Well, there is always power, and people who (want to) wield it, whatever sort of power they have. The presence of it in one sector will automatically disenfranchise the other; even in the democracy of ancient Greece, there were slaves & women had little real power. Whenever you have a human settlement larger than a village (and even then-- even in families), you're going to have a struggle for dominance, with some people (according to temperament and physical ability) being able to-- and thus acting-- dominate others.
This is a macrocosm/microcosm that goes as deep as our most basic animal instincts, as far as I can tell. It's not necessarily about -difference-, so of course the rhetoric often used. Difference shifts in definition all the time, since there was a time when the Jews had their own empire and the Americans (now everyone's supposed Evil Overlord) were fighting for mere survival (meanwhile of course dominating the Indians-- because they could).
American Indians-- and other purely tribal cultures-- seem to have a more 'peaceful', 'yin'-style existence (in tune with the Tao, you might say), but this is -because- of the tribal style which allowed it. If you put those same Indians in cities (ahoy, the Aztecs/Mayas/Incas), watch what happens. Blood and death and empires. Meh. Yet, I'm a social optimist; wouldn't you know it :>
I also get angry at people (fandom) telling me I -have- to like something; I tend to stay away from uber-popular things. I'm contrary and also rather cantankerous-- not a promising combination for a fangirl. So I dig. Plus, I'm a semi-militant atheist, so I also dig re: the Bible/Christianity. But. I still wouldn't -be- in fandom if I didn't enjoy the books, y'know? One has one's nerves to consider :>
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timeasmymeasure
Re: me, on the other hand
Date: 2004-08-23 04:36 am (UTC)This is a macrocosm/microcosm that goes as deep as our most basic animal instincts, as far as I can tell. It's not necessarily about -difference-, so of course the rhetoric often used. Difference shifts in definition all the time, since there was a time when the Jews had their own empire and the Americans (now everyone's supposed Evil Overlord) were fighting for mere survival (meanwhile of course dominating the Indians-- because they could).
American Indians-- and other purely tribal cultures-- seem to have a more 'peaceful', 'yin'-style existence (in tune with the Tao, you might say), but this is -because- of the tribal style which allowed it. If you put those same Indians in cities (ahoy, the Aztecs/Mayas/Incas), watch what happens. Blood and death and empires. Meh. Yet, I'm a social optimist; wouldn't you know it :>
I also get angry at people (fandom) telling me I -have- to like something; I tend to stay away from uber-popular things. I'm contrary and also rather cantankerous-- not a promising combination for a fangirl. So I dig. Plus, I'm a semi-militant atheist, so I also dig re: the Bible/Christianity. But. I still wouldn't -be- in fandom if I didn't enjoy the books, y'know? One has one's nerves to consider :>