>>7795947Horizontal militias: I suppose that's a more succinct way of describing my thought experiment. The extortionary force would, in this case, be a 'bad militia'. It could even be just as horizontally organized as the 'good militia', at least for a while. But forged out of the motive of greed rather than the motive of protecting their neighbors.
I just think the forces of greed will always outnumber and outgun the forces of virtue. The banditos will have a simple goal with clear rewards. The virtuous have only their ideals and their love for their neighbors. For how many generations will they remember the faith their parents taught them? How long until the obvious wealth of villainy outweighs the ephemeral righteousness of bleeding for the communal good, comrade?
Maybe I'm just in a downer mood.
>>7795800As of 6/28 the states with the most deaths to Covid-19 are 1) California, 2) New York, 3) Texas, 4) Florida.
I don't want to fight about that, though. That's not really what it's about to me. I lost friends to congregations that refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the virus. Their favorite pastors told them God would keep them safe. Their favorite politicians told them it was all a big hoax. The survivors still make passionate excuses for their favorites to this day.
I'm sure some terribly clever internet statistician will gleefully stroke the data to say I couldn't possibly be telling the truth. But I know what I saw and I remember who I lost. When the shadow of death passed over my town, she was not egalitarian in who she claimed. She took the righteous and the right-leaning as if she were personally invested in a Biden victory. All the sickness and death was in vain, though; my county still voted as red as a dying star. But when I look at all the traditionally red counties that voted blue this past election... Man I can't help but wonder, ya know?
