Saturday, February 12, 2011

Banality Of Evil

It's not usually Ernst Stavro Blofeld on a mountain or in a volcano.

It's remarkably ordinary.

It's everyday.

The guy whose job is left at the office/factory. The shoe salesman. The guy who fixes things. For weal or woe.

We are being robbed of the ability for critical thinking.

People have greatly fallen into the trap or ratrace.

Some consider Hannah Arendt's philosophy like beating the proverbial dead horse. Her work could take a bit of time in a colloege class to unravel.

But, there is no doubt that thought and judgement have been affected negatively.

She specifically talks about Adolf Eichmann and how her pursued his duties in the death camps. He was an unremarkable man who carried out his job without thinking of the consequences.

There are a lot of bureaucratic automatons who could fit the bill today. Look at how some people are being portrayed as dangerous even inhuman and unbalanced in their fear of government. Unthinking hearts and minds are convinced that Restoring the Republic and the increasing Great Awakening threaten instead of heal.

I used to wonder even as a child how America could produce the likes of camp workers. No more.

Anything as horrendous as the loss of our Freedom is hardly banal of course. But is has become everyday. Thus people of different stripes could easily be recruited to serve tyranny for a greater good.

However, as I've said before, we counter the unthinking with thought and aggressive action with self defense.

The everyday folks who might serve evil may well do so.

But there are many who will serve Freedom.

It's not the banality of good. It is quiet or at least resolute devotion to duty.

1 comment:

teacher said...

"Here in America, government began as a tool to assure freedom. It gradually
turned into a hideously expensive political toy designed to redistribute your
wealth and control most aspects of your business and private life."
-- Mark Skousen
(1947-) American economist, investment analyst, newsletter editor, college professor and author