Re: Lost--Benjamin Linus: Action hero! ("The Shape Of Things To Come"

On Apr 29, 9:11 am, Jim Gysin <jimgy...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Gumby sent the following on 4/29/2008 8:45 AM:
>
>
>
> > Joe wrote:
> >> On Apr 27, 8:56 am, Gumby <gu...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >>> Chris Schumacher wrote:
>
> >>>> "Ken from Chicago" <kwicker1b_nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
> >>>>news:WpKdncPydYMnD47VnZ2dnUVZ_oOnnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> >>>>> P.S. "Oh, so you DO speak English."<Thud> Second best line of the
> >>>>> night.
>
> >>>> The thing about that scene is that it makes us almost sympathesize
with
> >>>> Ben, then we remember this is the same prick that helped ice the
entire
> >>>> Dharma Initiative, and pulled the pin on the nerve gas grenade that
> >>>> killed
> >>>> his father.
>
> >>> I'm beginning to think maybe Dharma was an Evil Group and we're
going
> >>> to find out Ben is the Good Guy after all.
>
> >> Regardless of whether Dharma was itself evil, Ben is evil, no matter
> >> how ggod he thinks he is.  There is not justification for many of the
> >> actions he has taken.
>
> > I think there is.  If he is (or thinks he is) saving the world or
> > perhaps all of existence, his actions are warranted (the needs of the
> > many outweigh the needs of the few or the one).
>
> >> Just as one of many examples, there is the
> >> whole Juliet belongs to him rant and deliberately putting Goodwin in
a
> >> situation where he was likely to be killed.
>
> >> He has been shown to be a narcissistic douche on many occasions.
>
> > Have you ever changed your opinion about someone after learning more
of
> > the facts?  I have.
>
> Joe seems to like thinking in terms of black and white, whereas Lost is
> filled with a lot of gray.  In fact, it's the multiple layers of good
> and bad in the various characters (well, most of them, anyway) that
> keeps me interested in them.  I've always found one-dimensional
> characters of any sort to be extremely boring *unless* they're really,
> really, kick-a$$ evil...
>
> --
> Jim Gysin
> Waukesha, WI

Believe me, I have no problem with Gray.  I love BSG and that is
grayer than lost.  However, I am not saying that Ben is not gray or
does not think he is good.  However, people should be judged by the
choices they make - the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Ben has ordered executions and neither you nor the previous person has
come up with a justification for having Goodwin killed so that he
could be with Juliet.

I should also step back and say that I do not really believe in good
or evil per se.  I believe they are primitive terms that were used by
primitive people.    I also believe I can come up with circumstances
to justify almost any action.  However, there are certain character
traits, including a complete disregard for human life, that if I have
to use those categories, I would characterize as evil.

For example, If you are going to characterize anyone on this planet as
evil, I would characterize Dick Cheney as about as evil as they
come.