Role Models

Last week, one of my online friends reacted to news of an abhorrent act of violence against peaceful people by referring to the evil lurking in our society.  But while I share her disgust and sorrow at the evil acts of terrorists, I have to disagree with her on one point:  In a police state, evil doesn’t lurk; it leers out of every threatening sign, every TV screen, every police car.  And so evil people are encouraged because they liken their own individual evil to the organized evil of their rulers; they’re shown evil is the path to power.  When a soft-headed person lives in a society where evil is rewarded & even exalted, what does he learn?  He learns that hatred and violence are the path to power.  So when he feels powerless because he’s lost his job or can’t get women or whatever, he follows the lessons taught him by cops, politicians and other authoritarians:  Might Makes Right.  Violence Is Power.  Suppressing those he feels are beneath him, as cops do, is OK.  In short, in the modern US (and countries occupied by or dominated by the US) evil doesn’t HAVE to lurk; it holds most of the weapons and all the political power.  Naturally it’s increasing.