If you think about it, if you were in total control, the next step would be what?

A really looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng nap.

Seriously though, I have to admit to feeling a bit scared at the thought of being in total control - I think primarily because I don't know what I would do next. I would probably wait and watch what others did first.

Crush them in my iron fist, of course.

No, seriously...

Educate people in the principles of freedom and the worth of a free human life so that they would rather die than live under total control. Wait for a rebellion. Then step off.

Oh, and, before that, ban reality TV shows and boy bands.

This post was last modified: 11-27-2006 12:13 AM by Pedro Timóteo.

Just an interesting observation that the two of us who chose to respond immediately responded with a non-serious quip. Hmmm...

Pedro - while I think I agree with your serious answer I have a question. Are you saying that death is preferable to at least some semblance of life? I think of the saying "While there is life, there is hope." Once dead, there is no hope of change (at least not in this life - and that is another ball of wax I think we don't want to get into here). At least while living there is always the hope that it will get better.

Just thinking...

Well, I don't mean that people under a brutal dictatorship should commit mass suicide or something like that. Or attempt a rebellion when there's not the slightest chance of success. But neither should they feel that they are "alive", that slavery is just another way of life, and try to live under it. Maybe something can be done, even if it takes years or decades.

This question is more complex than this, of course... and I don't pretend to have all the answers.

This post was last modified: 11-27-2006 03:31 AM by Pedro Timóteo.

Okay, ban boy bands is the best thing so far.

Okay okay, teaching people not to be slaves is a good idea too. But I DO think that taking orders WITHOUT ASKING WHY is the best way to do things sometimes.

A VERY harsh, I admit, example:

"DUDE... trust me, DON'T JUMP."

A not SO harsh example...

"Just, give me that peice of paper."



BTW, slavery IS a way of 'life'. People lived through it, don't dare think that they didn't have thier own fun. Sure thier lives sucked ass compared to (mostly) way of life today, but they had fun. Which is wierd, because it seems that fun is almost a human NEED.

Point being, I know my dads life was worse compared to mine, but that may indeed be a subjective thing... "worse life", because he thinks it was awesome.


Anyway, good posts both. But I hope for more. Even if you NEVER would wish total control... (HINT: I don't think ANYBODY would) what would you do?

Kren, you cannot seriously believe that no one wants total control... there are thousands of examples of people who in fact want exactly that in the US alone, and many thousands more around the world. We call them politicians, bureaucrats, regulators, etc.

Were I unfortunate enough to find myself in that position, I would do my damndest to prevent the consolidation of power so as to protect the liberty of the individual.

Kren,

I have to agree with TX on this one. There are just way too many examples of people who want exactly that. TX, you left out all the ministers, priests, muslim leaders, and so on that want to tell us what to believe (and short of that, force us to act as if we believe).

I would count myself as someone who would not want that power - but partially because of the things I think I could make people do to make the world a better place... I know that you can't make people do things - or at least it's not right. You know how it goes... power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I don't think that is just a glib saying. Even well-intentioned people could end up forcing people to do things "for their own good." Even you TX... although I would hope you would stay true and do what you suggest.

Hmm, I just thought about some other thing that I'd try to institute, if not as a law, at least as a lasting tradition, before I gave up power. Educating people about religion; and, no, I don't mean telling them that religions are all wrong. It's something different, which will get a new thread.

EDIT: Right here.

This post was last modified: 12-04-2006 09:20 PM by Pedro Timóteo.

...because 2006 is 22 years too late

I don't know. Total control would mean that anything that happens is your responsibility. That's a lot of responsibility. ANYTIME, anybody was unsatisfied with anything, it would be your fault. I don't think anybody wants that.

I don't think it would be that bad. Think, if something appears to go wrong, I'll just convince everyone that it's all in my larger plan and they shouldn't question it.

Wait... God already took that route.

Oops.