The Power of Four by Joseph M. Marshall

The Power of Four by Joseph M. Marshall

Author:Joseph M. Marshall [Joseph M. Marshall]
Language: eng
Format: epub


THE THIRD PRINCIPLE: KNOW YOUR ENEMIES

Whether we like it or not, the fact of the matter is that we live in a world where we face constant threats individually and as a collective. Adversity has always been part of our existence. No matter how weak or strong we are, the world has always been a dangerous place. Difficulty, discomfort, adversity, and danger are burdens—to the extent that anything that threatens to change our well-being, our happiness, or our status quo for the worse is regarded as “enemy.”

On the national level, anything or anyone that threatens our security is the enemy. Here in this country we are told regularly that the world is against us and that we should always be vigilant and afraid. We even have a color code in a graduated scale to determine the appropriate fear level for the day, from concern all the way to panic! Then there may be anxiety and fear if we don’t know the color code for the day: We might spend a day not being afraid enough, or too afraid. If that isn’t enough to worry about, then we have consider that not being afraid enough—or not being afraid at all or being unaware of the color codes of fear—might be regarded as unpatriotic, which could bring its own consequences. And then, when we realize that the entire process is designed to control us, we become afraid that someone will realize that we have figured out the program. Clearly, our civilization has evolved to the point that worry and fear are everyday aspects of our lives. The example itself is no less realistic for its absurdity, and reflects the very palpable “us against them” stance to which we have become conditioned.

No one in his or her right mind wants an enemy. But enemies and adversarial relationships are a fact of life for every kind of living thing, and have been for longer than we care to know. Before Europeans happened onto North America, many of the indigenous peoples chose a philosophical view of enemies that was based on practical reality. Many would say that the worth of a nation was measured by the power of its enemies. This may be the basis for the saying that whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. While people probably would have preferred not to have enemies, they nonetheless accepted that they were part of real life. That reality brought about a choice: People either stood up to their enemies or succumbed. To stand up to them consistently, a nation or tribe had to be strong. Therefore, an enemy taught you the necessity for strength and watchfulness.

The Lakota of old knew their enemies: To the northwest were the Crow people in present-day Montana, east of the mountains and along the Yellowstone River. North along the Missouri River, and to the south and west of it, were the Arikara, eventual allies with the Mandan and Hidatsa, in present-day south-central North Dakota. The Omaha were southeast of Lakota territory, along the banks of the Missouri in present-day Nebraska.



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