Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Am I less of a villain ?

I read the news today about the National Democratic Party's (Egypt ruling party in Egypt for more then 40 years ... go figure) member of parliament who demanded that the demonstrators for political changes and against the current regime be shot! I don't think he believes what he is saying. I don't believe he thinks he will be taken seriously.

Obviously, he is just trying to stand out as a staunch supporter of the current regime by being so belligerent and dishonest.
It made me wonder, how can someone be so devoid of any form of decency. How can someone lie like that without even flinching ! How can you be a full fledged advocate of "evil" without that inner balance used to weigh right and wrong. In my personal struggle against becoming an extremist I always try to consider why he acts like that or why he and the "others" do what they do, defying any common sense of decency.

In this case I think this man is just trying to maintain his current status. Being a member of the Egyptian parliament, it goes without saying that he must be rich and/or powerful and/or respected in his own domain. He has to do this at least to avoid the humiliation of loosing such a status. I don't give him any excuses. How far he is willing to go or how defiant to the common laws of righteousness and how long he has been doing it without repentance is what defines him as being loathsome/immoral. Can't someone who has already attained such a status of richness and power show some form of common decency? What else does he need ? Can't he be content with what he already has? Doesn't he have enough? I guess not.

However, this made me reflect upon my own self. I am personally richer and healthier and luckier and more educated than most people in this world and most people who come from the same background as myself. I do however remain unsatisfied because of some set backs I may have had. I remain discontent and willing to succumb to some temptations of corruption. I am becoming more prone to bargain against my beliefs and judgments of whats right. I remain prone to bouts of villainy and loss of faith. I wonder, given the same circumstances and being raised in the same environment as this man, would I have done the same thing ? I hope not. May God forgive me for what little corruption/harm I was capable of inflicting; and for the apathy and passivity I am more guilty of .

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