"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell
One of the first signs that our great, great, great, ancient ancestors were developing intellectually was when one ape figured out they wouldn't have to worry about another ape stealing their food by caving its head in with a rock or a bone.
I do enjoy violence to a degree. Now I don't doubt that there are some who are repulsed and sickened by it altogether, but I still don't doubt that it is in our nature. And whose to say what those peaceful people might do if they are in the thick of an intense, adrenaline pumping situation in which their blood is up or their patience has been exhausted. A situation where others who feel like they do are suddenly blood thirsty and enraged. They might find themselves a tad more animalistic. Humans throughout history have seemed very adamant in their abilities to gather together at their limits of their control and shout in anger. It's very reminiscent to monkeys 'going crazy' and viciously smacking and pounding on their cages, wouldn't you say?
I am not much of a sadist or a masochist. I don't enjoy violence for the sake of it. I like it as more of an aesthetic. Something that adds some visceral charge to a piece of art, or sudden intensity or even unexpected disgust, because art is what I love most of all. Violence as an idea, I guess you could say.
Think of the word 'badass.' Picture in your mind any image you might have of a standard badass. It is always someone who, at the very least, is unbelievably dominant over others in any given field and, at the very most, is a warrior/killer archetype who can beat the shit out of or kill any douchebag who gets in their way. Let's be honest, more people first thought of Chuck Norris before they thought of Steve Jobs. More people thought of Clint Eastwood before they thought of Oprah. Muhammed Ali before Mahatma Gandhi, so on and so forth.
I'm also of the belief that violence can be used for good and should be if it is applied in the first place. That's why I'm drawn to martial artists and boxers and warriors. People who can defend themselves are fucking cool, the same way a wolf or a tiger is cool. Someone who can somehow manage to endure pain, and shrug off the pain of others at times, and manage to come out on top in a fight for their lives. There is something that resonates with us there for one reason or another. As Orwell would have us believe, though, most of us have been gradually weaned from violence. This is why I'm more interested in the matter for its appeal more than its execution. For that reason, I will never understand it as well as someone who has actually been the instrument or victim of the act. I like to think I can put myself easily in the shoes of others, but it isn't really true. Even though I'm quite sure I could kill somebody, the most I know about the effect is that I know I would not feel entirely good about it in any case.
Fighting and fucking are two main constants to our species. Back in the dawn of man, it's widely considered that there were hunters and there were gatherers. Men killed to feed, women made a place to mate and prosper. It is the reason men are still after all this time so closely associated with violence and why women are still so closely associated with sex. And sex, even that has its own brand of acceptable violence. I recently watched Eddie Murphy Raw, he made a good point in that stand up, to paraphrase: "what sounds better, someone saying 'make love to me' or someone grabbing the back of your head and saying 'fuck the shit outta me?'" That's how you know a guy and a girl in a movie are really passionate for one another: when they escape to a room and start tearing each others clothes off, grabbing at each other, and rolling around like savages. That's very appealing to a lot of people. How about porn? No one watches porn because their sexual fantasy is of reserved, loving sex that is tender as can be. No the real outrageous fantasy for a guy is very often just drilling some beautiful woman with a rock hard penis. And while women may consciously want a gentle knight for a life partner, they won't mind imagining riding ceaselessly on top of some Calvin Klein stud. Talking dirty, kinky foreplay, and some 'uncouth' sexual tricks your lover wouldn't normally think of trying are all part of the package as well. All adding a little bit of wicked spice to our pure, biological sugar. And if you're really lucky, something like that might be actually happen to you in real life. And it might be as good as or better than you thought it would be.
These things I can abide, because if anything it is enriching our lives with something that is morally questionable. What I cannot abide are those who look upon actual violence carelessly. Indifferently. While I enjoy violent stories and warriors, I don't disregard the effect violence in general has. I myself feel bad if I hurt anybody, emotionally or physically. If it happens, even when I am in the right, even when it is my worst enemy, my day is ruined and feel foolish and cruel. That's why murderers fascinate me somewhat, sociopaths in particular. It would be kind of relieving not to have to worry about what your actions might do to others, maybe easier. But I think every person should be allowed to make his or her way in the world if they are not making things worse for everyone else.
Back to my point, though. I am amazed at how many of my countrymen suggest violent action with seemingly no understanding of what they are suggesting. The consequences. Plenty of friends I know who are gung ho American, and are more than enthusiastic about the American military and bombings and assassinations and wars and fighting and killing (they don't mention rape, though. Remember, sex and violence, hand in hand). I have heard some really incredible things. Killing is fine and dandy, of course. Very easy to say that about people who are thousands of miles away from you and who you are never gonna see. I'd be interested to see how many people vote aye when a man is brought before them on hands knees with a gun to his head. Killing innocent bystanders, for some, that's okay too apparently. Their argument is something to the effect of 'wrong place, wrong time, their fault, shouldn't have been there.' Otherwise, the explanation is a half-serious 'meh.' I have even heard some agree with the notion that killing innocent children is acceptable during times of war. This leads me to wonder what kind of moral system people are instilling in today's youth.
I mean, this country has always encouraged war. This country was made by war, the Revolutionary War. War and our capabilities in warfare are some of the main reasons we are currently one of the most powerful and likely most famous countries in the world. Other people don't want to fuck with us too quickly. You've noticed in the past, everyone who has tried to pick a fight with us have been fucking insane. Insane or vengeful, a gateway to violence I can somewhat sympathize with. But the urge for war is rarely out of vengeance. It is more out of contributing to the international big dick contest that is staged day after day, year after year. You must be powerful and just if you can fuck everyone else's shit up, right?
I wish I could blame these frightening perspectives on too many first person shooters that just keep making war look cooler and cooler. I wish I could solely blame the shit parents who'd rather their child be ruthless and inconsiderate or just don't care enough to teach them to treat others the way they would want to be treated. I wish could blame simple youthful ignorance too. It is not just the kids, though. Plenty of adults are just as a-ok with slaughtering other people as quickly and efficiently as possible. Granted, sometimes there are people who need or just plain deserve to die, but death is not the only punishment in the world. Whether it is your average ordinary citizen or those goddamn bloody politicians, hearing actual grown ups speak so openly about wanting war and destruction for a side they may only scarcely know about is baffling. In general, people who support such things out of ignorance, machoism, or selfishness and not out of past experience in such matters sicken me. People who don't care about how those things and the motives behind them effect others sicken me.
So, basically, what I am trying to say is. If you haven't gotten your hands dirty with real violence, don't talk about it like you have. And don't deny how much influence violence has had on this little rock of ours.
Thank you.
