Comments on: kill -9 $$ http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill Ben Hyde Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:18:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: djhbrown http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/comment-page-1#comment-4109 djhbrown Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:32:12 +0000 http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/#comment-4109 As one who has been pushed on his (or their) sword many a time and an amateurish student of Japanese and Catholic societies, i can advise that sepuku is exactly what the Shogun desired of his samurai - not so they could save their own faces (that's just a Machiavellian device used by all Princes of Power in all countries), but rather to save the bacon of the Shogun by taking the blame for unsuccessfully trying to implement his bad decision. This concept is known in Washington, Wall Street and Westminster by the term "fallguy". Like Oswald. Or the Bishop of whereveritwas. Or Dr David Kelly. But not the Pope. Not the Shogun. Not Tony. They have two faces, so don't need to save one. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. As one who has been pushed on his (or their) sword many a time and an amateurish student of Japanese and Catholic societies, i can advise that sepuku is exactly what the Shogun desired of his samurai – not so they could save their own faces (that’s just a Machiavellian device used by all Princes of Power in all countries), but rather to save the bacon of the Shogun by taking the blame for unsuccessfully trying to implement his bad decision.

This concept is known in Washington, Wall Street and Westminster by the term “fallguy”. Like Oswald. Or the Bishop of whereveritwas. Or Dr David Kelly. But not the Pope. Not the Shogun. Not Tony. They have two faces, so don’t need to save one.

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.

]]> By: Ben HYde http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/comment-page-1#comment-800 Ben HYde Fri, 02 Jun 2006 00:10:46 +0000 http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/#comment-800 I agree there are facinating subtle differences in those words. But realy, if you don't live in high-loyality cultures (sometimes these are labeled honor cultures) then I think it's very hard to see thru to the real meaning of acts like these. I agree there are facinating subtle differences in those words. But realy, if you don’t live in high-loyality cultures (sometimes these are labeled honor cultures) then I think it’s very hard to see thru to the real meaning of acts like these.

]]> By: Ben HYde http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/comment-page-1#comment-799 Ben HYde Fri, 02 Jun 2006 00:06:10 +0000 http://enthusiasm.cozy.org/archives/2006/05/kill-sigkill/#comment-799 Steve Burbeck commented but I managed to delete the comment while dealing with the 1000+ spam comments that arived today. Here's what he wrote: "...sucide and murder are used when various handshaking patterns fail. These are useful when you can’t control some of the components." This is precisely the situation that motivates the apoptosis idea when dealing with the "out of control" complexity in large multicellular systems. There's an interesting distinction between sepuku and "fall on your sword" Falling on your sword usually has the connotation of sacrificing yourself for a superior or perhaps scapegoating yourself -- a very "Western" notion. Sepuku usually has the connotation of removing yourself due to something like "shame" at your failure to live up to the expectations of your role in society. That is, sepuku benefits a whole social system whereas "falling on your sword" benefits superiors in your particular hierarchy. Apoptosis is like the former, benefiting the whole organism, not like the latter. Steve Burbeck commented but I managed to delete the comment while dealing with the 1000+ spam comments that arived today. Here’s what he wrote:

“…sucide and murder are used when various handshaking patterns fail. These are useful when you can’t control
some of the components.” This is precisely the situation that motivates the apoptosis idea when dealing with the “out of control” complexity in large multicellular systems.

There’s an interesting distinction between sepuku and “fall on your sword” Falling on your sword usually has the connotation of sacrificing yourself for a superior or perhaps scapegoating yourself — a very “Western” notion. Sepuku usually has the connotation of removing yourself due to something like “shame” at your failure to live up to the expectations of your role in society. That is, sepuku benefits a whole social system whereas “falling on your sword” benefits superiors in your particular hierarchy. Apoptosis is like the former, benefiting the whole organism, not like the latter.

]]>