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This in a world where it was fashionable for celebrities to perform mock assassinations of the President. You’re suggesting a world where a person’s thoughts c

by jl2718 6y ago

This in a world where it was fashionable for celebrities to perform mock assassinations of the President. You’re suggesting a world where a person’s thoughts can be used as evidence of their criminality. Perhaps there was more to this case, but this is what you write as convincing to you. Thoughts and words. And the same people that would imprison a wrong-thinker of the opposing political tribe, are protesting against police mistreatment of chronic violent criminals. Somehow I’m unconvinced of your sincerity. But I understand it. Thoughts are dangerous. Thoughts spread faster than any disease, and the infected can’t ever be cured. They start movements and religions and wars. When asked who was the most evil person ever, it’s never a mindless antisocial killer, it’s always a person who beguiled a nation to fall in love with their thoughts. But I think this is a symptom of leisure. Perhaps you’ve never realized how little regard some people have for your life. There would be no speech, no argument, no justification, no anger, no reason, no ideology, no remorse, maybe just a little bit of amusement at how easy it was. And this is thousands of times more likely that any harm to come of some idiot lone wolf extremist of any ideology.

Apotheos 6y ago
This reads like some V for Vendetta fan fiction. Thoughts (intent) can absolutely be used as evidence of someone's criminality.
- jl2718 6y ago
  Interesting. The intent was the opposite, as in, support of small-time street law enforcement dealing with chronic violent criminals, versus fear-mongering about extremists. Although I admit I’ve neither watched that movie nor read the OP article (forum foul; I know). I did spent a good portion of my life hunting terrorists, and along the way there are always to be found plenty of unquestionably terrible people that are clearly under no conviction that they are in any way serving some greater purpose. These are not very interesting and all too common. They’re so dumb and simple you can’t even hate them, and there are no medals for removing them from society. People want diabolical comic book superhero-villain stories. I’m not sure it works out that way. If it was as simple as taking out a few bad apples, we wouldn’t be permanently embroiled in multi-trillion dollar decades-long conflicts that end up doing exactly what I was talking about, peacekeeping through local police to establish law and order and sustainable communities. So when I see these spectacles at home, I think of when the old gunny admonished me, “We are not authorized to target any US person. No American is ever supposed to be the enemy.” It’s not exactly the same, but, it just seems like our first public mutual responsibility is to get all of our citizens to feel like they at least belong here, and believe that they can find ways to peacefully make small consensus steps toward some of the things they believe in, just as they may also make small concessions for the beliefs of others. People with coherent beliefs about something are nearly perfect examples of the easily-reformed. Thoughts can lead someone back to peace. Impulsive violence and exploitation of others, often from substance abuse, is nearly incurable. This is the real enemy.

by jl2718 6y ago

Apotheos 6y ago

This reads like some V for Vendetta fan fiction. Thoughts (intent) can absolutely be used as evidence of someone's criminality.

jl2718 6y ago
Interesting. The intent was the opposite, as in, support of small-time street law enforcement dealing with chronic violent criminals, versus fear-mongering about extremists. Although I admit I’ve neither watched that movie nor read the OP article (forum foul; I know). I did spent a good portion of my life hunting terrorists, and along the way there are always to be found plenty of unquestionably terrible people that are clearly under no conviction that they are in any way serving some greater purpose. These are not very interesting and all too common. They’re so dumb and simple you can’t even hate them, and there are no medals for removing them from society. People want diabolical comic book superhero-villain stories. I’m not sure it works out that way. If it was as simple as taking out a few bad apples, we wouldn’t be permanently embroiled in multi-trillion dollar decades-long conflicts that end up doing exactly what I was talking about, peacekeeping through local police to establish law and order and sustainable communities. So when I see these spectacles at home, I think of when the old gunny admonished me, “We are not authorized to target any US person. No American is ever supposed to be the enemy.” It’s not exactly the same, but, it just seems like our first public mutual responsibility is to get all of our citizens to feel like they at least belong here, and believe that they can find ways to peacefully make small consensus steps toward some of the things they believe in, just as they may also make small concessions for the beliefs of others. People with coherent beliefs about something are nearly perfect examples of the easily-reformed. Thoughts can lead someone back to peace. Impulsive violence and exploitation of others, often from substance abuse, is nearly incurable. This is the real enemy.