The thought pattern you describe applies also, I think, to the people who stockpile a bunch of firearms, thinking that they'll someday fight the U.S. Government . I mean, if it ever came down to them - even a group of them - versus either the National Guard or the Army, I'm not betting on the militia dudes. It doesn't mean they can't scare the crap out of a lot of other people in the meantime.
I recently had a rib busted by my own teammate playing recreational soccer---I sort of half-heartedly contested a header against an opponent, he didn’t see me behind the opponent and ill-advisedly contested it in a way that could very easily have injured his opponent but instead meant the full force of his body crashed into my side. Busted ribs are terrible! What’s especially terrible about them is the utter lack of proportionality: I’ve been hit in the side like this many times in my 15 years of play including college, but for some reason this particular time was the time for my body to break, and now I can’t play soccer or sleep on my preferred side for weeks. Bodies are not rational or fair. The only lesson here, that you’re eloquently bringing out as well, is not to treat your opponents like they have no humanity, because eventually you’ll spear your friends in the side with your head.
Hamno brings boxing to this cherished format. I am happy. Can we also have some days that are just about boxing? Also curious your thoughts on the sag / wga / dga powerplaying. Like captain planet all teaming up against the big bad dudes
In 2012, then-new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (now our Prime Minister) and then-Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau had a boxing match for charity -- it was Trudeau's moment to grasp the brass ring, to prove he wasn't a dickless whimp, "just a drama teacher" as the Conservatives had labelled him. Basically, Trudeau staked his whole political career on winning that one stupid fight (or at least, not get his ass kicked).
To the surprise of Brazeau and all of the media present, Trudeau won-- he trained like hell for it, of course, while Brazeau hadn't bothered. Its become a metaphor for Trudeau's leadership -- he's been winning ever since, and the Conservatives still keep underestimating Trudeau's capacity to take a punch and stand up swinging. (If you want more info, here's the story:
Did this column get inspired by my Tweet suggesting that the Zuck vs. Musk Rat (not happening) fight would be a natural for Hamilton Nolan given his interests in labor news and boxing? If so, I loved how this column offered a viewpoint bigger and more meaningful than standard MSM coverage of this non-event.
It doesn’t seem moralistic at all but I am probably not the kind of person you are worried about when you say that. Besides the reasons you give, there are so many reasons to avoid violence. The idea of a fight for honor --a boxing match--is the rarest type of fight, and most violence is not like this. In this kind of fight, you might feel somewhat humiliated or bested if you lose but this kind of fighting is honorable so you do not lose honor by engaging in it even if you get your ass kicked. But even if we just stick to ass kickings between opponents that are roughly equally matched you have fights that are dishonorable and then you have people yearning for revenge because of the humiliation they experience.
The type of fights these people like Musk want to engage in (figurative fights) involve humiliating people who *are* usually much more honorable in dishonorable ways. Those people have too much dignity to retaliate but this is not always the case. Generally, people who have problems with violence, e.g., people in prison saw somebody’s ass kicked or saw someone humiliated or else they also had their ass kicked by someone bigger (and may also have a head injury because of the ass kicking). Violence reverberates a lot. If only it was only two honorable people facing off under rules and retaining their honor at the end! I wish that were the only kind of ass kickings we saw in the world. That’s the GOOD scenario. It’s usually much more somebody getting a sense of dominance and superiority by knocking somebody else down who can’t retaliate where there are no rules--and frankly, I DO want to see the people that do it get their ass kicked. Though I don’t like violence those are exactly the kind of people who you wish would HAVE their ass kicked, maybe the only people in the world who deserve it.
Counterpoint: if Zuckerberg and Musk are both in the Octagon, we can lock it and never let them out no matter how much they ask, until Zuckerberg (probably) has to kill and eat Musk to survive, though it could go the other way. And then Zuckerberg would lose his job too, as nobody is going to want to share selfies on the cannibal CEO website. Then we will be rid of both of these deeply boring, mediocre men. And yes: political violence is bad, but I think we as a society can allow ourselves to do this one act of violence if we promise that we will never do it again after this one time. Plus technically it would be Zuckerberg doing the violence.
The thought pattern you describe applies also, I think, to the people who stockpile a bunch of firearms, thinking that they'll someday fight the U.S. Government . I mean, if it ever came down to them - even a group of them - versus either the National Guard or the Army, I'm not betting on the militia dudes. It doesn't mean they can't scare the crap out of a lot of other people in the meantime.
