Heavily armed pathetic losers are the most dangrous thing in our world.
And to be clear, "heavily armed" refers not just to weapons, but to money, influence, and political power.
They are the most dangerous because they believe the only way to convince others (and thus themselves) that they are not pathetic losers, is to do maximum harm to those who remind them (by NOT being pathetic losers) that they are, in fact, pathetic losers.
Now, all of us are, at one time or another, pathetic losers - being human exposes us to all kinds of challenges, risks, and experiences, and it is inevitable that in some cases we will lose, and likely feel pretty pathetic about it for some period of time. This is a normal part of the human condition.
But people who are not, fundamentally and intrinsically, convinced that they are ALWAYS pathetic losers, address these experiences in various ways - learning new skills, for instance. In some cases it's becoming more mature and self-aware. In some cases, it is even demonstrating an understanding of what actually does convince other people you're not a pathetic loser - which is, to be kind, and do kindnesses even when you feel bad yourself.
But the ones who are deeply and irrevocably convinced that others see them as pathetic losers, and who are so overcome with their own rage and inadequacy that the only response that makes them feel, briefly, like not-losers is to do maximum harm to others...
...those are the ones you need keep away from weapons, money, influence, and political power. We used to do this by applying strong cultural sanctions of acknowledging that behavior focusing entirely on harming others to inflate one's own self-esteem was indeed the mark of a pathetic loser. Knowing that provided some incentive for pathetic losers to overcome the tendency or at least to indulge in their repulsive behavior in relatively private ways like family violence and cruelty to animals.
But apparently we have removed that cultural sanction, and the nation's Strategic Reserve of Pathetic Losers has been loaded for bear. And now, everyone who is not a pathetic loser is at risk of being kidnapped, renditioned, beaten, tortured, and/or killed, by pathetic losers, with impunity.
I have no idea how to undo this.
sadly,
Bright
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