Regardless of whether it’s arguing power corrupts, evil seeks power, or evil is more visible; this notion that evil isn’t pervasive is inconsistent with my lived experience. It’s not even that bad systems force mediocre people into taking several banal actions that culminate in mass suffering – that does happen, but there are a lot of just straight up bad people at every level of society. Even in the best communities I’ve been a part of there is a shockingly large number of selfish, egotistical pricks. Perhaps it’s a product of individualism without enlightened self-interest or an inability to see things from multiple perspectives, but the result is the same: suffering and conflict are pervasive throughout every level of every society.

Call it evil, call it economics or politics, call it whatever you want, but humanity seem to work best when we keep each other at arms length. Help each other, yes, but put a large amount of effort into not interfering with each other.

Whether it’s Health-Insurance, Nazi-Trains, or Shareholder Value; I found the “banality of evil” to be a pretty compelling argument.

I’m homeless, so I notice it more, but it’s insane how often society pressures you into giving away half your salary to a bunch of parasites. Like, people are so concerned if someone is sleeping somewhere they “shouldn’t” be sleeping or if lights are off at night someplace no one bothers to turn off lights. Like, just leave people alone.

I guess a lot of homeless people stink or make messes around them, so I understand where the prejudice comes from, but if people stink advocate for free bathhouses, and if they litter do anti-littering campaigns or something.

I’m not convinced tax evasion even hurts the government. Taxes gives currency value via scarcity, but currency also gains value through contracts made on that currency. Taxes is just a contract where everyone is automatically enrolled. As long as there are enough other contracts operating on the currency and the contracts are still enforced, the currency will retain value. The government also isn’t at risk of going broke since it can literally print it’s currency then increase interest rates to stop inflation.

Still hurts you of-course, but it’s a meaningless sacrifice.

Yeah, I just about flipped my shit with that title.

Just the way we like it.