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| Traditional depiction of Hell with Red Hot poker up the bum top right |
There is a bit in the Bible about Hell:
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it
(Isaiah 5:14)
It would appear that Hell has an unlimited capacity to accomodate new recruits. But here on Earth it is a different story. The number of places of sanctuary for the truly evil are declining. It's partly geographical and political, but it is mostly a function of the information age. Sooner or later, but these days, sooner, you will be found and brought to account. Where can a modern despot flee? Somalia?
It is only, I think, in the last ten years that tyrants have begun to understand this. And of course, most tyrants are bullies and most bullies are cowards.
Twas always the case and always will be. To have a fanatic who believes in what he is doing is much more dangerous. Gaddafi is no fanatic, religious or otherwise. Gaddafi is a coward, surrounded by cowards. His strength has always been in his ability to cause those around him to cower in fear.
Gaddafi is fighting for no cause other than his own skin. Those who work for him, largely out of fear, know this. As soon as it becomes clear that ageing Russian technology is no match for a B-2, and it already has, a lot of Libyans will abandon their enforced loyalty to their be-decorated fruitcake leader and scarper.
The rhetoric is always the loudest and most bombastic from cowards. I don't think Saddam Hussein was a coward, but many around him were, and the fled, not once, but twice, in the face of opposition, after all the promises to the contrary of Muhamed Saeed al-Sahaf, Saddam's information minister.
I was interested to note that another tyrant, who rules his country with a combination of fear and bribery, just as Gaddafi did, has been very cool about Western intervention and the kind of precedent it makes; that of assisting a poplular uprising in a rogue state. He is Vladmir Putin. I am sure he is sleeping a little less comfortably tonight, as he most certainly begins to see that in a world that is shrinking, there is no longer nowhere to hide except in Hell. And Hell, at least on Earth, is a very small place.
5 comments:
Gosh WW have you taken on holy orders?
What is a dictator/despot. What is democracy?
Have we in the United Kingdom got a real democracy, one where 'the people' can determine the destiny of the country? Of course not. On all major decisions from being in the European Union to the reduction of local courts (which has a direct influence on our local democracy) we have no say whatsoever. Promises made in manifesto's are soon forgotten.
Referendums could, as in the USA be used more, but only if we were to be assured that the majority view should apply.
I live in Wales where they had a referendum recently on greater powers for the Welsh Assembly. The population of Wales is some 6.5million yet less than 800 thousand voted in that referendum and so a minority of a minority have determined that the Welsh Assembly will have greater powers- and the BBC declared it was an overwhelming
vote for YES!
This is an abuse of and an affront to democracy. Whilst we are not flung in jail and forgotten, yet. People in other EU countries are. We read of lorry drivers and others flung in Greek jails for minor offences. That kind of justice will become the norm throughout the EU (including the UK) soon.
Russia is a basket case where the mafia rules supreme. Putin will, when he has outlived his usefulness to the criminal gangs just disappear, probably on one of his hunting trips.
Sadly I have been of the view, as a believer in God and Heaven and Hell, is that earth is hell and if we do not live a saintly life we shall be back!
So my Wrinkled Weasel pal, as they, see you soon.
The population of Wales is just under three million. You gave me quite a fright there.
Jim, Yes but I was counting the sheep! But it still doesn't alter the fact that the minority of a minority has determined the direction of the principality.
But...but...there are about ten million sheep in Wales, according to Defra, all called Angharad...
This is all very confusing.
Jim, I am more confused than you, last night I met Angharad and I was captivated. A true blonde (or so I thought in moonlight. How the heck am I supposed to find her now after your devastating news? Now that is hell!
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