ST:
A would-be robber was shot and critically wounded Sunday morning when he tried to snatch a money bag from an armored-car security guard outside a South Seattle McDonald’s restaurant, police said.
The 40-year-old man was shot three times, once in the arm and twice in the chest, after he confronted the Garda armored-car worker at about 10:20 a.m., Seattle police spokeswoman Reneé Witt said.
All of this over money, and not very much of this magic stuff that makes the mind spin, this false universality (the universal equivalent), this evil that is to the human world of matter and energy what Satan is to the world of Christian imaginings—the evil that is indefatigable. For those who want to be saved, the mode that needs to be adopted is that of the aristocrats or the socialists. Both have in common a very low opinion of money—the core of middle-class values, the chain with its flower.
It’s hardly original to point out the evil in money; its been there for so long. Indeed, it’s in Aristotle’s Politics and Sophocles’s Antigone (King Creon is obsessed with the idea that money has corrupted his state). But what is staggering is that even in our day (and such a late day it is) money still has this influence, this magical power over our lives. One would expect money to simply become extinct, like bartering, and be replaced by a completely new social form that dissolves (from without) the limits of exchange value. Communism was that dream, but it failed to happen. The break with money must not come from within money—and that was precisely the problem with communism: it was just not new enough.
It’s not the specific instance or the value of this particular bag that warranted such a violent response, but the importance of the message implied therein. “If you fuck with our money, we will respond with (perhaps deadly) force.” This type of message arguably reduces the number of people who may willing to commit such crimes in the future, and acts as a clear deterrent for those unable to resist the ‘evil’ draw of money.
In a happy lolly pop land without money, we would still have to face the grim spectre of the hamburglar. But we must not give up the dream.
Charles, you should move back to Zimbabwe, I hear the socialists there have done a great job eradicating the value of their money.
This was like one of Keith Olberman’s poetry rants, only in text form.
Martin Q. Blank: What about you? Joined the force, huh?
Terry Rostand: Oh no, I’m not a peace officer. Yeah, this badge isn’t a meaninful symbol. We don’t enforce the law, we just execute company policy for homeowners.
Martin Q. Blank: Oh, right… you mind talking a little shop?
Terry Rostand: Sure.
Martin Q. Blank: When are you authorized to use deadly force?
Terry Rostand: Oh well, you know, taxes provide your basic services, you know, police and whatnot, but our customers, they need a little bit more than that, so we catch you on the property, we do what we have to do.
Martin Q. Blank: So, if I just look suspicious on your customers’ property – under those, you know, “heightened circumstances” – you have the authority to shoot me?
Terry Rostand: Correct.
Martin Q. Blank: Wow, all right. How’d you get the gig?
Terry Rostand: Oh, well, they were hiring. And it was only a two-week course.
I think the lesson from this is not to rob someone clearly armed and ready to shoot you.
I’m pretty sure theft existed before money, Charles.
wait, chuckles, you’ve forgotten the most important part of every one of your posts: were either of these men black?
I am getting really tired of Charles’ empty pontificating.
Ok we all know we all know that an armed armored car guards job is to use firearms to prevent the theft. When you try to rob one you get shot, if you dont want to be shot don’t try to rob an armed guard, end of story. All in all it’s a fine example of Darwinism in action.
Oh and Charles and any one else interested, I would love to take all the EVIL EVIL money off your hands. I mean its probably just sitting in an EVIL bank Being EVIL and maybe even being invested for EVIL purposes. But, you know, I’m not afraid, I think I can totally deal with any unwanted EVIL money, you know as like a favor between buds.
It wasn’t about the money. The security guard who shot the thief had the power to stop the man immediately and forcefully. He had the power. Never mind pursuit of the thief, as safest for all concerned, the guard was aggressive and powerful. And, maybe heartless……