At 02:46 AM 10/28/98 -0500, David Hart Siegel wrote:

You confuse things here:
Might does NOT make right.
Might, unfortunately, makes VICTORY.

This was, in fact, my point-- that might does not make right, and
that the converse is also true, that right does not make might.
Of course, one could argue that definitions of right and wrong are
made by the victor (just take a look at the word history: his story)
but only if one believes right to be a subjective term.

This sad state of affairs prevails in the real world, and in the more
realistic (and some of the less realistic) fictional worlds.
Frequently, the Right are also the Mighty, but this is set from the
beginning so that Right will triumph in works of fiction(Kenshin is both
Right and Mighty. These really don't have any relation. He was, at one

This is the essence of my challenge. Can you write a fic where right
and might have no relation? 

point, Mighty and Wrong, but he was still Victorious.) In the real world,
the Right is frequently the Mighty through Luck or (IMHO)sometimes through
divine intervention.
The Triumph of The UnMighty Right over the Mighty Wrong is frequently
referred to as "David and Goliath", but even then, the Right gain Might

>from an outside source or were somehow truly mighty from the

beginning, (The Help of God, in the example of the source
of the idiom, or, for instance, Protoculture in Macross (The Zentraedi are
Mighty, but the Right have "Song" and "Lyrics", which are Mightier, even
if the Right themselves are weaker.))

This also was mentioned, that the good guys, because they are right,
end up with more power and winning.

Of course, often in fiction, Right makes Might, a good example of which is
SM. She is able to eradicate her enemies in very impressive style through
the power (Might) of love and justice (Right), or, of course, see the
above references to divine intervention and assistance (The Right gain
Might from their Rightness).

The only time I've seen anything ACTUALLY espousing "Might Makes Right"
(The strong are the rightful infallible rulers and victors) is when it is
actively cynical (Nietzche, who I STRONGLY disagree with), or
"entertainment" based purely around depictions of battle (Hokuto No Ken
espouse Might Makes Right completely).

Many espouse 'might makes right,' it is just that they are not
as blatant about it. They cloak it by having the good guys become
stronger than the bad guys, and eventually win out in the end. 
Is it might-makes-right or is it right-makes-might? Much like the
chicken-or-the-egg question, which came first?

The thing about Rurouni Kenshin is that it at least tries to tackle
the issue. I'm no longer as sure that Kenshin is might-makes-right
anymore. Yes, he defeats his opponents, but it is his words which
cause (some of) them to convert. His battles, notably against
Sanosuke Sagara and Soujiro Seta could be seen as a prelude to
talking, necessary to get them to listen to what he has to say, and/or
perhaps to help free them to other possibilities.

Matthew "Maybeso" Lewis is:
InDefinitelyso on IRC
See him on FFIRC [bachman.newberry.edu fanfic]
Sojiro_Seta on Kawaiimuck
	maybeso@ican.net
Different to be dare
Playing the fool in a foolish world
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There may be a time and a place for all things, but there's
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