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I think we can see Law and Chaos at their worst in the present situation in Iraq.
Explain...
It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
Yes, please explain if you can. I'm curious to see how Law and Chaos are acting. For example, would you say that America represents Law while Iraq represents Chaos? The other way around? Are there elements of Law and Chaos on each side? If so, which elements are those of Law, and which of Chaos?
In other words (given how I understand Law and Chaos, and please correct me if I'm wrong), what are the factors that seem to be pushing for an elimination of possibilities, and what factors push for any possibility?
Hm... a thought just occurred to me. Could it be the case that both sides of some conflict represent Law insofar as each wants to have things follow one specific path, but they differ in what that specific path is? In that case, would Chaos be represented in the fact that the two sides remain in conflict, and therefore continue to sabbatoge each others' attempts to stick to one path? Perhaps the Balance would be for each side to do its own thing, and be accepting of the other.
Attitudes of mind. But I think you could be right -- a clash of the forces of Law which creates Chaos, maybe.
OK -- how about Bush v. Kerry ? Bush representing Law at its narrowest and Kerry representing Chaos in a relatively benign state ?
Can't see what all the fuss is re. Nader. A lot of people I know are 'swapping' votes -- people in Texas vote for Nader (where Kerry hasn't got a chance) and people in Florida (where he still has) vote for Kerry. A Grey Lord, indeed, I suppose.
Attitudes of mind. But I think you could be right -- a clash of the forces of Law which creates Chaos, maybe.
OK -- how about Bush v. Kerry ? Bush representing Law at its narrowest and Kerry representing Chaos in a relatively benign state ?
I'm not sure if I see Kerry as that different from Bush. Kerry merely lowers the bar on who to include among the "haves", rather than actually caring about the "have nots". And so, I'd see Kerry as representing Law, just not as extremely as Bush does.
You make it sound like Baseball cards.... I'll trade a Kerry for a Nader...
Actually that's a cool idea... Political Cards.. . you could have information about their voting records on the back.... you could trading and colect them.
Originally posted by Michael Moorcock
Can't see what all the fuss is re. Nader. A lot of people I know are 'swapping' votes -- people in Texas vote for Nader (where Kerry hasn't got a chance) and people in Florida (where he still has) vote for Kerry. A Grey Lord, indeed, I suppose.
Kerry may have served Chaos when he was throwing his medals around in protest of the war, but he surely serves Law today as a legislator who wants more power and uses the machinery of a major political party to get it.
Bush has always been a servant of Law, doing what he is told and reaping the rewards. In his younger days he was a less effective servant, but now he stands poised to take the world for the forces of control.
Nader to me serves Chaos in a bad way. He seeks to throw a monkey wrench in the system at all costs, even where the most powerful forces of Law seek to use him against their foes. Witness the Republicans here in Oregon signing Nader's petition to get him on the ballot and even attending his convention to help him hurt the Democrats. Of course the Dems respond as servants of Law would, by trying to keep him out through the courts and executive rulings by state government officials.
McCain certainly paints himself as a servant of the Balance, but I don't really buy it. I think he just sees what the public is desperately looking for and plays the role while working for his future power grab. He'll be hard to stop in 2008.
I'd say that the U.S. certainly represents the worst of Law in Iraq, while the car-bombers and oil field burners are certainly serving Chaos for the moment. Who's to say they won't switch sides if they gain control though. Among them are many former servants of Law from Hussein's Baathist party.
Weird I posted a reply in the "Sadric Question" thread and somehow it ended up here. That's the weirdes message board glitch I've ever seen. Thank Gods for the Edit option so I can cut it here and paste it where it belongs!
I think we can see Law and Chaos at their worst in the present situation in Iraq.
And now I see we're at war again - official - according to Tony Blair...
\"...an ape reft of his tail, and grown rusty at climbing, who yet feels himself to be a symbol and the frail representative of Omnipotence in a place that is not home.\" James Branch Cabell
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