Comments on: Entertainment http://ericsanpablo.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/entertainment/ I'm not young enough to know everything Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:37:09 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ericsanpablo http://ericsanpablo.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/entertainment/#comment-112 ericsanpablo Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:52:09 +0000 http://ericsanpablo.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/entertainment/#comment-112 I think it leads back to the paradox we were discussing - that sometimes in order to change a system, one must become a part of it. But it seems that way of thinking is entirely self defeating! Which I guess is the concern I had making this project, which, admittedly, depicts brutal violence - I am somewhat disgusted at myself for making it, in a way I feel I might have succumbed to the very thing I set out fighting. Yeah the apartheid in South Africa was brought to my attention. It really negates that quote/statistic, and opened my eyes to things I had never really understood happened. It's pretty horrific how relatively recent it was. Strangely, it seems not so dissimilar to Canada's (for instance) treatment of its indigenous people. I guess these are the most disastrous consequences of colonization (and really speaks to that idea of the victor writing history and interpretation). It is vaguely disturbing to me speaking for change, when sometimes my ability to speak may have been wrought at the hands of the people I wish to "help." Wasn't violence/force necessary in order for change to occur in that instance (South Africa) as well? And what about places like (the most obvious examples) Rwanda and Darfur? What about World War II? I wonder what a pacifist alternative would be. I wonder if violence IS necessary, or rather the idea of it's necessity simply a construction of our society. That said, I don't think violence can ever be justified. I don't trust reason, and I don't trust thought - at least not as much as I trust action. But maybe sometimes we have to do bad things, live with, and admit it. The idealist in me would love to believe in a completely pacifist state, but the realist in me cannot even conceive of a world without governance - and in order for government to work, it requires laws and consequence; both of which lead to violence and force. Then again maybe I am just giving into common conception. Maybe total peace is possible if we only we could believe in it. But, the truth is, I can't even imagine it! I mean, I can - but I can't. Do you know what I mean? It's like God or heaven. I'm going to take a look at that book you mentioned - by peaceful society did you mean totally peaceful? I guess it depends on one's definition of violence too. Either way, just the idea of that is incredible to me, maybe it is possible, and maybe I can promote it through my actions and my art. " Peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must." I think it leads back to the paradox we were discussing – that sometimes in order to change a system, one must become a part of it. But it seems that way of thinking is entirely self defeating! Which I guess is the concern I had making this project, which, admittedly, depicts brutal violence – I am somewhat disgusted at myself for making it, in a way I feel I might have succumbed to the very thing I set out fighting.

Yeah the apartheid in South Africa was brought to my attention. It really negates that quote/statistic, and opened my eyes to things I had never really understood happened. It’s pretty horrific how relatively recent it was. Strangely, it seems not so dissimilar to Canada’s (for instance) treatment of its indigenous people. I guess these are the most disastrous consequences of colonization (and really speaks to that idea of the victor writing history and interpretation). It is vaguely disturbing to me speaking for change, when sometimes my ability to speak may have been wrought at the hands of the people I wish to “help.”

Wasn’t violence/force necessary in order for change to occur in that instance (South Africa) as well? And what about places like (the most obvious examples) Rwanda and Darfur? What about World War II? I wonder what a pacifist alternative would be. I wonder if violence IS necessary, or rather the idea of it’s necessity simply a construction of our society.

That said, I don’t think violence can ever be justified. I don’t trust reason, and I don’t trust thought – at least not as much as I trust action. But maybe sometimes we have to do bad things, live with, and admit it. The idealist in me would love to believe in a completely pacifist state, but the realist in me cannot even conceive of a world without governance – and in order for government to work, it requires laws and consequence; both of which lead to violence and force.

Then again maybe I am just giving into common conception. Maybe total peace is possible if we only we could believe in it. But, the truth is, I can’t even imagine it! I mean, I can – but I can’t. Do you know what I mean? It’s like God or heaven. I’m going to take a look at that book you mentioned – by peaceful society did you mean totally peaceful? I guess it depends on one’s definition of violence too. Either way, just the idea of that is incredible to me, maybe it is possible, and maybe I can promote it through my actions and my art.

” Peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must.”

]]> By: webdiva http://ericsanpablo.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/entertainment/#comment-111 webdiva Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:28:45 +0000 http://ericsanpablo.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/entertainment/#comment-111 I've thought a lot about violence, not specifically in media, but in humans in general. I read an interesting book a couple of years ago called the chalice and the blade, which suggested that human history goes through cycles of violence and non-violence. (Written from a feminist perspective, the author argued that there is evidence to support the notion of historical matriarchal societies. She suggested that these societies were peaceful, agrarian - the chalice, rather than focused on war and conquest - the blade. I enjoyed reading that there may have been societies that were peaceful, as so many argue that violence is intrinsically human). The question that i still have is whether violence/force is ever justified. If i am a pacifist, and eschew violence/am peacefully living life, and someone uses violence and force against me - what do I do? Do I fight back, or not? On another note, the crime rate survey that you mention above is ironic, because those dates in South Africa coincide with the establishment of apartheid: a system of violence if ever there was one, although perhaps not called "crime" by the statisticians I’ve thought a lot about violence, not specifically in media, but in humans in general. I read an interesting book a couple of years ago called the chalice and the blade, which suggested that human history goes through cycles of violence and non-violence. (Written from a feminist perspective, the author argued that there is evidence to support the notion of historical matriarchal societies. She suggested that these societies were peaceful, agrarian – the chalice, rather than focused on war and conquest – the blade. I enjoyed reading that there may have been societies that were peaceful, as so many argue that violence is intrinsically human). The question that i still have is whether violence/force is ever justified. If i am a pacifist, and eschew violence/am peacefully living life, and someone uses violence and force against me – what do I do? Do I fight back, or not?
On another note, the crime rate survey that you mention above is ironic, because those dates in South Africa coincide with the establishment of apartheid: a system of violence if ever there was one, although perhaps not called “crime” by the statisticians

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