Aug 2, 2008 5:00:42 PM cite

Our globalized institutions act like Phalaris, choosing some to suffer while wining and dining the rest of us. What should we do about it? ============================================================== Phalaris, the tyrant ruler of Acragas in Sicily from 570-554 B.C., ordered Perillus of Athens to create the "perfect art of cruelty." Perillus returned with a hollow, life-size iron sculpture of a bull with a door on it. The door could be locked from the outside. The bull's mouth was open. That was the only other opening to the outside. Phalaris would have a human being put into the bull through the door, and the door would be locked. Any sounds the human being made in there would come out of the mouth of the bull. Phalaris would have guests in for a nice party, with plenty of food and wine and beautiful women and pretty boys--and Phalaris would have a servant light kindling. The kindling was under dry firewood--which was under the bull. ================================================================= To thank the sculptor Perillus, Phalaris demonstrated his own perfect art - by making Perillus his creation's first resident. Others are said to have engaged in this extreme sport, including Roman emperors Adrian and Heliogabalus. Today's powerful leaders, the institutions they lead, and some followers play at remarkably similar sports involving poverty, torture, slavery, starvation, and especially war, while we are allowed to dine at their party. Most guests are not tortured, but also not fed or allowed to contribute. Some dine opulently. Many struggle to pay bills and mistakenly think they are not at a Phalaris party, mistakenly think they have nothing to do with the screams of the few treated the worst. We ARE at such a party. We do have responsibilities to speak up, to change how decisions are made about who goes into the bull, who lights the fire, and who "just listens". Is it really okay to go on eating and drinking? Is it really okay to do our job, when our job is lighting a fire?

by zotlynn