You, as an abolitionist-Voluntaryist-anarchist-libertarian, are a real-life Jedi. You understand the power of force. Not The Force, perhaps, but force. In fact, you understand it's (almost) all about force.
Force is neither good nor bad. It's all in how you use it.
Defensive force is the light side.
Initiated force-- aggression-- is the dark side.
If you start looking for ways to justify initiating force, out of "necessity, it is a path which leads away from the light side into the dark side. Follow this path often enough, and despite your best intentions, you'll become a real-life Sith.
And sometimes it is with the best of intentions that you take steps down that path. You may do it out of concern for the less fortunate. Or for the children. Out of fear of what "might happen" if you don't initiate force against someone who hasn't actually archated yet, but you are sure they will if you don't use force against them first. It's a seductive path.
This is the path followed by cops, politicians, and all government employees. They may see themselves as the good guys, but they can't be. Almost all their force is initiated force. Aggression. The dark side of force. Even if they sometimes use force defensively, it's not where their power comes from. They put on the kindly Palpatine act, while secretly they are Darth Sidious.
And this is what you're up against. You didn't choose the battle, but it chose you. Ready or not.
excellent original analogy.
ReplyDeleteso simple, even a millennial might start to think
Hope springs eternal.
DeleteThanks for writing this post, Kent. My spouse and I have been using this mental model since we finally realised several years ago that pledging non-aggression is NOT at all the same as pledging non-violence.
ReplyDeleteFor a long time we avoided the NAP because of the way it had been explained, which sounded way too much like Buddhist non-violence.
The Jedi path is a good analogy, and yes, an understanding of force, and when to apply or not to apply it, is what more people need to acquire. Ironically bytheway, I build lightsabers as my occupation...
Soooo...
May the (undertanding of when to apply) F=M*g2 be with you. Always...
-Shinseiko
Do you have a website for your lightsabers?
DeleteI have looked with lust at the Ultrasabers website. However, I kind of live on donations and subscriptions and don't have the available funds for fun stuff. But I would love to look at your creations. Maybe you could email me some pics if you don't have a website- just put "lightsabers" in the subject so I'll see it.
I'll do that, Kent!
ReplyDeleteShinseiko