Are there any pacifists in the house?

My gewoonlik baie vermaaklike blog gaan vandag, nav prof en rondloper se comments op Unfavourite Movie Moment I, ’n meer tegniese draai vat. Hier dus ’n kort uittreksel uit my kort opsomming van die antropoloog René Girard se I See Satan Fall Like Lightning:

Girard suggests that human culture is founded on and maintained by what he calls the “mimetic cycle”. It is mimetic desire that makes us human (and distinguishes us from animals) – the fact that we desire what others have. In desiring what my neighbour has, I increase my neighbour’s own desire to keep said object of desire. Humans therefore become rivals of their models, even as they more and more reflect one another in their rivalry (they become “mimetic doubles”). This desire increases exponentially as more people form part of this mimetic desire. Of course, as desire increases, obtaining the object of desire becomes increasingly difficult. This becomes a “scandal”, an obstacle (“stumbling block”) that prevents the satisfying of mimetic desire. We end up with a war of all against all. This cannot be tolerated, as it would mean the destruction of society. Society therefore identifies a single unanimous victim – the “single victim mechanism”, seen as the cause of all the chaos and turbulence the community experiences. This victim is then sacrificed, which leads to peace. So, paradoxically, the person causing the turbulence becomes the saviour from the turbulence, the bringer of peace.

Dan verduidelik Girard hoe godsdiens werk en hoe God in Christus die mimetic cycle ontmasker het (wat nie nou relevant is vir die punt wat ek probeer maak nie, daarom laat ek dit uit). Die ressultaat van die ontmaskering:

Our whole culture has, according to Girard, changed into a culture where the one absolute has become the concern for victims… tries to “radicalize” this concern for victims.

Ek weet nie of ek ‘n pasifis is nie. Ek glo wel dat daar glad nie so iets soos ‘n “Just War” bestaan nie. En dat “terrorisme” altyd subjektief is, dat die term “terrorisme” vandag so gelaai is met propaganda dat dit niks sê van die “terroris” nie, maar alles van die magte wat die term “terroris” gebruik. En dat Braveheart, wat so noble geveg het vir “Freeeeeedooooom!” ook in die proses onskuldiges vermoor het en net ‘n held in sommige se oë was.