Liberalism and Realism
Sep. 11th, 2005 04:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasaSo, after the wacko-ness which was yesterday, I have returned to hermitdom and have written my paper, practiced my violin, and even composed a bit of music that I have been working on for years. I never was able to merge these two themes . . . and then, suddenly, they just came together-- and obviously. It was crazy. It was like I was struck with an epiphany, lol . . .
I read my thing for Crossing Borders. It was all about Realism and Liberalism, which, well basically is the problem Voldemort and Dumbledore have with one another, only minus the Horcruxes and Harry Potter (and, yeah, you're thinking, "Um . . . and therefore the whole series?" No, it's FUNDAMENTALLY their problem, their difference.
Recall this quote, from the first book, "There is no good and evil, [Harry]; there is only power, and those too weak to see it," -Quirinius (I think that's his name, lol . . . ) Quirrell.
Dumbledore is a Liberal-- rather like me (though not quite, since I don't believe in good and evil, just weakness and misguidedness . . . ). He believes that there is good, and there is evil, and the good states have an obligation to defeat the others.
Quirrell and Voldemort are Realists. They believe that there is just states (or beings) at war with one another, with equal amounts of power in equalibrium or unbalanced states of power that will soon result in a conquering of the weaker state by the stronger stare. They can be divieded up, too:
Human Nature Realists(oh, how I loathe that name): These guys are out after power, just because they like it, just because they are filled with an *innate tendency* to want it, like Voldemort himself, and perhaps Lucius Malfoy (power=good name? Lol . . . ).
Offensive Realists: These guys want to survive-- but they want to survive by destroying all opposition, like Bellatrix Lestrange or perhaps Evan Rosier.
Defensive Realists: These guys want to survive, too, but they wait until being provoked, such as Peter Pettigrew or perhaps Crabbe and Goyle.
Isn't this great? I've just completely summed up my reading with Harry Potter! This is even better than that time that I compared King Lear to the Black family-- it REALLY works, and involves no incest ^_^ Lol . . .
I should point this out to my professor, lol . . . I wonder what he would do?
The really, really, sad, scary, FREAKING thing about this, though, is that the US (and most major nations of the world) use Realism as the basis of their foreign policy.
In other words . . .
They focus on "the balance of power" and use "spin-doctors" (yeah, that word I never learned for AP US Government class? Lol . . . ) to make it look like they're all wanting to do things justly and nobly, that the enemy is evil and truly out to be fought!!!
The only thing that makes me feel better about this is that the average, noble person prefers to believe in the good and evil, noble arguement. The average person is Liberal, in this sense . . . the average person is actually noble, and cares, and isn't all about assanine DESTROYING OF THE ENTIRE WORLD to remain safe.
. . . and here I was, thinking Bush was actually noble (I had handed him at least that-- it was the only thing keeping me from utterly hating him) for *truly believing in his cause.* So he DOES just want power; he wants America to be the kick-ass nation that owns all the other nation's butts.
So here's where I jump to outrageous conclusions:
(Heehee, I feel like Luna Lovegood . . . )
Yeah . . . they gave up Liberalism when the Cold War started, and everybody got freaking paranoid and stupid, lol . . .
. . . does this mean that (SPOILER ALERT) with Dumbledore's death, like the death of Liberalism and the hope and safety of the pre-World-War world, Liberalism and the theories of good triumphing over all, instead of just power, have died along with him???
I hate the word "security" with even more of an undying passion, now. It does not even run the risk of becoming comatose, lol . . . an UNCOMATOSELY PASSION!!!
I DON'T WANT TO BE SECURE, DAMMIT!!! LET ME BE BLOWN UP IN THE NAME OF GOOD!!!
It's September 11th, and it doesn't feel like it. Though I am talking politics. Woot!
Social Justice meeting tonight, lol . . .
Funny thing is, this entry was actually half serious, lol . . .
I read my thing for Crossing Borders. It was all about Realism and Liberalism, which, well basically is the problem Voldemort and Dumbledore have with one another, only minus the Horcruxes and Harry Potter (and, yeah, you're thinking, "Um . . . and therefore the whole series?" No, it's FUNDAMENTALLY their problem, their difference.
Recall this quote, from the first book, "There is no good and evil, [Harry]; there is only power, and those too weak to see it," -Quirinius (I think that's his name, lol . . . ) Quirrell.
Dumbledore is a Liberal-- rather like me (though not quite, since I don't believe in good and evil, just weakness and misguidedness . . . ). He believes that there is good, and there is evil, and the good states have an obligation to defeat the others.
Quirrell and Voldemort are Realists. They believe that there is just states (or beings) at war with one another, with equal amounts of power in equalibrium or unbalanced states of power that will soon result in a conquering of the weaker state by the stronger stare. They can be divieded up, too:
Human Nature Realists(oh, how I loathe that name): These guys are out after power, just because they like it, just because they are filled with an *innate tendency* to want it, like Voldemort himself, and perhaps Lucius Malfoy (power=good name? Lol . . . ).
Offensive Realists: These guys want to survive-- but they want to survive by destroying all opposition, like Bellatrix Lestrange or perhaps Evan Rosier.
Defensive Realists: These guys want to survive, too, but they wait until being provoked, such as Peter Pettigrew or perhaps Crabbe and Goyle.
Isn't this great? I've just completely summed up my reading with Harry Potter! This is even better than that time that I compared King Lear to the Black family-- it REALLY works, and involves no incest ^_^ Lol . . .
I should point this out to my professor, lol . . . I wonder what he would do?
The really, really, sad, scary, FREAKING thing about this, though, is that the US (and most major nations of the world) use Realism as the basis of their foreign policy.
In other words . . .
They focus on "the balance of power" and use "spin-doctors" (yeah, that word I never learned for AP US Government class? Lol . . . ) to make it look like they're all wanting to do things justly and nobly, that the enemy is evil and truly out to be fought!!!
The only thing that makes me feel better about this is that the average, noble person prefers to believe in the good and evil, noble arguement. The average person is Liberal, in this sense . . . the average person is actually noble, and cares, and isn't all about assanine DESTROYING OF THE ENTIRE WORLD to remain safe.
. . . and here I was, thinking Bush was actually noble (I had handed him at least that-- it was the only thing keeping me from utterly hating him) for *truly believing in his cause.* So he DOES just want power; he wants America to be the kick-ass nation that owns all the other nation's butts.
So here's where I jump to outrageous conclusions:
(Heehee, I feel like Luna Lovegood . . . )
Yeah . . . they gave up Liberalism when the Cold War started, and everybody got freaking paranoid and stupid, lol . . .
. . . does this mean that (SPOILER ALERT) with Dumbledore's death, like the death of Liberalism and the hope and safety of the pre-World-War world, Liberalism and the theories of good triumphing over all, instead of just power, have died along with him???
I hate the word "security" with even more of an undying passion, now. It does not even run the risk of becoming comatose, lol . . . an UNCOMATOSELY PASSION!!!
I DON'T WANT TO BE SECURE, DAMMIT!!! LET ME BE BLOWN UP IN THE NAME OF GOOD!!!
It's September 11th, and it doesn't feel like it. Though I am talking politics. Woot!
Social Justice meeting tonight, lol . . .
Funny thing is, this entry was actually half serious, lol . . .
