Re THE RING: I have to generally agree with Erik: I don’t think Anthony’s extrapolations are accurate, and here’s why: if you really had a segment of society that was socially degradable and exploitable, then the natural eventual consequence is nothing less than slavery. After all, even sadistic people can see that beating up on someone isn’t as great as beating up on them AND forcing them to work for you…

And slavery is something that we as a species have had (and continue to have) a lot of experience with. The remarkable thing, though, is that slavery has been slowly disappearing for two hundred years; and the primary reason for this is (surprise!) economic. (In this country, because of the Civil War, it’s common to think that the institution of slavery can only ended by violence; but in fact the South was already under considerable economic pressure to end slavery, and in most nations, slavery was ended almost completely without bloodshed.) It turns out that in the long run, you can make more money by peacefully trading with or employing someone than by enslaving them; and this is because a free person is working for him/herself is a much more productive person than a slave, especially if we’re talking about skilled labor.

Re karmic effects of nonviolence: my sense is the following. If you have the opportunity to do something horrible, and you wish to do so, but you are prevented by fear of violent consequences, that does not remove the desire to do wrong. On the other hand, if you wish to do something horrible, and you ARE allowed to do so, then the consequences of your action will karmically come back on you, and you will (eventually, perhaps over many lifetimes of idiotic repetition) no longer have the desire to do wrong. Therefore, for the perpetrator, it is better to be allowed to do wrong, than to be forcibly prevented from doing so.

As Cernunnos has reminded me, the fastest route to personal growth is to exercise your will — whatever it is, for good or ill.