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December 21, 2009
Killing or nonkilling?
Killing, please. I cannot decide which triggered my gag reflex: The very notion of a Center for Global Nonkilling or the Center for Global Nonkilling Obama logo.*
Imagine a world in which humans no longer kill each other. Is a nonkilling world possible? Amidst continued killing following the violent 20th century, the Center for Global Nonkilling arises out of new understanding that a killing-free world is possible. It is possible for humans to stop killing each other from homicide to genocide, terrorism and mass murder in war. A killing-free world is a measurable goal. The methods and means of realization are open to infinite human creativity.
I am forced to conclude leftism is no longer an ideology per se but a badly written science fiction novel masquerading as a political movement. They will not be satisfied until there is nothing left of us that is recognizably human.
* Floating at the top of every page but peculiarly absent from their Graphic Resources. Hey, Obamaniacs, Pepsi called; they want their logo back.
Pro-Killing Update: Flea-reader Scott writes with his response to a Center for Global Nonkilling survey.
Survey on Nonkilling
The Center for Global Nonkilling is interested in your views about the stated measurable goal of achieving a killing-free world. Please take a few minutes to respond to the following brief survey. Your responses will help us understand the range of perspectives concerning nonkilling. This will help us develop and support more effective initiatives for reducing killing in different settings and societies.
Do you believe a killing-free society is possible? *
(a society where killing, threats to kill, and conditions conducive to killing are absent)
Yes
X No
If so, why? / If not, why not? *
It would require complete oversight and control of individual human behavior -- day to day, hour to hour, second to second. Such a society would need to be overthrown, which would require significant violence and killing. Since a non-killing society would thus by its very nature engender killing, it is self-contradictory and is therefore not a reasonable goal. And of course killing and threats to kill are often all there is to prevent much worse evils.
For example, in a fully non-killing world, slave masters would rule (especially with the above controls in place.).
What will governments, communities and/or individuals need to do to make progress toward a killing-free society and world? *
Perhaps universal lobotomies, or drugs in everyone’s drinking water might work – except then the whole society becomes a free killing field for anyone who is not so controlled. Civilization was founded on, and cannot exist without killing and the threat to kill. Originally, civilization required that the king must have the power to kill any of his subjects to force cooperation.
Free civilization came about when every person gained the ability to kill any other person, including the king. Force is then replaced with trade – but it all still relies on killing and the threat to kill.
What could you do to work toward this goal? *
I think that my personal belief in individual freedom would have to be extracted from my head and thrown out. With my present world-view, I would of course fight against such a silly and essentially immoral/unethical goal. The end result of a non-killing world is the death of freedom, the institution of slavery, and, very likely, the demise of civilization. Thankfully, Iexpect killing to be around forever.
The Center for Global Nonkilling is interested in your views about the stated measurable goal of achieving a killing-free world. Please take a few minutes to respond to the following brief survey. Your responses will help us understand the range of perspectives concerning nonkilling. This will help us develop and support more effective initiatives for reducing killing in different settings and societies.
Do you believe a killing-free society is possible? *
(a society where killing, threats to kill, and conditions conducive to killing are absent)
Yes
X No
If so, why? / If not, why not? *
It would require complete oversight and control of individual human behavior -- day to day, hour to hour, second to second. Such a society would need to be overthrown, which would require significant violence and killing. Since a non-killing society would thus by its very nature engender killing, it is self-contradictory and is therefore not a reasonable goal. And of course killing and threats to kill are often all there is to prevent much worse evils.
For example, in a fully non-killing world, slave masters would rule (especially with the above controls in place.).
What will governments, communities and/or individuals need to do to make progress toward a killing-free society and world? *
Perhaps universal lobotomies, or drugs in everyone’s drinking water might work – except then the whole society becomes a free killing field for anyone who is not so controlled. Civilization was founded on, and cannot exist without killing and the threat to kill. Originally, civilization required that the king must have the power to kill any of his subjects to force cooperation.
Free civilization came about when every person gained the ability to kill any other person, including the king. Force is then replaced with trade – but it all still relies on killing and the threat to kill.
What could you do to work toward this goal? *
I think that my personal belief in individual freedom would have to be extracted from my head and thrown out. With my present world-view, I would of course fight against such a silly and essentially immoral/unethical goal. The end result of a non-killing world is the death of freedom, the institution of slavery, and, very likely, the demise of civilization. Thankfully, Iexpect killing to be around forever.
Posted by Ghost of a flea at December 21, 2009 05:41 AM
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