08-13-2013, 04:05 AM
Jon struggled to keep himself from laughing aloud as he listened to Professor Napoli's response. He could see the headlines in the papers tomorrow, "Ascendancy apologist: Dictatorship 'Welcomed.'" Priceless. Truly, as often as often went with debates in Acadamia, it was unlikely this one would gain significant press coverage. This debate was a considerably high profile one, though -- a visiting lawyer currently engaged in a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the CCD arguing against the wisdom of the legal construction of the Dominance -- there would certainly be some some editorials penned by big names, who had big followers.
Amazing how easy it was to trick his opponent into a trap. Professor Napoli was, of course, merely a pawn to Jon's greater game. He provided the background upon which Jon could embarrass the regime of the CCD into recognizing the need to legitimize and respond to his suit currently pending in the Supreme Court.
Also, it was fun to be a nuisance to a greater power.
It was Jon's turn to speak. He saw on the corner of his vision Professor Napolai reading his pen to jot down Jon's response. All that scribbling wasn't going to do his opponent any good.
He took the stand. Jon had to be careful here, now was not the time to act juvenile, anymore. The purpose of doing so had accomplished its ends. Now was the time to spring the trap shut.
He stepped up to the podium. "Mr. Napoli, do not tell me what I will not speak of. I will speak of what I please. What I choose to speak of is of my own right, self-evident, a fact of our Maker, and protected by rule of law. The rule of law you so casually dismiss."
He turned to the audience, who had earlier so cheered his opponent. Well, academics were as they were, aloof and feeling protected in their status, free to envision esoteric possibilities and aloof arguments, any threat to control their ivory towers was likely only casually received. They would likely publish papers and spout trivialities until the iron gauntlet came down upon them. As a group, they really didn't matter in this debate. Only what was written about it afterward, what was passed on to the people...only what resonated with them.
The individuals out in the auditorium did matter, though. Individuals wanting to remain their own selves in a world that increasingly cared less for it meant something to Jon.
Mere seconds had passed since he'd started to speak. Jon needed to press on with what little time he had.
My opponent would welcome a dictatorship. Very well, millions upon millions of people have 'welcomed' dictatorships over the millennia for promises of security of their lives, or belief in nationalism, or by threat of force. So let us see what that implies by welcoming a dictatorship.
Jon grinned a bit. He couldn't help it, though he'd promised himself he'd deliver his response with a straight face and not a cocky smile. He continued to address the audience: "A dictatorship exists when the Rule of Law does not apply equally to all, and where a small ruling class or one single individual can determine without fear of reproach or constraint the policy of a State. In such circumstances, the citizens of this State -- no matter how well provided for, or how secure in their own lives -- become mere wards to a guardian, their well being, their fundamental rights, their very lives protected not by the rule of law but instead becoming privileges bestowed upon by another person. Their ability to petition and seek redress becomes subjected to the whims of the overlord."
Jon shook his head, merely for effect. He forced a somber face upon himself. "One could hope for a benevolent overlord to rule in the interests of the people, but in practice it never works. I speak not of the means but of the ends. My opponent wishes to make light of history, claiming I am appealing to emotion with violent imagery. This is not the case."
Jon sent his gaze upon the crowd. Did someone just lock eyes with his, feeling an understanding? He spoke on, mindful of the time he was allotted. "The fate of empires built on anything but the rule of law, those built on the will of one individual -- Alexander the Great, Charlemagne -- benevolent dictators, considered, -- the Caesars, who despite my opponent's confusion were in fact absolute rulers past the fall of the Republic --
"This is not imagery. This is your history. If you do not remember it you are doomed to repeat it."
Jon took a breath before continuing. That point needed a moment to sink in, and he had not quite destroyed his opponent yet. "Let us visit more recent dictatorships. My opponent claims the CCD exists devoid of parties, and at the same time admits the old Soviet Union was flawed. But what he does not say is that factions still sprung from the one-party State Which brings me to what happened when the first Dear Leader, Lenin, passed unexpectedly. A cult of personality was built around him, so much so his body remains preserved to this day.
"If I have to remind my opponent of the lessons of history, then so be it. The heirs to Lenin's cult of personality went to war with each other. Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin, and their supporters, squabbled to inherit Lenin's utopia. Academics would argue Trotsky remained most true to the ideals espoused by the Revolution, yet Stalin emerged victorious, and to consolidate his own power unleashed a scourge upon his own people the world has not known since! The old Soviet Union was not cemented in resistance to change, it was bathed in the blood of those who died at the hands of men unconstrained by the rule of law."
Jon kept his face blank this time, though he wanted very badly to smirk at Professor Napoli. "My opponent seems to think a successor to the Ascendancy would be a simple matter of transfer of power. But where the Rule of Law does not constrain, as in the dictatorship he would so easily welcome, it is not a simple matter. My question to him is --"
Jon turned straight to stare at Professor Napoli, who glanced up from his scribbling and caught Jon's eye -- "which of the Patrons - or the Privileges -- is Trotsky, and which one is Stalin?"
