“86”

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

No, not Agent 86 and “99” is not going to be in this article either. This is about, “Get-ting Smart” but not about the organization, “Control.” although control is a major part of this. This is about chapter “86” of a book I am reading titled, “The True Believer,” by Eric Hoffer.

I feel like I understood this concept in a non-conscious but kind of instinctual way and now that I have read this book, this chapter, I am becoming convinced of that feeling. 

First, it is my military history along with my life long studies of martial arts toward fighting and self-defense that I was first introduced to the concept that, “Conflict and Violence” are an intricate part of human existence. As a part of the animal kingdom I am convinced that the use of both conflict and violence are the most appropriate means of communications and change. 

Chapter 86 discusses historical events mostly of a religious origin that shows without a form of violence both religious and societal movements are achieved and become successes through both the support of higher authority along with the military backing that provides violent support and military might to make it happen. 

I have personally arrived at a conclusion that human need of violence as a means of making changes and instilling power toward group cohesion and survival is about who has the strongest ability to communicate and persuade using conflict and violence, i.e., a strong fist, a strong sword and in modern times levels of force greater than those who would oppose the groups agenda be it religious or political or both.

The article talks about attempts at persuasion through preaching, gentleness, praying and weeping but most often that fails causing, “Where blessings and gentleness are powerless, blows (I interpret this to mean violence) may avail.” 

One such quotation from a source, Dumouriez who protested that the French proclaims a sacred law of liberty “Like the Koran, sword in hand.” “The threat of communism at present does not come from the forcefulness of its preaching but from the fact that it is backed by one of the mightiest armies on Earth.”

I have seen this on smaller scale at work where the lack of support and backing by those in charge, management to the controlling authority of the organization, makes for horrible work conditions, greater loss of production and productivity and wide spread loss of control and authority where staff and employees tend to do things they would normally not get away with and so on. 

What I mean is, to get the job done you need that backing and without it you don’t have the authority and that necessary might that backs it up through the “Teeth of Management” that does not tolerate dissent, etc. 

The same goes in our society, when the sword of societies leadership is lacking things go wrong. This occurs because those who feel that communications and enforcement are better served through gentleness (can’t we all just get along), blessings, verbal persuasion, logic through verbal diatribe, and so on until it becomes clear, often too late, that only with a strong hand can anything done, supported and enforced. 

In today’s atmosphere the Police are being defanged from the strong hand of those in protest. Once the Police are “put in their place” then society will discover quickly how fast conflict, force and violence/violent force will rule. When conflict and violence rule those who follow that path as history shows will end up ruling. History is full of those who conquered and only after establishing a strong rule by sword and hand enforcement does the more philosophical/religious achieve a foundation that promotes its growth.

Apparently, conflict and violence cannot be separated from human existence and survival. Hiding our true nature by sticking our heads in the sand because we fear it or because it makes us uncomfortable will not make it go away, it always returns when discontent rises to high levels in society, the tribe, the group and the family. 

Take a look at most protestors, in all cases except for the rarest when things don’t happen they way they want they all resort to violence, sometimes in the extreme (taking it from verbal to physical).

We need our police, we need our security forces, we need our military, we need all those services that have forms of violence as a tool to get the job done and to enforce societies rules and laws. If we lose conflict and violence as the “Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Police Officer” who stands on the wall to protect us then we will lose. Do we really want the violence and death that often comes with that type of change? 

Read chapter 86, better yet read the entire book because it does bring up questions, concerns and change. 

Bibliography:

Hoffer, Eric. “The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements.” Harper Perennial and Modern Classics. New York. 1951, 1989, 2002, 2010.

Bibliography (Click the link)