Rhetoric and Reality

Violence in reality is quite different from theory.

Spock, “The Cloud Minders” (s3ep21), stardate 5818.4

The fantastic history podcast, Grey History, had an episode covering a dark period of the French Revolution: the September Massacres of 1792. When I listened to this episode recently, I was struck by how barbaric and senseless the violence was. The people of Paris were gripped with paranoia and fear over the arrival of the Prussian army, and whipped themselves up into a frenzy which then unleashed itself on prisoners of Paris who were all assumed to be part of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy. The eyewitness accounts of the event were horrifying.

What led up to the September Massacres was, from my limited understanding, a kind of death-spiral of paranoia and factional fighting among the Revolutionaries. This paranoia had some basis, in that there were some French counter-revolutionaries, but most of it was just imagined conspiracies of “fifth column” elements in society that got more and more outrageous and dire. As different factions accused one another more and more of conspiracy with the counter-revolution the violent rhetoric ratcheted up until someone decided to take matters in their own hands….

Rhetoric is one thing but once the first blow lands, or the weapon is drawn, a point of no return is crossed and many will needlessly die.

“Trouble can be purchased cheaply, though the refund may be more than you can bear.”

Roger Zelazny, Creatures of Light and Darkness

You speak of courage.  Obviously you do not know the difference between courage and foolhardiness.  Always it is the brave ones who die, the soldiers.

Kor, the Klingon Commander, “Errand of Mercy”, (s1ep26), stardate 3201.7

In short, small comments can have lasting consequences. That’s why the Buddha taught that right speech should be timely, true, and worthwhile. If not, best to simply keep quiet.

Further, studies have shown that non-violent demonstrations are statistically more effective in bringing about social change.

So, while social justice is a worthy goal, the means of achieving it, and how one expresses dissastisfaction can have lasting effects.

Namu Shakamuni Butsu