Chapter 46

Chapter 46

When the world follows the Tao,
horses run free to fertilize the fields.
When the world does not follow the Tao,
war horses are bred outside the cities.

There is no greater transgression
than condoning people’s selfish desires,
no greater disaster than being discontent,
and no greater retribution than for greed.

Whoever knows contentment will be at peace forever.

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Although Lao Tzu says that the world in disharmony with the tao may be in the crisis war, I will make a bold guess here. Is it possible to assume that small battles or war is the natural process of the tao in settling disputes between nations? I do not endorse war by any means, but history tells us that there always has been war. Because war persists throughout the ages however hard we try to avoid confrontation, is it possible to argue that war may be an inherent nature of nation-states? To put bluntly, didn’t Nietzsche revere Heraclitus because this ancient Greek philosopher saw strife as a dynamic driving force behind human progress? It looks Heraclitus praised strife.

For the record, I do not like war. I will honestly admit that I like watching war movies and am often enthralled by war heroes such as Napoleon. However, I do not want war and do not want to see it in my country till the day I die.

Thomas Jefferson cold-heartedly said:

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

Therein lies the notion of the “Big Other” spoken of by Zizek in his “How to Read Lacan.” The Big Other, or a nation-state, requires your blood to grow.

But I am more on the side of Rage Against the Machine whose vocal shouted, “Fuck you! I won’t do what you tell me!” in the song “Killing in the Name of.”

Nevertheless, I do recognize that our democracy would have been impossible were it not for the blood and sacrifices of our heroic predecessors. There is a reason why citizens pay tributes in their honor. It should also be noted that contemporary man’s boredom is a luxury made available through the past toils and tears and even blood of our bygone generations.