Friday, August 9, 2013

"The Human Spirit Can Never Be Vanquished!"



 
 Well, to the extent that "the human spirit" is just a concept, that statement is true. Obviously though, since it's just a concept, it can't do much of anything.

The individual human spirit? I can get a handle on that. It's somebody's optimism and will to survive and triumph. That can be broken. It's been broken countless times in the past. Countless individuals have committed suicide or been tortured into compliance. Renouncing their beliefs. Betraying their comrades. It's nonsense to say that the human spirit can never be vanquished.

"The people united can never be defeated." Sure they can. Build strong enough coercive institutions and arm them sufficiently and "the people" will be defeated. Brainwash them. Whatever. It's doable.

When I read about World War II, there are more and more moments where Hitler (and Goebbels as well) start referring to how the "superior wills" of the German troops will prevail despite the (what would prove unbeatable) superior military resources of their opponents.

Mystical clap-trap is mystical clap-trap. Even if his soldiers had "superior wills," that isn't as important as control of the skies and greater reserves of petroleum and iron ore.

It's the same with us and our witless slogans. It's magical thinking to imagine we're going to blog our way to victory. Or petition our way to justice. Or discussion circle into being the world we want to see. Or demonstrate our opponents away.

Alas! Alack! The Canadian Left is capable of nothing else. We're addicted to magical thinking. Perhaps because the reality is too awful.

But the reality wouldn't be so awful if we'd just think with focus for a day or two. If we made that one mental leap over the magical thinking about token protests and petitions and empty slogans.


2 comments:

gingersnap said...

Harper is nothing other than a Dictator of his, Northern Foundation of 1989. Harper was Policy Chief. It was Harper who hired Wolfgang Droege and his Heritage Front as, security for Preston Manning.

Not that anything matters now. Harper is handing Canada to Communist China. Harper has given the key to the tar sands to China. Also the rich resources in the High Arctic. Harper gave Communist China the mines and the 200 mining jobs in BC. Now China is buying up our Canadian farmland. China has poisoned much of their farmland and 40% of their water. There will be thousands of Chinese coming over, if Harper ratifies his FIPA deal with China. China will take our food crops, to feed themselves and the people in China. Who in the hell wants China on our Canadian soil for 31 years?

thwap said...

What the fuck did that racist tirade have to do with my post?

You sound like you'd get along just fine with harper's white-supremacist home boys.

That was the last of your "harper is a dictator selling us out to commmunist China" rants I will ever publish.

Either do something about it in the real world or STFU.