I play Skyrim. In that rpg video game you can be an assassin. After you kill Grelod the Kind, a child abuser, one of the children she tortured says:
“Kill one person, and you can solve so many problems. I wonder at the possibilities.” - Runa Fair-Shield.
When does assassination become an acceptable political strategy? I can see how bumping off many crazy men (and right now I can only name male dictators but I guess women could be just as bad) would make the world safer - well, safer if we assume it would not trigger a backlash and WW3.
Maybe we could assassinate Kim and North Korea would rejoice not set off nukes? Maybe we could assassinate MbS and the Saudis would just shrug and appoint a new Crown Prince with a less murderous tendancy towards journalists and dissidents? But could we assassinate Putin, Trump, Xi, or Modi and not release hell?
If I had a red button to press and it would remove Putin, Trump, Musk, Thiel, Hamas, Netanyahu, or other bad guys, should I press the button? What do you think?
Note: this is a thought experiment - outside Skyrim, I never killed anyone, never worked as an assassin for hire, and have no desire to change that fact. I just want to read your thoughts on this topic - I think we’ve all wondered if there is a shortcut back to normality in face of current events but are we fooling ourselves?
Putin and Xi…I’m pretty sure that, if they were topped, there’s enough institutional Authoritarianism that either there would be a “clean” and immediate change to someone with the next highest authority…or it would fall into civil war with just as much speed, rounds of assassinations back and forth until the power vacuum is filled by someone able to pull everyone left to heel…or the whole government falls apart…
The Chinese would certainly just appoint a new president, no problem. Xi might be in charge, but the Chinese communist party isn’t some vestigial organ. Russia, however… Putin’s been exclusively in charge for long enough and with no immediately clear successor that I’m almost certain that his death is going to result in a power struggle and civil war.
Imo, if you want a picture of what the end of the Putinato looks like, I would say that the end of Mexico’s Porferiato would probably be a fairly accurate representation.
I mean, plenty tried to kill Hitler. He was just really good at not getting assassinated. Frequent last-minute changes to planned public appearances helped a lot
The crusades existed many a day ago, Yahweh’s heavenly army battled once before.
A fight must be unanimous however it must be on creeds agreed.
It will be seering light, blinding, and in it - elusidating every facet of darkness among you. Only the wrathful will survive and for what? You must agree in your values to be truly mighty.
See no creed, no color, and no gender. Witness inherent value in existing sentient. We only live when we enact our will.
What is your will? Will you act? Or forever react.
There is an army ripe for the picking. I am trying.
Assassination would just make Trump into a MAGA martyr. They would be riled up and energized.
Yes, then the next question is, whom would they rally behind after Trump? We can see a chain of command for the line of presidency, but without Trump, there’d be a power vacuum at the top of his cult. Either it gets filled with an acceptable substitute, or the obligate-followers in his fandom won’t know where to direct their energy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if such a power vacuum created drama. Would Musk still be pulling so many strings in the government if Vance were president? Would he find a way to usurp even more unconstitutional government power, like how he controls DOGE? Would Vance tolerate Musk’s intrusions at all?
Or would his loyalist followers rally behind someone completely different, like a media personality? They’re looking for charisma in a leader, after all, and neither Vance nor Musk have that the way Trump (or someone professionally on TV) does. It’s possible some right-wing boner rises up through the crowd. Then, since Trumpsters naturally orient themselves toward the biggest dick around, he (Trump’s successor would almost certainly be a “he”) would get all their attention.
I’m reminded the example of the people’s will and the assassination of Alexander II. One person doesn’t change a system. On the other hand taking out all the billionaire donors that craft a system, well that might be something else. They could just buy a new leader.
Sure, the Japanese invaded my ancestral homeland, done the horrible massacre in Nanjing, but “killing people is wrong” so I guess my ancestors shouldn’t have fought back and let them slaughter my people?
Biggest problem is that all of these people that you and me consider assholes do have a huge support. It’s not like a dictator can be a dictator without any support.
I play Skyrim. In that rpg video game you can be an assassin. After you kill Grelod the Kind, a child abuser, one of the children she tortured says:
“Kill one person, and you can solve so many problems. I wonder at the possibilities.” - Runa Fair-Shield.
When does assassination become an acceptable political strategy? I can see how bumping off many crazy men (and right now I can only name male dictators but I guess women could be just as bad) would make the world safer - well, safer if we assume it would not trigger a backlash and WW3.
