the nature of absolute power

created by moJoe

(idea) by moJoe (3.1 mon) (print) ? 2 C!s I like it! Thu May 18 2000 at 1:10:20

As a cult of the mind, we noders have this bizarre yet objective interest in cultural guilt and atrocities. In DMan's node "Conspiracy theory of the use of atomic weapons as to indimidate Russia"(sic) he mentions the "poor Japanese people" attitude in regard to US nuclear bombings and basically puts into question their "innocence". Though I do not condone the wholesale slaughter of innocents (not to say the bomb didn't kill people who were not "innocent"...it killed EVERYONE), he brought up an interesting point about how the military forces of WWII Japan behaved. My best friend Osarch, whom is from the island of Palau, had many interesting things to say on this exact subject as we were growing up.

Due to Japan occupation of Palau during World War II, there are few men alive that can recall the era since Japanese soldiers slaughtered them upon arrival. Osarch also has many older female relatives that were raped repeatedly every day for months if not years, a few of them are missing one or both breasts (Japanese soldiers of the time apparently enjoyed impaling and amputating women's breasts in a rather non-surgical manner while raping them).

We also talk of the guilt of "the white man" in regard to the enslaving of Africans over 500 years ago yet many an African nation has had slavery in its history not to mention mass extermination of human life.

We speak of the Germans and how they killed millions upon millions of innocent people (mostly Jewish) during World War II. Some of us even have the presence of mind to point out Stalin and his killing of an estimated 25 Million people (the vast majority of them his own people).

What we do not talk about is what the victims have done. This may be an unpopular view, but why is it that we must choose to only see certain atrocities?

I speak as a person who does not believe in "social guilt" or "cultural guilt", but I still see a certain hypocrisy in the way that we look upon a people as either "good" or "bad".

A good example of this is found in the Old Testament. Though the Jewish people have indeed been shit on quite a bit through out history, why is it that we glorify the Jewish Genocide of the Old Testament. I mean come on, how man Canaanites do you know? None? Thats because they are all dead. If the Old Testament is to be belived, the Jews were a mean bunch of mofro's back in the day. I am not sure how many different cultures no longer exist on this planet because of the tribes of Israel, but I think Moses's policy on slaughtering everything but the 13 year old girls was a tad excessive.

I did not write this node to rag on Jews that are 3000 years dead, all I wish to bring across is the fact that if you take any culture, give it power and no supervision, it will become corrupt. History has proven this time and time again. If you think that Christians would do better, you need only look at the wake of blood that trails behind the years of their supremacy on this planet.
America ditto...
Russia ditto...
China ditto...
The celebrated Roman Empire ditto...
France ditto...
Spain ditto...
I simply cannot think of any super power in history that doesn't have a past bathed in bloodshed and corruption. I can see no reason why we carry these foolish shames around with us. I am not saying we should forget our history, I am saying we should remember ALL of it, from every nation not just our own. Else I fear we are all doomed to repeat it, and I mean everyone; no one is a victim forever.

printable version
chaos

If "cult" religions are so good at mind control, why are their attrition rates so high?	absolute power corrupts absolutely	Conspiracy theory of the use of atomic weapons as to intimidate Russia	Seven social sins
AOL Specs: first layer	Canaanite	The War against Terrorism is about power	Which God was cooler, the one from the Old Testament or the one from the New Testament?
Social engineering	Music was better in the old days	31337	The price of the green light
Sigur R�s	Comparing and contrasting the kingships of Gilgamesh and Alexander the Great	The Melian Debate	Social behaviour is determined by reproductive success
Social outcast	Roman Empire	sic	Mannheim gold
absolute power	In Soviet Russia	Semisonic	Shame vs Guilt Culture

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