Poll: (TLAB:LOK Discussion) Do the Equalists have a point?

[Uncreation]

I have not watched the show, because i don't like anime, but from what i've read from this thread, i certainly agree with this Amon guy.
A society, or, an entire world, as the case seams to be, that is led by a minority of people born with superpowers that rule over a majority of ordinary people is not one in which i would like to live. The possibility for tyranny is too great. Even if they are not one monolithical group and have different opinions, and they fight among themselves, etc. it still does not make a difference. One of these people has simply by birth, skills that no regular human could hope to obtain through any amount of training. This alone elevates them to a whole different level to a regular human being.
What is a regular person to do against one of these super-humans? Like another poster said before (i think he even said it was a quote from the first episode of the show): "if a bender asks you for your lunch money, you give it to him". If a large enough group of these guys decided they wanted to rule the world, i don't see how regular people could stop them.
And like i said, just because they are not a monolithical group, and are divided and such, that still is not ok. Because they are still the ones that decide everything. If a group of "evil benders" showed up to enslave everyone, and a group of "good benders" defeated them, the fate of the world, including the fates of all the regular people, was still shaped by the group of "good benders", not by any of the average people. The whole lot of the would be just irelevant. If they decided to put up a fight, i'm sure it would only take a handfull of "evil benders" to just slaughter them all. So in the end, as far as i see it, if you are a regular human being in such a world, you are irelevant, and there is no way to gain any sort of relevance unless a bender wants you to. You are inferior, PERIOD. Because, even if you are the most powerfull non-bender in the world, if a bender walks up to you, and tells you to kiss his ass, you have no option but to do it, because he can probably kill you in half a second with powers you cannot begin to understand.
And even if most benders wouldn't do that, the fact alone, that they have the option to, is for me unacceptable. So, as far as i see it, the fate of the world is in the hands of the benders, and as a regular human, all you cand do generally is "bend" over (lulz) and take it.

Additionally, they're ordinary people in every other respect. They have no greater tendency to be "evil" than non-benders.

The ability to "enslave" people (bloodbending) is illegal and incredibly rare. There are very few even capable of the feat, let alone know how to do it and are willing to use it. Doing it under any circumstance warrants swift and harsh punishment under the law.

The comet that give firebenders immense power only comes around every 100 years and only lasts a few hours. To destroy a nation with it takes immense numbers and years of planning and it has only been done once against a nation that had no formal military of any sort.

I know you tried to calm some peoples fears of these "bender" individuals, but your post had the opposite effect on me:
1. That is not at all reassuring. Quite the contrary: the fact that they are like ordinary people when it comes to moral issue is frightening, because it almost ensures that at least some will be tyrannical and with a lust to rule over others, to have their own slave nation/world. If there are enough of them, it is almost certain that at least one will rise, sooner or later who will try to become a dictator, or something similar, and when that type of person has some super-power at this or her dispossal, it only takes one of these maniacs to start something very very ugly.
2. Just because something has been made illegal does not mean it has been made impossible. Laws ar suppose to act as a deterrent, but there is almost no way that a law will stop someone from doing something if they want to. If someone wants to steal a book from a bookstore (random example), that person can just grab it and run away. Sure, he or she can be caught, and punished, but the deed was already done. And when we are talking about something as serious as completely enslaving someone, then any punishment the perpetrator may suffer after that may be completely irelevant. If they destroy some lives beyond any hope of repair before they are brought to justice, then the punishment they suffer will not help fix the harm they have done. Just because it's rare and illegal does not reassure me in any way. The fact itself that it exist is, at least for me, unacceptable.
3. This really, REALLY scares me. You see it as "it only happened once before". I see it as: "it already happened once before". Not only that, but it was directed at a defenceless nation. Do you have any idea how monstrous that sounds to me? I know your point was that it destroyed a nation that could not defend itself, and so a better prepared one might fare better, but i see it as: "not only is it an enormous power, but it was also directed at a bunch of people that couldn't even defend themselves".

If i would live in this world, i might be inclined to start something similar to this resistance movement myself if that Amon guy was not around at the time. If he is, then i would probably follow him. The only thing that would stop me from doing that is having some sort of doubt about the guy. For example: what is he doing this for... could he simply be doing this in order to grab power himself?

I guess however, forming a separate nation composed only of non-benders would also be acceptable in order to avoid bloodshed.

 

[Flames66]

In my opinion they should pass a law that if any bender commits a crime using his bending his bending will be taken.

Simple and fair.

That's roughly analogous to someone committing sexual harrassment and getting castrated for the first offense.

No it isn't.
Can you think by yourself why it isn't the same? I hate explaining obvious things.

No, that is pretty much exactly the same. The entire idea is abhorrent.

EDIT: Here is a slightly better example. The fastest runner in the world (No police could catch him on equal terms) decides to take up crime. After many chases he is finally caught and it is ruled that his legs be broken so he can never run again. That is effectively what we are talking about here.

Another stupid example.
Think before you speak.

Don't bother waiting for an explanation from me. I don't have time to waste with trolls (or ignorant)
You can disagree, but thinking what you both said it's the same is idiotic.

Unless you come up with something better than a cop out "I can't be bothered to explain", I can only assume it is you who is ignorant.

I don't care. I've been on forums for so much time, that I've reached a stage I don't care anymore. And unless you find something new or interesting to say I rest my case on this topic.

As you haven't made a case and the time you have spent of these forums is irrelevant, I am going to conclude you are being contrary for the sake of it.

I am talking about a (fictional) political agenda that aims to go back to the medieval system of cutting off criminals body parts. That idea is morally disgusting.

 

[uneek]

Well, it's nice that you decided to join even though you don't watch the show. I just have to correct a few things, though.

... because i don't like anime

First rule of this show(both of them): don't use that word. I can't tell you why but I've heard it drives some members of the fandom insane. Like brony-level insane. Just warning you.

...that is led by a minority of people born with superpowers

Now see, I wouldn't call them superpowers. Technically they are, but both series have shown bending to be somewhat different from superpowers. A few examples are:

1. They are learned and practiced the same way martial arts are. In fact, each bending technique is modeled after actual martial arts.

2. It takes skill to do well. You're not born being able to summon tsunamis at will.

3. I'ts been around for centuries. Humanity's used to it. If we had people who could control the elements, we'd adjust(At least, I'd like to think so)

...Like another poster said before (i think he even said it was a quote from the first episode of the show): "if a bender asks you for your lunch money, you give it to him".

That's actually not a quote from the first episode. But it is a nice sum up of a situation demonstrated in that episode.

What happened was that we saw a group of people from a gang extorting money from a guy who ran a shop. They seemed to have the intention of burning down the shop if it wasn't for our hero who stopped them.

If a group of "evil benders" showed up to enslave everyone, and a group of "good benders" defeated them, the fate of the world, including the fates of all the regular people, was still shaped by the group of "good benders", not by any of the average people.

This happened in the first show. 2 of the group of heroes who helped save the world happened to be non-benders. These 2 people were well respected among their friends and fought just as well as them.

The only thing that would stop me from doing that is having some sort of doubt about the guy. For example: what is he doing this for... could he simply be doing this in order to grab power himself?

Others have disagreed with me, but I personally think he's kind of sketchy. He hides behind a mask and seems to have some kind of personal prejudice against benders.

I guess however, forming a separate nation composed only of non-benders would also be acceptable in order to avoid bloodshed.

The first show has shown that the little contact that the four nations had with eachother made it harder for peace between them. In fact, the United Republic of Nations, the setting of the second show, was meant to bring everyone together.

Other than those little points, you made a nice argument. Kudos.