On the Defense of Monsters, and Patriots

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“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” – George Orwell

 

Any civil country most maintain Monsters, whose sole purpose is to maintain the civility and freedoms of that society – by any means necessary.

 

These means are not acceptable by anyone who would call themselves human, or civil.  They represent us moving backwards, reducing ourselves to a reptilian brain thinking while we’d rather advocate peace and diplomacy.

 

We have noticed in popular culture and movement towards recognizing the “monsters” or “Anti-hero’s” that are needed as the society get’s more complacent and civilized. It is not to say we have not always done this, but more in the early days, we didn’t call them heroes and put them on a pedestal.  

 

Such references go back to movies and shows such as Star Trek (single episode), West Wing (episode) Serenity (movie) , Traitor(movie)  Terminator (2), Pitch Black, and the list goes on.

 

What these movies also show is something rather important.  It also behooves us to remember.  These Monsters, as we’ve coined them, are stronger, faster, ad believe (aka, are far more patriotic) than we ever will be, and that our control over them is a glorious illusion we all (us and them) participate in.

 

Let us not kid ourselves. We need them; because you, or I, won’t do what they do; and can’t. Just stop calling them monsters. They are men, they are soldiers. They are patriots.

 

OceansOfThought @ August 27, 2008