(edited 8-13 for typos)
Edited by Jon Little Bird, Aug 13 2013, 05:22 AM.
Amazing how easy it was to trick his opponent into a trap. Professor Napoli was, of course, merely a pawn to Jon's greater game. He provided the background upon which Jon could embarrass the regime of the CCD into recognizing the need to legitimize and respond to his suit currently pending in the Supreme Court.
Also, it was fun to be a nuisance to a greater power.
It was Jon's turn to speak. He saw on the corner of his vision Professor Napolai reading his pen to jot down Jon's response. All that scribbling wasn't going to do his opponent any good.
He took the stand. Jon had to be careful here, now was not the time to act juvenile, anymore. The purpose of doing so had accomplished its ends. Now was the time to spring the trap shut.
He stepped up to the podium. "Mr. Napoli, do not tell me what I will not speak of. I will speak of what I please. What I choose to speak of is of my own right, self-evident, a fact of our Maker, and protected by rule of law. The rule of law you so casually dismiss."
He turned to the audience, who had earlier so cheered his opponent. Well, academics were as they were, aloof and feeling protected in their status, free to envision esoteric possibilities and aloof arguments, any threat to control their ivory towers was likely only casually received. They would likely publish papers and spout trivialities until the iron gauntlet came down upon them. As a group, they really didn't matter in this debate. Only what was written about it afterward, what was passed on to the people...only what resonated with them.
The individuals out in the auditorium did matter, though. Individuals wanting to remain their own selves in a world that increasingly cared less for it meant something to Jon.
Mere seconds had passed since he'd started to speak. Jon needed to press on with what little time he had.
My opponent would welcome a dictatorship. Very well, millions upon millions of people have 'welcomed' dictatorships over the millennia for promises of security of their lives, or belief in nationalism, or by threat of force. So let us see what that implies by welcoming a dictatorship.
Jon grinned a bit. He couldn't help it, though he'd promised himself he'd deliver his response with a straight face and not a cocky smile. He continued to address the audience: "A dictatorship exists when the Rule of Law does not apply equally to all, and where a small ruling class or one single individual can determine without fear of reproach or constraint the policy of a State. In such circumstances, the citizens of this State -- no matter how well provided for, or how secure in their own lives -- become mere wards to a guardian, their well being, their fundamental rights, their very lives protected not by the rule of law but instead becoming privileges bestowed upon by another person. Their ability to petition and seek redress becomes subjected to the whims of the overlord."
Jon shook his head, merely for effect. He forced a somber face upon himself. "One could hope for a benevolent overlord to rule in the interests of the people, but in practice it never works. I speak not of the means but of the ends. My opponent wishes to make light of history, claiming I am appealing to emotion with violent imagery. This is not the case."
Jon sent his gaze upon the crowd. Did someone just lock eyes with his, feeling an understanding? He spoke on, mindful of the time he was allotted. "The fate of empires built on anything but the rule of law, those built on the will of one individual -- Alexander the Great, Charlemagne -- benevolent dictators, considered, -- the Caesars, who despite my opponent's confusion were in fact absolute rulers past the fall of the Republic --
"This is not imagery. This is your history. If you do not remember it you are doomed to repeat it."
Jon took a breath before continuing. That point needed a moment to sink in, and he had not quite destroyed his opponent yet. "Let us visit more recent dictatorships. My opponent claims the CCD exists devoid of parties, and at the same time admits the old Soviet Union was flawed. But what he does not say is that factions still sprung from the one-party State Which brings me to what happened when the first Dear Leader, Lenin, passed unexpectedly. A cult of personality was built around him, so much so his body remains preserved to this day.
"If I have to remind my opponent of the lessons of history, then so be it. The heirs to Lenin's cult of personality went to war with each other. Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin, and their supporters, squabbled to inherit Lenin's utopia. Academics would argue Trotsky remained most true to the ideals espoused by the Revolution, yet Stalin emerged victorious, and to consolidate his own power unleashed a scourge upon his own people the world has not known since! The old Soviet Union was not cemented in resistance to change, it was bathed in the blood of those who died at the hands of men unconstrained by the rule of law."
Jon kept his face blank this time, though he wanted very badly to smirk at Professor Napoli. "My opponent seems to think a successor to the Ascendancy would be a simple matter of transfer of power. But where the Rule of Law does not constrain, as in the dictatorship he would so easily welcome, it is not a simple matter. My question to him is --"
Jon turned straight to stare at Professor Napoli, who glanced up from his scribbling and caught Jon's eye -- "which of the Patrons - or the Privileges -- is Trotsky, and which one is Stalin?"
(edited 8-13 for typos)
Edited by Jon Little Bird, Aug 13 2013, 05:22 AM.