Re: The name death eaters


"Toon" <toon@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:laiho3trid7hvt8l2dn0a15bghtbmiqg7u@xxxxxxxxxx
On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:54:35 GMT, "DaveD"
<davedn1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

It's probably worth contextualising that second sentence and looking at why
Dd wanted power: I don't think it was for its own sake; he wasn't a
(simplistic) megalomaniac who just got a kick out of bullying or abusing
people as Voldy did, or even as some way of compensating for perceived
inadequacies in himself, as Snape did.

Instead, I think Dd wanted power so he could achieve his goal, which was
ultimately "the greater good" (again), ie he wanted power to do good, even
if at the time he didn't realise - or ignored the fact - that he would
probably be committing more evil along the way, outweighing all the good he
might achieve.

He wanted to make the world a better place. To him, that meant
Wizards must rule, not Muggles. And if a few muggles get in the way,
so sorry, but their choice. Their sacrifice helps the greater good.
DD just believed that the ends justify the means

Everybody thinks the guy trying to take over the world is evil, and
will be a horrible dictator. But what if he were to be a good and
benevolent ruler? Would it truly be so wrong if he took that power
rather than earned it? Well, depends on how he took it. if nobody
died, would it even be an issue? The world's a better place,
everybody's happy. Does it really matter if some guy just forced
peace on everybody? And if he does make it a better place, would not
those he killed to get there merely been against the good? Is it not
better that these resistors perish, rather than have ruined the
perfect world? What is a fair price for peace? How many deaths until
it's a pyrical victory for the world?


Ah, the old "benevolent dictator" concept. Sometimes touted as the best form of government - as long as you're on the right side of the benevolence!


Grindewald sought power to hurt. DD sought power to help. Is DD
truly that bad then? Just because he and Grindewald shared the same
dominating plans at first?


There's a definite qualitative difference between Gw and Dd in that regard, and similarly with Voldy. We don't know much about Gw except he was a "bad guy" but I like to think Dd genuinely did want the greater good. It just took him a while to realise that you can't achieve it if it's built it on a foundation of repression. Then it's just another form of evil, regardless of the good intentions behind it.

But it's those good intentions that distinguish Dd from Voldy and Gw. It's not power for its own sake so you can use, abuse, and enjoy it, it's power to be used for a more altruistic end.

DaveD

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