UNFORTUNATELY, NOT

Damon Taylor links to this stunning picture and comments: "consciousness trumps combat."

Unfortunately, the picture itself does not reflect that message. According to the caption, the soldier in question is guarding the shrine from religious fundamentalists. Now, it could be that the shrine itself is irrelevant to the attainment of "consciousness," and thus the Thai government is wrong to believe* that force is required to protect that to which the shrine is ultimately dedicated. Perhaps. In a political sense, however, allowing religious bigots to destroy the shrine is not a particularly attractive option. Politics is not itself the highest good, but in some circumstances politics and the use of force help to create the conditions for reflection on what Taylor calls "consciousness."

------------

* I don't know what the Thai government believes, of course.