This might be my favorite Ham No column of all time, which is saying something.
I spent years bouncing and in management at a large night club in Maryland, and I can attest to 2 things:
1. There's nothing dumber than fighting.
2. There's always someone out there who can kick your ass, no matter what.
This is brilliant, because without even citing them, this conjures up everyone from Daniel Penny to Putin.
I recently had a rib busted by my own teammate playing recreational soccer---I sort of half-heartedly contested a header against an opponent, he didn’t see me behind the opponent and ill-advisedly contested it in a way that could very easily have injured his opponent but instead meant the full force of his body crashed into my side. Busted ribs are terrible! What’s especially terrible about them is the utter lack of proportionality: I’ve been hit in the side like this many times in my 15 years of play including college, but for some reason this particular time was the time for my body to break, and now I can’t play soccer or sleep on my preferred side for weeks. Bodies are not rational or fair. The only lesson here, that you’re eloquently bringing out as well, is not to treat your opponents like they have no humanity, because eventually you’ll spear your friends in the side with your head.
Hamno brings boxing to this cherished format. I am happy. Can we also have some days that are just about boxing? Also curious your thoughts on the sag / wga / dga powerplaying. Like captain planet all teaming up against the big bad dudes
Yes, but every now and then....
In 2012, then-new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (now our Prime Minister) and then-Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau had a boxing match for charity -- it was Trudeau's moment to grasp the brass ring, to prove he wasn't a dickless whimp, "just a drama teacher" as the Conservatives had labelled him. Basically, Trudeau staked his whole political career on winning that one stupid fight (or at least, not get his ass kicked).
To the surprise of Brazeau and all of the media present, Trudeau won-- he trained like hell for it, of course, while Brazeau hadn't bothered. Its become a metaphor for Trudeau's leadership -- he's been winning ever since, and the Conservatives still keep underestimating Trudeau's capacity to take a punch and stand up swinging. (If you want more info, here's the story:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-fight-how-justin-trudeau-outclassed-patrick-brazeau-five-years-ago-in-a-boxing-match-for-the-ages )
Elon Musk in a bubble? More like a submersible.
Did this column get inspired by my Tweet suggesting that the Zuck vs. Musk Rat (not happening) fight would be a natural for Hamilton Nolan given his interests in labor news and boxing? If so, I loved how this column offered a viewpoint bigger and more meaningful than standard MSM coverage of this non-event.
It really is that time of year when the "macho" comes oozing out of society's pores.
This is childish but: Markwayne. What a name.
It doesn’t seem moralistic at all but I am probably not the kind of person you are worried about when you say that. Besides the reasons you give, there are so many reasons to avoid violence. The idea of a fight for honor --a boxing match--is the rarest type of fight, and most violence is not like this. In this kind of fight, you might feel somewhat humiliated or bested if you lose but this kind of fighting is honorable so you do not lose honor by engaging in it even if you get your ass kicked. But even if we just stick to ass kickings between opponents that are roughly equally matched you have fights that are dishonorable and then you have people yearning for revenge because of the humiliation they experience.
The type of fights these people like Musk want to engage in (figurative fights) involve humiliating people who *are* usually much more honorable in dishonorable ways. Those people have too much dignity to retaliate but this is not always the case. Generally, people who have problems with violence, e.g., people in prison saw somebody’s ass kicked or saw someone humiliated or else they also had their ass kicked by someone bigger (and may also have a head injury because of the ass kicking). Violence reverberates a lot. If only it was only two honorable people facing off under rules and retaining their honor at the end! I wish that were the only kind of ass kickings we saw in the world. That’s the GOOD scenario. It’s usually much more somebody getting a sense of dominance and superiority by knocking somebody else down who can’t retaliate where there are no rules--and frankly, I DO want to see the people that do it get their ass kicked. Though I don’t like violence those are exactly the kind of people who you wish would HAVE their ass kicked, maybe the only people in the world who deserve it.
Counterpoint: if Zuckerberg and Musk are both in the Octagon, we can lock it and never let them out no matter how much they ask, until Zuckerberg (probably) has to kill and eat Musk to survive, though it could go the other way. And then Zuckerberg would lose his job too, as nobody is going to want to share selfies on the cannibal CEO website. Then we will be rid of both of these deeply boring, mediocre men. And yes: political violence is bad, but I think we as a society can allow ourselves to do this one act of violence if we promise that we will never do it again after this one time. Plus technically it would be Zuckerberg doing the violence.