Evil − and its manifestations (FB Ali)

 

Evil has many faces.

Once it was a bespectacled jackbooted 'specialist' working assiduously to increase the throughput of the gas chambers.

Today it is a bunch of drunken louts on a hilltop cheering as bombs and shells destroy apartment building after apartment building along with their occupants.

Or, the fanatics steeped in religion who brutally kill people because they hold different beliefs.

Evil arises in the human heart. When it fills it to the brim the heart becomes a blackened, putrid bit of flesh, instead of the repository of the feelings and emotions that make us human.

When Evil fills a heart it makes it easy to commit the greatest of all crimes − kill another human being. When Evil fills the hearts of a whole people it makes it easy for them to annihilate another people. It makes no difference if that is done to seize their land or to purify one's own; the crime remains the same.

Such manifestations of Evil pose a challenge to the rest of humanity. Either we stand up and condemn or oppose them, or we become complicit in the crime − there is no middle, neutral ground.

While few indeed can summon up the shining heroism of a Rachel Corrie, or even the courage of a young Lucas Koerner (who stood up in Jerusalem to say: Not in my name), it is important to disassociate oneself from the abomination being perpetrated by bearing witness to one's opposition, each according to their circumstances. That is how one affirms one's own humanity.

As for those who support, excuse, or even condone this crime, or use mealy-mouthed circumlocutions to avoid showing their true colours, they become a part of the Evil abroad in the land. The Evil descends into their hearts, and they begin to recede from humanity, and join its enemies.

Comments

[euclidcreek]

Thank you FB Ali for this article. As the author Loren Eslteman wrote, those who think evil is an illusion, have already chosen sides.

[JerseyJeffersonian]

http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/07/speech-of-hezbullah-secretary-general.html

Comments of Hassan Nasrallah on the current situation in Gaza as well as analysis of the overall situation in Palestine and in the Arab & Islamic world.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts & wisdom yet again, sir.

[seydlitz89]

FB Ali-

Your post reminded me of this:

"In illuminating this important distinction more fully, we may well designate the moral cynics, who know no law beyond their will and interest, with a scriptural designation of 'children of this world' or 'children of darkness.' Those who believe that self-interest should be brought under the discipline of a higher law could then be termed 'the children of light'. This is no mere arbitrary device; for evil is always the assertion of some self-interest without regard for the whole, whether the whole be conceived as the immediate community, or the total community of mankind., or the total order of the world. The good is, on the other hand, always the harmony of the whole on various levels. Devotion to a subordinate and premature 'whole' such as the nation, may of course become evil, viewed from the perspective of a larger whole, such as the community of mankind. The 'children of light' may thus be defined as those who seek to bring self-interest under the discipline of a more universal law and in harmony with a more universal good."

Reinhold Niebuhr, "The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness", 1944, pp 9-10.

[jonst]

Yeah, well my two cents is "evil", can also be demanding that " Either we stand up and condemn or oppose them, or we become complicit in the crime − there is no middle, neutral ground".

It strikes me as the equivalent of Bush's 'your either with us or against us', and, personally, I've had a belly full of that kind mentality or a mentality that resembles it.

There is ALWAYS a 'middle ground'....there may be times one has to 'move away' from it, but it is always there. Because life is complex.

[Cee]

First, I like seeing all of the visitors to this site! Congrats Pat and all all who write to contribute such much needed information and commentary to help those of us who seeking.

Secondly, Evil is what is being done to Richard Silverstein for reporting that the IDF had killed their own soldiers in the past and recently. I don't know what we can do to help him other than to spread what he has reported. He's telling the truth.

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/

I also mentioned IIan Pappe as one of those who has been persecuted for speaking out. He's done it again.

http://electronicintifada.net/content/family-one-thousandth-victim-israels-genocidal-slaughter-gaza/13648

God help us all.

[Cee]

Evil!

