Foot Soldiers of Evil

Plentiful, identical, expendable thugs of villainy. Who are they? Where do they come from? The foot soldiers of evil have always been the ordinary folk. They are mustered from the anonymous masses.

The nameless many graze like sheep. Heroes and masterminds rise from among them but as wolves in sheep's clothing. Heroes are warriors. Masterminds are ruthless. The timid and aimless fear these predators lurking among them. They grovel before the terrible genius of the mastermind. He gathers them and hurls their throngs at the hero who defies him. The many are slaughtered but there are always many more.

A hero is a man who finds his courage. He dares the impossible. He endures the assailing throngs. He bests the mediocrity that would overwhelm him. Should he perish, his death shall outshine the lives of the many. Victory or defeat, life or death, the hero prevails and the anonymous masses are shamed.

Many, ordinary and useless. Those who make nothing of themselves set the substandard for normalcy. Their lives are meaningless and their deaths insignificant. They are enslaved by evil and slaughtered by good and evil alike. Woe unto the common.

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Bloodlust

The shedding of human blood is significant. When our heroes die in bed we mourn them. Should they be slain, we adore them all the more. Our villains die unpunished unless put to death. The end of human life by an act of will is a spiritual phenomenon beyond the mortality of flesh. It is an exercise of will at the ultimate expense of another.

Blood sacrifice, in all its guises, is the committing of murder with the intent of harnessing the energy released by the victim. The quality and quantity of the sacrificial life determines the quality and quantity of the energy released. Humanity is the only creature endowed with the divine spark (the soul), thus, a human being is the most potent victim. The shedding of innocent blood releases the purest energy.

Human sacrifice is not a ritual humanity has outgrown. The shedding of innocent blood for the sake of empowerment is more prevalent now than ever before. Our priests wet their knives. Our mindless masses cheer, believing the ritual shall bestow blessings upon them. We are told the sacrifices are necessary to preserve the world. Alas, for all our fancy toys and erudite sophistry we have not changed.

War is a clash of wills. The intent to kill is the will to prevail. The act of killing is to thwart or dominate. Lust, fear, anger and hatred are stirred to their utmost by rumors of war. They are realized as violence in the waging of war. Heroes are celebrated for killing and martyrs for dying. The common victims are mourned en masse. The slaughter of the enemy or supposed enemy is cheered. War is humanity pitted against itself. War is the shedding of human blood by human hands. It is killing with intent to kill.

People are thrilled and empowered by the slaying of people. Whether by murder, sacrifice or war, humanity is roused by the shedding of human blood. Right or wrong, good or evil, humanity is a race of killers.

Ultimate Good Versus Evil

In both reality and fiction, the champions of good wage war against the thieving, murderous forces of evil. Masterminds plot and subvert. Heroes find themselves vastly outnumbered by the minions of villainy. The mastermind sacrifices others at a whim. The hero risks himself to protect and avenge the innocent. "Right" and "wrong" may prove subjective. Good and evil, however, are very distinct.

A tempered strength and thoughtful effort are good. A conniving intellect and malevolent scheme are evil. All else is spoils or treasure. Hero or mastermind: all others are lambs gathered for the slaughter.

The war of good against evil is spiritual. In reality, the struggle is muddled by chauvinism and politics. The truth itself, however, is what it is regardless of such things. Freedom does not bend to will. Justice respects no man's person nor heeds any law or custom. The whimsical ways of humanity have no say in the matter of all that matters. The war of good against evil precedes and transcends mortal notions.

A hero is the only relevant force of good. A mastermind is the only will to evil. All others are victims and chattel. Ultimately, the war of good against evil is a duel.

The Value of Human Life

"Fairness" is a nonsense that fails to acknowledge the reality that some are simply better than others. "Equality" is an ideal and nothing more. The vast majority of people are insignificant and their lives inconsequential.

Most of the few who make a name for themselves are soon forgotten. Most of the few who make a difference make little difference. I have more fingers and toes than there were ever relevant men and women. Alas, pride proves a vainglory.

In fiction, there are main characters and supporting characters. There are the anonymous masses: the bystanders and lambs gathered for the slaughter. Reality is no different. Your part to play is your importance. Your significance is your relevance. You must be interesting, even if hated, if you are to be remembered.

Do you shun renown? Are you content with obscurity? May your works prove memorable or else your life was in vain. Shine as light shines or be lost in the shadows of those who do.

For better or worse, for good or evil, a life that makes a difference is more important than one that does not. Significance is significant and insignificance irrelevance. Be hot or cold. Lukewarm is mediocrity. The mediocre are a dead weight that burden the heroic. The lukewarm are the chattel of the malevolent.

Is human life precious? It is the only life that can be. A man or woman may be lost in a crowd... or rise above it or sink below it. Choose and choose wisely. Your value is not a given. You must make something of yourself... or you are a nothing.