The politics of good and evil(Me and Pentagon)

[StartingOver]

"Sometimes you stand by people even when you know they might be wrong, or did you never have friends growing up Alistair?" Tor said eyeing him. "It doesn't matter if I don't agree with everything he does, he's my dad and I won't willingly lead him to the likes of you. " her eyes narrowed. "Don't think I'm a stupid girl I know how you gain friends." Her eyes turned cold as she looked away. " There was a guy once who said similar things, then he killed six million people."

 

[Pentagon]

Alistair mentally corrected himself: she was not as rational as she was made out to be. This may be a fruitless venture. "Your answers disappoint me. I have had many friends in my life time, no matter what is said of me, but I understand the value of accurate beliefs. Understanding our world as well as one possibly can is the only way to maximize the chances of achieving one's goals and effecting any manner of change. Your desire to ignore data in favor of siding with a particular faction is not only intellectually dishonest, but diametrically opposed to the principles of rationality that are ever as we speak feeding billions, providing power and heat to whole nations, and making our world the best it can possibly be. Do you think that believing wrong things can maximize your chances of achieving your goals?"


Alistair thought for a second about how to proceed. "In the field of formal logic, the phrase argumentum ad hominem is the label given to one of the most widely-used logical fallacies ever. The fallacy consists of attacking the person making the argument without addressing the argument, and taking the victory against the arguer's character as a triumph over the argument itself. In your refusal to 'lead your father to me', you implicitly imply that my position is false simply because it is made by me. However, in regards to the six million, you must realize that the premise 'parts of my political methodology are shared by a raving lunatic' has no bearing on the validity of my position intrinsically."

 

[StartingOver]

Tor laughed.


"A faction.... Jesus do you hear yourself?" She shook her head and looked back. "He's my father not a side. I love him and i'llstand by him in the end." She slid off the table and walked towards the wall away from him.


"Be logical he says, yes because turning in my father to you is logical. Maybe if you could promise his and my minds won't be altered in anyway then we could talk." She turned.


"Can I ask you a question Alistiar?"

 

[Pentagon]

"I can promise you that neither your nor your father's minds will be altered in any way, no matter what happens here. You seem to think I am ruling entirely through my gift, but I assure you, I hate using it more that you know. Sometimes it is necessary, but to date I have only used it on 12 members of parliament. But go ahead, ask your question."

 

[StartingOver]

"We both know about your power, why this act?" She walked towards him being in the middle of the room now. "You could easily get the same result hell a better result if you used it. Even if I agree with you now who's to say I won't snap and take you down years later, just use that power and you win, why this game of trying to convince me?" Tor eyes him.


"Is this some bigger game to break me down?"

 

[Pentagon]

Alistair smiled. "There is no act. I truly do hate using my power on people, and have only done so when I deem it absolutely necessary to fulfill my dreams for our nation and the world. I do not see it as necessary to use my power on you or you father: even if you decide to oppose everything I have worked tirelessly to build, you can do very little to harm the nation as it stands now. The reason you are sitting here right now, with me, is that I am a rationalist at heart. There is nothing I value more in myself than correctness of thought and accuracy of belief. You being here not only gives me a chance to try and convince you that my actions are only of benefit to the world, but also gives me another chance to improve my model of reality, and change my actions accordingly. I am not claiming them easy to be changed, I have not been lazy in my developing of them, but if you were to produce new evidence and arguments that I have not yet thought of, I promise you wholeheartedly that I will use my new understanding to change my beliefs and actions however they dictate"

 

[StartingOver]

"Theirs a flaw in that thinking Alistair. You wouldn't go through all this trouble if you wanted to chat. You had me drugged and kidnapped for christsakes. I'm valuable to you, you have something else building I know it." She pointed to her suit. "If you wanted dad through me you could have just kept me drugged till he came,but no that's not it." Tor gave a grin. "My fathers a threat to you, maybe not now but he's gaining steam and soon he could beat you in a election."

 

[Pentagon]

"You being brought here is primarily for our conversation. Any other reasons for your being here are my own. As for your father being a threat to the state, if things indeed go as you say they will be addressed later. Hopefully, after today he will align to me after we come to an understanding, but if not I will make plans later, when more appropriate data is available."

 

[StartingOver]

"So you do have your own reasons, I'm sure they will come out soon enough." Tor thought for a moment a gave a sly smile. "If you wanted a date all you had to do was ask." her smile faded though as quick as it came "As for dealing with my father I won't let you." Her voice getting low. "I'll show you a threat."

 

[Pentagon]

"I want you to know that I was hoping for a rational discussion. The further we stray from that, the less inclined I am to be charitable towards you. But go ahead, let me hear your threat, if you are set on making it."

 

[StartingOver]

"Stay away from my father and there will be no need." Tor countered. "Do you think it's wise to piss off a superhero?" She asked raising a eyebrow.


A knock on the door broke the tension.


Katie walked in.... "Sir can we speak outside... It's rather urgent."

 

[Pentagon]

Alistair spoke as he stood. "I will bear that in mind. Ms. Graves, if you'll excuse me for a second.". He stood, brushed himself off, and stepped outside, motioning to Katie to be brief. Alistair was generally nervous of his guest escaping, but with the lack of exits, the locked door and the removed powers, he thought the threat was minimal

 

[StartingOver]

"Sir you have a meeting to attented to. I'm sure you remember." She gave a soft smile. Katie opened up her phone. "Yup one at 10:40 am about the new power plant." She nodded.

 

[Pentagon]

Alistair remembered of course. A good memory was one of the most important tools in gaining power, especially when it came to dealing with other people. Games could be won if one remembered a seemingly unimportant detail, mentioned in passing years hence. That is not to say Alistair remembered everything: he prayed to all the gods he did not believe in that he would be given an eidetic memory, but it was not to be.