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2014/07/27/ronen-bergman-confirms-idf-soldier-deliberately-killed-by-his-own/

Ronen Bergman Confirms IDF Soldier Deliberately Killed by His Own
by RICHARD SILVERSTEIN on JULY 27, 2014
in MIDEAST PEACE

While I’m grateful to Bergman for affirming the accuracy of my prior report. I’m disturbed by the interview (audio) between Bergman and radio show host, Guy Zohar. At no point, do either of them doubt or question the moral basis for the Hannibal Directive. There seems a Spartan sense of sacrifice among Israelis that part of the cost of serving in the army is that your own brothers may be forced to kill you for the greater good of the nation.

There is something deeply troubling, even demented about such a regulation. I could perhaps understand it in ancient Sparta; or even among the diehard Japanese kamikaze fighters during World War II. But in a country that prides itself as being the equal of any western democratic nation? No.

[Cee]

More evil.

Since Frank Luntz has come up in thehttp://www.richardsilverstein.com/2009/07/10/the-israel-projects-secret-hasbara-handbook-exposed/ news again lately...

[Jim.Jordan]

Brig Ali have a read of this poem by Cselaw Milosz. Unfortunately most of humanity will behave in the same way. Why should I stick my neck out when I have a wife and kids to protect and otherwise end up in Pawiak or al Szucha? The people who got a tree planted at Yad Vashem for themselves as a "righteous gentile" are very few and far between

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/179942

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Struggle_and_Martyrdom

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawiak_prison

[Ishmael Zechariah]

Col. Lang. SST;

The poem "A Contribution to Statistics" by Wislawa Szymborska, linked below, might be of interest in the context of this discussion:

http://poetrywithmathematics.blogspot.com/2012/02/szymborska-1921-2012-on-statistics.html

Ishmael Zechariah

[Cee]

First let apologize for my atrocious errors in grammet above...it will happen again because I 'm often on my cell, in the dark and in hurry...now on to Jim.

If you feel that way anout risking your neck, dig a hole abd jump in now. Wby do you bother to come to a site like this. Sic semper tryanni means "down with tyrants" does it not? I hope you never need defending. Pastor Neimoller wrote about people like you.
All, excuse my rant!

[Andrew]

There is a middle ground between good and evil and the area is called "complex". Yeah, two cents that's about right. Thank you.

[turcopolier]

FB Ali

I completely agree. One of the problems faced by a civilized man who is a soldier is how to limit the unbounded violence that lurks in men's hearts, all men's hearts. pl

[Charles I]

Thanks FB.

FYI Khaled Meshal will be on Charlie Rose Monday night for the full hour.

[Booby]

FB Ali

As a bushy tailed LT going to VN, I was concerned about how I could motivate innocent young American 'boys" to kill their fellow man. Once there I found that the real challenge was to control them so that they would not kill everything that moved. PL is correct about the violence that lurks in all men's hearts.

In the '40's many European Jews fled to what is now Israel to escape the "Beast" that Hilter had unleashed in Europe. Now I fear that the Israeli's have become the "Beast". When soldiers intentionally kill innocent civilians they cease to be soldiers & are simply killers.

[Jim.Jordan]

Cee unlike many internet warriors, Su ch as yourself, I do not hide behind a pseudonym. Pehaps you can tell us what you are actually doing at the moment to cause the downfall of the world's tyrants?

[Cee]

Jim,

I'm not hiding. My nickname is Cee, short for Cynthia

I've said before that I'm simply a housewife who likes to read and do my part in sharing the information to make that happen.

Sorry that you're so offended. GET OVER IT!

[FB Ali]

I believe this 'original sin' we are all born with is a legacy of our evolutionary past; we needed it then to survive, but now it seems to threaten our survival as a species.

The use of our propensity to violence is a complex issue, since it can also be harnessed to a good cause. But when used to oppress or destroy other human beings on such large scales there is no doubt that it becomes evil. The major blame of course lies with those who orchestrate these crimes, but all who participate willingly share in it, too.