Maybe we could assassinate Kim and North Korea would rejoice not set off nukes? Maybe we could assassinate MbS and the Saudis would just shrug and appoint a new Crown Prince with a less murderous tendancy towards journalists and dissidents? But could we assassinate Putin, Trump, Xi, or Modi and not release hell?
If I had a red button to press and it would remove Putin, Trump, Musk, Thiel, Hamas, Netanyahu, or other bad guys, should I press the button? What do you think?
Note: this is a thought experiment - outside Skyrim, I never killed anyone, never worked as an assassin for hire, and have no desire to change that fact. I just want to read your thoughts on this topic - I think we’ve all wondered if there is a shortcut back to normality in face of current events but are we fooling ourselves?
Putin and Xi…I’m pretty sure that, if they were topped, there’s enough institutional Authoritarianism that either there would be a “clean” and immediate change to someone with the next highest authority…or it would fall into civil war with just as much speed, rounds of assassinations back and forth until the power vacuum is filled by someone able to pull everyone left to heel…or the whole government falls apart…
The Chinese would certainly just appoint a new president, no problem. Xi might be in charge, but the Chinese communist party isn’t some vestigial organ. Russia, however… Putin’s been exclusively in charge for long enough and with no immediately clear successor that I’m almost certain that his death is going to result in a power struggle and civil war.
Yeah, I can see what you mean. Still, weirder things have happened.
Imo, if you want a picture of what the end of the Putinato looks like, I would say that the end of Mexico’s Porferiato would probably be a fairly accurate representation.
Good people don’t become assassins, something bad people don’t have problems with.
It’s never Hitler, Putin, Stalin or Trump who get assassinated. Always JFK, Martin Luther King, Bobby, …
I mean, plenty tried to kill Hitler. He was just really good at not getting assassinated. Frequent last-minute changes to planned public appearances helped a lot
We need monsters who fights on the side of the light.
The crusades existed many a day ago, Yahweh’s heavenly army battled once before.
A fight must be unanimous however it must be on creeds agreed.
It will be seering light, blinding, and in it - elusidating every facet of darkness among you. Only the wrathful will survive and for what? You must agree in your values to be truly mighty.
See no creed, no color, and no gender. Witness inherent value in existing sentient. We only live when we enact our will.
What is your will? Will you act? Or forever react.
There is an army ripe for the picking. I am trying.
You fight for freedom from tyranny and the defense of the weak. From the beginning of time to the end of time.
Why did you utter something so dear to me? What made you say this. May I know?
The question was where does the will come from.
same problem as cops then
One person? Probably not a lot. 1,000 people? Well that’s different.
You can absolutely make a massive difference with just one person. People really underestimate how much importance one leader is…
You do have to worry about the election after any assassination though lol.
Assassination would just make Trump into a MAGA martyr. They would be riled up and energized.
You would end up with MTG as Vance’s VP or something equally horrid.
I’d rather he die from a heart attack or a lightning strike on the golf course.
Yes, then the next question is, whom would they rally behind after Trump? We can see a chain of command for the line of presidency, but without Trump, there’d be a power vacuum at the top of his cult. Either it gets filled with an acceptable substitute, or the obligate-followers in his fandom won’t know where to direct their energy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if such a power vacuum created drama. Would Musk still be pulling so many strings in the government if Vance were president? Would he find a way to usurp even more unconstitutional government power, like how he controls DOGE? Would Vance tolerate Musk’s intrusions at all?
Or would his loyalist followers rally behind someone completely different, like a media personality? They’re looking for charisma in a leader, after all, and neither Vance nor Musk have that the way Trump (or someone professionally on TV) does. It’s possible some right-wing boner rises up through the crowd. Then, since Trumpsters naturally orient themselves toward the biggest dick around, he (Trump’s successor would almost certainly be a “he”) would get all their attention.
I’m reminded the example of the people’s will and the assassination of Alexander II. One person doesn’t change a system. On the other hand taking out all the billionaire donors that craft a system, well that might be something else. They could just buy a new leader.
What the fuck is this comment bro? Killing people is wrong. Trying to use videogame logic as your excuse is disgusting.
TIL the allies of WW2 are evil.
Sure, the Japanese invaded my ancestral homeland, done the horrible massacre in Nanjing, but “killing people is wrong” so I guess my ancestors shouldn’t have fought back and let them slaughter my people?
🤣
So you hate them so much you became like them? Flawless logic bro.
Yes, Jan 6 murders were very wrong. Tesla vandals are morally superior, I agree wholeheartedly.
Biggest problem is that all of these people that you and me consider assholes do have a huge support. It’s not like a dictator can be a dictator without any support.
Whatever gets everybody the closest to no violence, including systemic, is best.