"Vox populi, vox Dei" [...] can not be trusted in science
Logic should, but doesn't, prevail in the masses
For any philosopher, scientist, or any individual who ever thought a thought, I'd like to invite you to a discussion. The title is an excerpt of this quote:
To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.
When it was first said that the sun stood still and the world turned round, the common sense of mankind declared the doctrine false; but the old saying of "Vox pouli, vox Dei," as every philosopher knows, cannot be trusted in science.
-Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, 6th ed.
The concept of the majority being right is often times true: in both nature and human societies, there are many examples where this is true. Then you enter the world of international politics, where chaos reigns free and the legal structure which is built upon the labors of diplomats and lawyers is virtually powerless (take a look at the ICJ). It takes the weight of the most powerful nations to enforce these established concepts of "right" vs. "wrong," and the entire enforcement of sanctions and other "international punishment" is completely their prerogative. More often than not, the ones to be 'punished' just get a stern talking to. Nothing changes. Life continues.
My first topic on these forums drew many responses and opened my eyes to a variety of different views. It turns out that my alliance is viewed as the 'big bad wolf' whose crimes of previous regimes have compounded over a long period of time and festered discontent, jealousy, among many other negative emotions.
The majority of the CN World (henceforth referred to as Planet Bob or PB) has backed up this viewpoint in the latest war against the NPO: with many of its allies deserting her and remaining allies merely fighting token wars prior to pulling out, it seems clear that the world has passed judgment, sentencing, and punishment.
And statistically, we were punished. Hard. Like whoa. etc. etc. So much so, that the remaining power players within the winning faction have already begun to position themselves for the strongest position in Planet Bob.
The masses of players have decided the time has come for NPO, the symbol of the over-dominant oppressors, the puppeteer of the destruction of various alliances, etc. What many who fight have failed to realize is just that: their fight against the NPO is not because the people or government have personally wronged them. Instead it is symbolic revenge each alliance is seeking to comfort them regarding the wrongs of the past. Unfortunately, the players that make up this symbol, who may or may not be to blame, are the ones who pay.