The X-Factor: Devil's Advocate
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.
If we say there is no Satan, does that mean God does not exist? It’s easier to digest the argument that something supernatural created all we are and see, seeing that we can’t explain our origin, than to accept that Lucifer resides below the seas and earth’s crust just waiting for most of us to join him in the Universe’s hottest after-party. No, it’s more palatable for our delicate minds to scapegoat anyone but ourselves for the beast that evidently lives in each and every one of us. If it’s good, we did it. Anything bad and the devil made me do it. But that’s why religion exists, to scare us into believing whatever keeps us coming back for more and under the shepherd’s watchful eye. In short, the very best and worst lives in us.
One Man’s Terrorist…
I’m pretty sure with what little I know about martyrs and infidels that most of those who for whatever reason choose to die by exploding a bomb attached to their bodies or in a vehicle they’re driving actually believe in the righteousness of their decisions and actions. They cause the death of innocent people in many cases, or do they? For them, collateral damage even of their own people is an acceptable outcome for the greater good. Think about that! They do bad things for a good reason, at least to them. Is that any different from raiding a sovereign nation and causing civilian casualties with ballistic missiles and drone strikes, even in the absence of irrefutable evidence to justify compromising international law? The point is, in any given armed conflict, you’re both patriot and terrorist, depending on your allegiance and geography. Now don’t think this rationale is pointed only due North, this applies everywhere, even here at home. Politicians and the security forces know who the criminals are; some only have to look in the mirror. The very reason we even need security forces to police the population is two-fold; to make sure we know we can’t just rise up and do what we want to, like revolt, and if we were all afforded education and opportunity then we could very well police ourselves for the most part. Who then is the villain and who the protector of our collective safety and freedom?
A Virtuous Man
The Art of War like chess is about outsmarting your opponent knowing fully well in advance that there will be bloodshed and sacrifice of life and property. Niccolo Machiavelli in his landmark book The Prince pointed clearly to virtue being less about someone being ethical and more about one being willing to do whatever is required to achieve their objective. People need to be ruled, but not too harshly that they hate you. Fear you yes, but love you for your strength and not so much your kindness. You must also depend on your own might and machinery to defend your turf and fight if necessary, and never under any circumstances form alliances with a better armed, stronger counterpart lest they turn on you and defeat you. Virtue therefore is the means by which you gain and maintain power. A prominent public figure here in Jamaica recently said that ‘whatever it takes to remain in power is in the best interest of the party and the country.” Well said comrade, well said. Information will always be power, and that power is written in books and abstract knowledge we must seek out for ourselves. The logic of those who rule precludes that kind of literature from being mainstream fare for approved school curricula. So, for our natural lives, most of us will go through convinced we’re something special, when really we’re very predictable and regular. Not so much by DNA but by indoctrination and behaviour, both of which are not permanent disabilities. So how does a pawn claim his birth right? Does he by saying ‘long live the King’ or by impeaching Her Majesty?
?Heartless
Like a very teen year old once told me, our heart is but an organ like any other in our bodies, no more no less. Our emotions, feelings if you will, originate in our craniums, and that’s where we process information and decide on courses of action. There are chemical secretions that wield increased influence over specific tendencies ranging from love to anger to fear and awe, and some of these can remain in our system for hours. Still, we’re ultimately in control of what we do. Serial killers, sex offenders, genocidal leaders and ruthless executives and politicians know exactly what the result of their actions will be, in much the same way teachers, doctors, nurses and security personnel are acutely aware of the sacrifice they make and power they often have at their disposal. Ironically, both extremes can co-exist in the same person. A bad man is not necessarily cruel to his own, and a good doctor could have a murderous or callous streak. Your vocation, training or upbringing doesn’t guarantee anything but that you have some ability to do what you were instructed so to do; morality is optional. I have no doubt that I can indeed do the most unimaginable things possible, some probably not even yet done. The thing is, does a lifetime of what is generally considered good deeds justify one major crime against humanity? Does the end justify the means? And should I care to answer to anyone but myself and my God, whomever I perceive IT/HIM/HER to be? While we still live by the rules laid out for us, it will indeed be hard to be a truly independent-thinking individual. What is freedom anyway if we can’t truly act and think for ourselves with dignity and where there is one justice for all? B+ Email comments to [email protected]