Focus50
Posts: 3962
Joined: 12/28/2004
From: Newcastle, Australia
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Wheldrake
quote:
ORIGINAL: Focus50
Define "long term" - thugs like Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein were running roughshod for years; decades even. Stalin's another that comes to mind....
And of those three, one was executed, one (probably) assassinated, and one forced into exile. Not exactly models of successful governance - but to the extent that they did manage to hold on to power, it was with the help of loyal subordinates. I'm not saying that a ruler has to treat all the people with benevolence in order to maintain control, but there does need to be a power structure including a core of followers who are well-rewarded in some fashion. And yes, some of those followers will need to be big, strong and/or well-armed. But that isn't necessarily true of the people at the very top (Napoleon was hardly the biggest guy in, well, Napoleonic France), and - to get back on topic just a little - I imagine most dominants in BDSM relationships identify more easily with the masterminds issuing the instructions than with the hulking enforcers.
Well everyone dies eventually but the world has always had ruthless dictators and still does, esp in Africa at present. And yes, of course they need their followers to hold power and run the day to day.... But that's the point of primal, fear based dominance - the strong control the weak. Napoleon came to power in a country and age of relative civilisation - where brute force and physical presence were not defining factors; where reason overshadows primal instinct.
Ya know what I'd find compelling viewing...? You know those idiotic "reality" shows where they lock a bunch of cretinous brats in a house to do whatever? I'd like to see, saaaay, half a dozen average size males (similar physical qualities) locked in with enough rations (food, water etc) for four. How long do you think they'd all be content surviving like civilised musketeers (all for one; one for all) on 2/3's rations each? And since they're all cretins, they're never getting out - so it's to the end and they know it....
Then, just to stir it up, add six average size females while maintaining the same rations ratio.... How do you think the women would go? This is a mini apocalypse and I think it'd go like this.... So called "civilisation" gets replaced by primal survival instincts. One of the males would make a pact with one or more of the others to take over control of the rations. The strong will dominate the weak - survival of the fittest etc.
But all is not lost for the females by a long shot. The women don't have the physical attributes to dominate, not even the 6 combined. But women have other strengths - that life, even at its most primal, isn't all about eating and drinking. So the women wouldn't combine; those with the strongest survival instincts will quickly evaluate that the best way for them to survive is to align with whoever they consider the strongest male - natural selection and, again, survival of the fittest.
Inevitably, the weak eventually perish and the world has fewer spoilt cretins but, real bummer, the ration ratio doesn't improve, not until there's saaaay, two left. As to how it'd all end, I think one female would make it to the last three, courtesy of attracting the strongest male. The real danger to her is now the other male; that in the most desperate final stages of survival, food and water outweigh the need for company. Conversely, she'll be pushing her partner to eliminate the last male - so it's just a matter of who strikes first and successfully....
The male does have physical superiority over the female gender. But the female has other ways of achieving the same ends. And I find it insulting to my intelligence when people would rather dilute and diminish male strengths (political correctness and niceties) rather than accept each gender has unique strengths and qualities to them.
As for my "reality" show - well that's the dark side of the human beast that we all have within us but we don't like to acknowledge it. So it'll never happen.... We like to delude ourselves that we've evolved beyond the primal cave man. And we have - only until survival becomes an issue. If it does, you'll immediately default to the four primal basics - food, water, shelter and the will and means (weapons, allies etc) to defend any of the first three you possess.
I'm done.... (phew)
Focus.
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Never underestimate the persuasive power of stupid people in large groups. <unknown>
Your food is for eating, not torturing. <my mum> (Errm, when I was a kid)
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RE: Gender/Power Dynamics. - 
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RE: Gender/Power Dynamics. - 
For the actual topic, pretty well all of my 10 or so posts have technically been a hijack. As I said, I focused on a specific point of LA's post rather than the OP. 
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