Saturday, February 2, 2013

Violence and Fraud

Initiating violence or fraud is essentially an act in which the initiator sees the target as a thing and no longer human.  They call the person to be cheated in a card game "the mark," the enemy "slopehead" or "redskins" or "crackers" or "loan applicants."  To engage in violence or fraud is to dehumanize others.

Aikido is pacifism in action, which is an active program of pacifying violence and fraud by objecting to the essential dehumanization of the target.  (I not sure I like the word "victim.")  Yes, we respond with force, mostly the aggressor's force, but force, and how! but the fact that we do not try to maim or kill, that we train to pacify, not kill, means we keep it at the human level.  god said "thou shalt not kill."  Jesus cleared the aggressors from the temple (possibly twice) with a force that sent them running.  turning over the dove cages may have injured the doves, so He merely ordered their release, and order obeyed immediately, due to the force be with Him.

Of course I am not talking about that wasted force we see in practice, where residual aggression shows up in the frustrated aikidoka who cannot get the technique to work, yet.  I am talking about pacifying that negative, lethal aggression and fraud that targets you as less than human.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

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