[Andrew]

Here is some "Light", from a post-tribal world where the struggle is not to contain the "darkness" in all men/womyn" but to create a Good that holds the power to shame and name evil so that it may be bent over and destroyed.

From one of the "nobler" media experiments, Mondoweiss...this feature release freedom4palestine.org.

"A diverse group of celebrities, artists, and activists that includes American Jews and Palestinians are speaking out for Palestinian human rights in a video released online today. The video is a first of its kind expression of support for Palestinian freedom, equality and justice and features celebrities such as Chuck D, Jonathan Demme, Gloria Steinem, Wallace Shawn, Tony Kushner, Mira Nair, Roger Waters, Brian Eno"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDYiBls99w

Below a petition...
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/amena-saleem/rock-stars-peter-gabriel-and-bobby-gillespie-urge-arms-embargo-israel

BG Ali thank you sir for this post.

[Vaclav Linek]

Though it only reiterates what has been said here already, and is well known to many here, nevertheless I'm compelled to transcribe Solzhenitsyn's formulation of the problem: "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

[Babak Makkinejad]

Rene Guenon on the "Sword of Islam":

"...for in the social domain, war, as long as it is directed against those who create disorder and aims at
bringing them back to order, constitutes a legitimate function, which is fundamentally but one aspect of the function of “justice” understood in its fullest meaning.

However, this is only the most outward aspect of things, and thus the least essential. From the traditional point
of view, what gives all its validity to warfare thus understood, is that it symbolizes the struggle man must carry on against the enemies he bears within himself, that is, against all those elements within him that are contrary to order and to unity. In both cases, moreover, whether it is a question of the outward social order or the inward spiritual order, warfare must always tend equally to the establishment of equilibrium
and harmony (which explains why it is related properly to “justice”),..."

From the Essential Rene Guenon avialbe at http://nazbol.net/library/authors/Rene%20Guenon/Ren%E9_Gu%E9non_The_Essential_Ren%E9_Gu%E9non_Metaphysics,_Tradition,_and_the_Crisis_of_Modernity__2009.pdf - page 237

[Fred]

Jim,

I'm not doing much to "cause the downfall of the world's tyrants". I'm just a citizen who tries to be an informed voter so I don't mistakenly vote for some who is going to try to do so in my name. if the United States Government needs to know my name they can ask Col. Lang. If Fred isn't good enough for you too damn bad.

[The Twisted Genius]

Brigadier Ali,

When I was young, I often listened to my parents' records of broadway shows. One of my favorite songs was Richard Kiley's rendition of "The Impossible Dream" from "The Man of La Mancha." I just about wore that track of the record out. It moved me and inspired me. To me, it's always been the only sure answer to evil and all it's manifestations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXDG3LYh4p0

[FB Ali]

Yes, if anything can defeat the evil that unfortunately exists in our world, it is the human spirit. So long as human beings continue to hold firm to that belief, the struggle will go on - and, who knows, one day we might even win!

Thank you for the link; it's been a while since I heard that song.

[Origin]

All,

The violence is planned and intentional. Application of the violence is a conscious decision made at the highest levels of the Israeli government.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pw8m4azLcg
http://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajpVO4w2q4g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37MFa7ZKQWo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax-Jk2iJL0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_BwDCWVd9A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1ovdA1VZ-c

It will poison Jews and Palestinians alike for generations.

[Mark Logan]

TTG, you may enjoy this performance by Brian Mitchell. Somehow the back-lit stagger towards the end seems perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgzXwpePTTU

You win, you lose...it only matters that we try. Sometimes I suspect Machiavelli of being a sort of optimist. He simply wrote the world as he saw it because nobody else was in his day and it is said he never lost his faith. IIRC, he gave it to his confessor. Takes a tough hombre to look into the abyss, have it look back, and say to it "Whatever, that all you got?"