Hi Louise! To answer your prompt on the relationship between the power of a nation's weaponry and its subsequent responsibility, I would say the greater the weaponry, the greater the responsibility to be PROPORTIONATE in response to attacks (i.e. self-defense). Said another way, the bigger kid in the schoolyard does not get to beat up the smaller kids. H or she has even MORE responsibility because he or she IS stronger than the other kids.
You've put this very succinctly, Mmerikani, and I agree wholeheartedly.
What bothers me is what is to be done when there is no one with greater authority/power than the schoolyard bully. Do all the other children together have the ability to corral the bully? How do they go about doing that? 🤔
Ah, good point, Louise. What to do when the schoolyard bully (strongest global stage actor) acts unfairly? I suppose if no effective, higher authority power can intervene, it must be left to the other children--those being bullied--to unite in order to be stronger than any one of them alone--and influence the bully.
Granted, this takes time to unite the individual children...time for them to comprehend their common cause, time to organize, time to decide on the type of response, and time to let a charismatic youngster emerge among them. Due to this consuming time and energy, you have reminded me, Louise, of our the U.S. Declaration of Independence*, that the masses will always over-suffer, and for a longer period of time, once a bully emerges on the scene. The bully only acts for him or herself, whereas, the unifying of the oppressed must go through the above steps, plus gain courage, to respond to the oppressive bully.
One day, Louise, it is my hope that powerful human governments will come to the realization that individual humans have long understood--at least by those who don't have the power to shut down our opponents--that intimidation and abuse are not sustainable.
We live in an unprecedented age of information--it is not like WWII with only radio and newspapers--and all eyes are on the bully's actions via phone cameras. In a way, like television was a game-changer for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement: no matter what media and family messaging worked before to keep non-Black Americans on the sidelines--the television showed fire hoses and dogs on protestors, and non-Blacks had to take a stand or appear callous and ignorant. Was it Ms. Ida B. Wells who said "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_of_Truth_Ida_B._Wells_National_Monument)
May we have fairness and peace.
* U.S. Declaration of Independence from Britannica ( https://www.britannica.com/topic/Declaration-of-Independence/Text-of-the-Declaration-of-Independence): "...and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed...But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government [the bully], and to provide new guards for their future security...."
“...intimidation and abuse are not sustainable...”
Precisely, Mmerikani. It’s been that way throughout history. We do, somehow, make progress.
As Pete Seeger sang, “When will they ever learn?”.
As you say, now there is a more powerful method of documenting the abuse of the bully/bullies. Bullies, too, can use the method, though, or simply pull the plug.
We can only control what we can, look out for others, band together when possible.
Hi Louise! To answer your prompt on the relationship between the power of a nation's weaponry and its subsequent responsibility, I would say the greater the weaponry, the greater the responsibility to be PROPORTIONATE in response to attacks (i.e. self-defense). Said another way, the bigger kid in the schoolyard does not get to beat up the smaller kids. H or she has even MORE responsibility because he or she IS stronger than the other kids.
You've put this very succinctly, Mmerikani, and I agree wholeheartedly.
What bothers me is what is to be done when there is no one with greater authority/power than the schoolyard bully. Do all the other children together have the ability to corral the bully? How do they go about doing that? 🤔
Ah, good point, Louise. What to do when the schoolyard bully (strongest global stage actor) acts unfairly? I suppose if no effective, higher authority power can intervene, it must be left to the other children--those being bullied--to unite in order to be stronger than any one of them alone--and influence the bully.
Granted, this takes time to unite the individual children...time for them to comprehend their common cause, time to organize, time to decide on the type of response, and time to let a charismatic youngster emerge among them. Due to this consuming time and energy, you have reminded me, Louise, of our the U.S. Declaration of Independence*, that the masses will always over-suffer, and for a longer period of time, once a bully emerges on the scene. The bully only acts for him or herself, whereas, the unifying of the oppressed must go through the above steps, plus gain courage, to respond to the oppressive bully.
One day, Louise, it is my hope that powerful human governments will come to the realization that individual humans have long understood--at least by those who don't have the power to shut down our opponents--that intimidation and abuse are not sustainable.
We live in an unprecedented age of information--it is not like WWII with only radio and newspapers--and all eyes are on the bully's actions via phone cameras. In a way, like television was a game-changer for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement: no matter what media and family messaging worked before to keep non-Black Americans on the sidelines--the television showed fire hoses and dogs on protestors, and non-Blacks had to take a stand or appear callous and ignorant. Was it Ms. Ida B. Wells who said "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_of_Truth_Ida_B._Wells_National_Monument)
May we have fairness and peace.
* U.S. Declaration of Independence from Britannica ( https://www.britannica.com/topic/Declaration-of-Independence/Text-of-the-Declaration-of-Independence): "...and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed...But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government [the bully], and to provide new guards for their future security...."
“...intimidation and abuse are not sustainable...”
Precisely, Mmerikani. It’s been that way throughout history. We do, somehow, make progress.
As Pete Seeger sang, “When will they ever learn?”.
As you say, now there is a more powerful method of documenting the abuse of the bully/bullies. Bullies, too, can use the method, though, or simply pull the plug.
We can only control what we can, look out for others, band together when possible.
Thank you for your thoughtful response.
More information here:
O'maka Tokatakiya/Wašigla “Big Foot” Riders and Wounded Knee
Amelia Mavis Christnot
https://auntiemavis.substack.com/p/future-generations-ride-wounded-knee
and here:
December 28, 2023
Heather Cox Richardson
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-28-2023