#my copy of violence and the sacred is glaring at me from my shelf

[thinktosee]

THE BULLY – PART 9 - THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE STATE

Image courtesy Misses Institute

This essay continues THE BULLY series, for which the previous posts are accessible via the links listed at the end of this essay. 

A. INTRODUCTION 

A famous man once remarked that “…..power grows out of a barrel of a gun.” (1) This is in reference to the violent revolution he was waging to displace an olden and feudal political-social order in China. He believed that for the revolution to succeed, the individual or the peasant first needed to be freed from the shackles of feudalism and social-cultural conformity – the people needed to be educated in the power of the individual. To believe in themselves. Only then, can real political and social change occur. Millions believed in him and joined his cause, which became theirs too. (2)

Image courtesy Libcom.org

That famous man prevailed in the civil war with this belief and with his peasant army. The olden and feudal structures were removed in time. And a new structure put in place. Thirty years later, and three years after his passing, something changed. His successors altered course, somewhat. It was not working out (3). While the old, feudal structure was exploitative and benefitted primarily the landed class, wherein a few were materially wealthy and the rest living in poverty and serfdom, the one which replaced it was on the other hand equalitarian – everybody except the ruling class, had a right to be poor and disenfranchised! That is to say, the individual spirit was suppressed (4).

Image courtesy China Daily

And the man, that great man who ruled as a dictator for nearly 30 years, is remembered today for a few things. For me, he is remembered for violating a sacred trust the People put in him – to honour their individuality! The Chinese are some of the most individualistic People I know. Yet, neither Chairman Mao, nor the “Communist” order he imposed on China, was really about Freedom of Thought, Speech or the emancipation of the individual. As he believed power grew from the barrel of a gun, that is, a violent approach to social and political change, he accepted that the individual was critical toward this. He exploited it. And so, it came to pass that one oppressive regime was replaced with another - nothing changed. 

Image courtesy Notable.quotes.com

When a state, religious or corporate entity oppresses us, the individual spirit must be brought to the fore to overcome our dilemma, our suffering. We must approach it in the most loving and peaceful way, which only the individual in each of us understands. It is when we lose our individuality that we become most vulnerable to control - to being used and abused for selfish purposes - to greed and violence. It is the lesson I learnt from David, my son.

There are two stories I like to share today which I came across recently in the Thai daily, “The Bangkok Post.” They reinforce the lesson :

B. FIRST STORY – LESBIANS IN MALAYSIA

Image courtesy istockphoto.com

A lesbian couple in Malaysia was arrested while “attempting to have sex…...” The arrest was attributed to the fact Malaysia, being an “Islamic” country, does not recognize LGBTQ rights and dignity. The couple was arrested by the religious authorities and potentially faces fine and caning.

Here’s the link to the news report :

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1521538/malaysian-women-to-be-caned-for-attempting-lesbian-sex

C. SECOND STORY – SCHOOL DRESS CODE IN THAILAND

Image courtesy Says.com

In the second story, a school in southern Thailand faced an opportunity or dilemma, depending on how it viewed the matter  – whether to ban its Muslim students from exercising their religious freedom when they come to class dressed in accordance with Islamic dress code. The school has a uniform dress policy, that is, every student must comply with the school’s dress code. The Islamic dress code which the few students were adhering, was not considered school-compliant.

The school’s management made the decision to enforce the uniform dress code. This displeased the Muslim students and their families. They remained defiant. And the school now found itself in a dilemma. 

Here’s the link :

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1521714/pm-riled-at-islamic-dress-row

D. THE LESSON FOR US

Image courtesy Askideas.com (A copy of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” sits on David’s book shelf).

In the first story above, a couple’s individual rights, under natural law, were violated by the state, which enforces Islamic administrative codes.

 In the second example, the rights of a few students to practice their faith, that is, the right of the individual to free expression, which includes her right to peaceful adherence to her faith, is denied on the basis of her seeming failure to conform to that which is required by the school (and the state).

Image courtesy Perkins+Will

In both instances, DIVERSITY is disallowed! Uniformity is promoted. That is, the state mandated that the individual is disallowed under penalty, to be who she is.  Everyone is and must be the same, according to the state. Her individuality, her being, her dignity is grossly and unreasonably impinged upon by a BULLY. 

This contradiction is glaring. In the first example, “Islam” or the state’s interpretation of its code at least, is the oppressor, while in the second, it is the oppressed. The solution to both is as glaring again, as the sun :

Individual liberty must precede the social demands of society or state or religious institution. It is through this which helps prevent state or religious institutional persecution and abuse. It negates selective enforcement and or interpretation of legal/moral codes. We should always remember the Individual preceded the State or religious order. The usurpation over individual rights, my and your rights, only became formalized with the organization of the state and religious institutions under the Westphalian system in 1648. (5)

Tyranny is usually disguised as liberty, as we discover with what happened in China when Mr. Mao became the leader. 

Image courtesy Pinterest

E. CONCLUSION

Mao said, “Power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”

Another famous man said : 

“Power tends to corrupt. And absolutely power corrupts absolutely.” (6)

-       John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton (1834-1902)

David would have replied :

“Power is the INDIVIDUAL. Our strength and liberation are within each of us.

Be Yourself!” 

Image courtesy Tiffany

In the Spirit of David Cornelius Singh

David’s father

Email : [email protected]

Reference/Source

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_power_grows_out_of_the_barrel_of_a_gun

2. http://acienciala.faculty.ku.edu/communistnationssince1917/ch9.html

3. http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/history-post-mao-era.php

4. https://www.britannica.com/event/Hundred-Flowers-Campaign

5. https://www.britannica.com/event/Peace-of-Westphalia

6. https://acton.org/research/lord-acton 

The BULLY series of posts

1. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/158095557698/the-bully

2. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/158622995123/the-bully-chapter-2-gender-another-perspective

3. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/159295321838/sarjit

4. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/160097845908/the-bully-part-4-david-the-pacifist

5. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/163517554143/the-bully-part-5-the-pacifist

6. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/163870795978/the-bully-part-6-school-yard-to-cyber-bullying

7. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/169733908418/the-bully-part-7-metoo

8. http://thinktosee.tumblr.com/post/170078376998/the-bully-part-8-metoopope