The greatest tragedy of the early 21st century

I have much to write on that shooting at Virginia Tech, when I get a chance. I've spent a lot of time studying school violence. I work with the most violence-prone and behaviorally difficult students in our school. I think I have some insight into at least the mindset of those who engage in this kind of violence. I'll write about it when I have more time.

In the meantime, after reading another brilliant article by Francis Fukuyama on Iran vs. Britain: Who Blinked, I am struck by what I think is the greatest tragedy of the early 21st century and the consensus that has developed in favor of force and pressure and might to accomplish what we think (and what everyone who has ever used that means believes) is right.

That this logic is exactly the logic that was used by the Soviets, the Nazis, the Fascists, the Baathists, despots world round, terrorist groups and their state sponsors, and revolutionaries of all kinds who impose their ugly regimes on unwilling, at, at times, willing populations.

The logic of governance and power that we are embracing today in the democratic world is exactly the logic that was embraced by the illiberal and anti-democratic world and all of the worst abusers of power and authority in the 20th century.

"We don't go to such extremes," we assure ourselves. "We are the good people," we remind ourselves. "Good people don't use force for bad purposes," we reassure our consciences. "Good people only use force for good purposes. And the road to hell is paved with bad people using force for bad purposes, not good people using force for good purposes."

Lord Acton's aphorism, we persistently assure ourselves, is for other people who really can be corrupted by power. We, on the other hand, could not possibly we corrupted by power. Because we are good people. And the only people corrupted by power are bad people.

And all the while we rationalize the logic of governance and action used by the old Soviet Union, the Nazi regime, the Fascists, the Baathists, Communists in China and North Korea and Cuba, repressive and illiberal regimes in Syria, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Iran and all the rest, left and right-wing terrorists and radical groups of every generation, including our own, and all of the rest of the most brutal, repressive, and force-centered regimes and groups in the history of humanity.

We look at the liberal advance of civilization along a trend of greater freedom and less brutality and force to resolve problems and we say, "Not too much. We might go too far."

When too far in the more forceful direction is the ugly and long-standing history of humanity and the most evil fact of 20th century history and life.

And this kind of logic is the very kind of logic that leads terrorists and despots and illiberal regimes and thugs around the world to look at decent people and say, "We believe the same things that you do about power. We just have the balls to really use it."

When the truth is that this direction is not a direction of courage.

The direction of courage it towards more liberal values. Jesus, Buddha, King, and Ghandi. None of these men were perfect. And neither were their visions of governance or power, for which none of them had responsibility. But these are the heroes that our civilizations rightly honor, and not men like Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Mussolini and the figures of force that littered the 20th century with death and destruction.

The great irony and tragedy of the early 21st century is that we have decided to pay homage to the despots and mass murderers of the 20th century over the essential goodness of our truer heroes of that same century. We aspire to use the tools of Stalin and Hitler because we are afraid of looking too much like Ghandi and King. We play up the less savory stories and facts of Ghandi's and King's legacies to rationalize why we are so afraid of looking too soft, too decent, too genuine and good.

And it is our fears that pay tribute to the despots. That has always been the case. Even and especially when they ruled. It was peoples' fears that not only led them to submit beyond their control, but to secretly cheer these leaders' willingness to force the world to reckon with their leadership.

The tragedy of the early 21st century is that we say that we love King and Ghandi and Jesus and Buddha. But when push comes to shove, we prefer the cold-hearted force of Stalin and Hitler.

Only then, we reason, will we finally ward off all of our attackers. Only then, we rationalize, will we really be safe. Only then, we hope, will we finally end our vulnerability to the elements and to the world.

Even when the world becomes less safe and not more for our efforts. Even when our goals become harder to accomplish and not easier. Even when our aspirations are not met with results that favor them.

And that is our truest homage to the logic of despotism.

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

But not me, we all say. Not me. Not us.

Love,
Ben