"Cooper is dealing with it, it does not require my immediate attention. I asked her to inform you that she would be taking care of it, I apologize for the confusion. It will not happen again."


He did not dismiss Katie, she new well enough that the conversation was over. He turned and entered the room again, standing instead of taking his seat on the uncomfortable chair.


"Ms.Graves, do you want to continue in my office? I find the mind is stimulated more by upholstery and a choice cigar."

 

[StartingOver]

"Yeah, you have a trash can or should I leave this here?" She pointed to the bag. It was a odd moment of politeness between the two. "I don't smoke though so I will decline that."

 

[Pentagon]

"There are plenty of trash cans on the way to my office. Take it with you, no-one wants ants." One hand never far from his pistol, he motioned for Tor to follow him. He led her to the main elevator bank, through the concrete halls from their previous room and called an elevator. Once arrived, he motioned for her to step in. Pushing the topmost button, the elevator lurched up and eventually stopped at the top floor. There was no view from the elevator - they were in the very center of the Grad, after all.


The top floor was as different from the basement as night from day. It was floored with hard wood, with maroon paneled walls and smooth orange light from decorative fixtures in the short walk from the elevator to Alistair's office. Office may have been an understatement however. Alistair could not deny that he enjoyed the rich carpet, soft sofas and large, wooden desk, but he did not think that his rationalization that it was necessary to project a sense of power and wealth was completely without merit. He motioned for his guest to sit on one of the two sofa chairs facing a table, and went to fix himself a drink and cigar.


"So. Lets resume our conversation with the question 'what would need to change about my policy to have you and your father align with them?'"

 

[StartingOver]

Tor tossed the bag rolling her eyes at his comment. She sat down on the chair.


"What does a girl has to do to be kidnapped and left up here Alistiar?" She joked she looked to him.


"I don't trust you obviously. You have to be aware of how fishy a leader is with the power to control minds. You can say you don't use it much but look a it from another's view." She faced him.


"Why would he bother sticking to his polices, he can make us all do whatever he wants anyway."

 

[Pentagon]

"I stick to my policies because they are my policies. I will not act in a way that does not benefit my goals, and will not enact policies that go against them. I use my power on the fewest number of people I possibly can, so I cannot escape the ramifications of my actions."

 

[StartingOver]

"But like...that doesn't fly because of you power, don't you see that." Tor said softly.


"I can't trust you because you have god like power almost, you need someone to keep you in check, like me." Tor said looking at him.


"It's the deal when you are special, it isn't fair but you get held to a higher standard. It's something my father taught me long ago."

 

[Pentagon]

"Why do you think that you are qualified to 'keep me in check'? I will admit that my power is a dangerous one, but I fully recognize it as such, and apart from my desire to not use it when not absolutely necessary, by its use at all I have inadvertently created a system in which its being able to be audited would tear our society apart. In addition, what standard am I judged by? Is it the result of my actions, or are you seriously going to sit here and lecture me on deontology? I am already held to a standard, the highest standard, that standard being those I serve with my policies. I have made numerous mistakes in my political career, and those mistakes have been rectified, not by dominance over the people through my gift but by real policy changes made possible by my particular position."

 

[StartingOver]

"Why am I qualified?" Tor gave a snort. "Because I'm special like you, the moment you go crazy and decided to rule the world, i'm the only hope the world has." Tor eyed him.


"Don't tell me that hasn't come to play in the back of your mind Alistair!" Tor sighed thinking about what to say back to him. She walked over and looked out the window."I'ts not that I haven't seen the good you've done, it's the potential for evil that makes me stand on the other side from you."

 

[Pentagon]

"Ms. Graves, I have a few problems with that statement. The first is, your abilities are excellent, I'm sure, but they are probably less effective at murdering me than a person with a gun. And, if you've noticed, I have made a point of encouraging the population to arm themselves. As for ruling the world, I have little interest in doing such things. I expect to increase my influence over world policy, but leading by example is much more reliable and much less dangerous than extending my control to other nations. I am only one man, after all. As Odra becomes more and more advanced and wealthy, the free market will do its work much better than I ever could in spreading the technologies and benefits around the world."

 

[StartingOver]

"Yes arm the people who you could easily control, thats not a good point, to be fair you could easily control me so I guess it's moot." Tor turned to him. "I have a certain set of ideals Alistair, I just don't want to pledge my loyalty to you, because then I feel you have nothing stopping you from absolute power, and you may think you won't abuse that power, but do you know you wont?" Tor raised a eyebrow.


"You may at the end of the day brainwash me and I'll serve you like a good girl, but I won't do it willingly!"

 

[Pentagon]

"So we reach an impasse. I am unwilling to give up the power I have gained because I predict with a fair measure of certainty that the tens of millions of people I serve would suffer as a result, and you will never work with someone who has sufficient power. I ask you to critique my policy, and you go against point one. You are a terribly selfish person, Ms. Graves, and it is unbecoming."

 

[StartingOver]

"So now you are insulting me?" Tor gave a questioning look at Alistair. "I never said I intended to take you down, I said I won't help." Tor looked over."But if we are throwing insults you self righteous prick..." Tor stopped, she felt alittle funny, you could see it in her eyes and face. She blinked a few times shaking her head.


"What did you do... to me?" she stumbled and grabbed the couch. It in fact wasn't Alistair's fault per say, he couldn't have know how shutting of her powers would affect her. She got angry and her powers flared even though he had turned them off, it was a power struggle in her head now and Tor was fading away, Alistair's conditioning winning.