Can a Darkworker be nice?

[Cado]

Originally Posted by elucidate

If I can elaborate on this, it would be from them having had no one care about them rowing up or during hard times, they would develop the attitude of "well no one gave a damn about me so why should I care about them now", and those people probably have never heard of the darkworker label, they are just reacting normally to harsh circumstances, as you said. It actually makes sense, from their point of view, to think this way. Why would you care about anyone else when no one has ever cared about you? Some people do, and can, but not the majority of people like this.

There's also the flipside-either coming from privilege or clawing your way up and then turning up your nose to everyone who's not in the same income bracket as you. It's easy to think of people as not being people when you've never been around them or you manage to use tools which are available to them to accomplish what they haven't. Again, it's not the inevitable result, but it is a possibility if a person is inclined to think that way or they don't give themselves adequate markers to anchor themselves as they change.

Like now in the world at large, we're dealing with a large number of darkworkers who think like this and don't care if the **** things up for the rest of us. They're making major power grabs and in the process they're removing rungs in the ladder which other people could use to climb to that height.

The thing is, that ladder isn't there by accident. Darkworkers actually put it there. The wise understand that there is no way to dampen consciousness to such an extent that people will not awaken, and the ones who wake up need a path otherwise they will tear down the existing structures to get where they need to go. That's the nature of our inherent divinity; put God in a cage and it will unmake the cage. That process, however, can cause a lot of damage if the paradigm is either too slow or too quick to change, and of course those on top aren't keen on letting go. In fact they've probably gone fusion judging by their lack of restraint.

Just about any CEO or banker or politician in America is an example of darkworkers gone awry and as a low-level darkworker I encourage everyone to extend their middle finger as hard as they can in their general direction. That this is such an individualistic path means I can look at their use of power and utterly despise what they've done while still falling into the same category. That's how complex this is when you dig under the surface.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by Cado

I wouldn't say you're working from an inaccurate definition but rather it's incomplete. That is something which can result from walking this path. It's not the inevitable evolution of everyone who chooses it, and it's likely that someone on that road has not gotten there by reading discussions like we're having here. Most likely they were shaped by rough circumstances which required them to toughen up and instead of rising above they mastered and manipulate the system. If they feel no urging from their core to shift away from that then they'll go deeper and deeper until they either go into fusion or follow it to its logical end-crime boss, politician, etc.

Just like not every lightworker is Jesus, not every darkworker is a serial killer. In fact many walk this road because they're disgusted by the attitude you described and believe they can more ably wield the power others have held over them. They tend more toward idealism than the usual fare but they still have strong ambition, they still destroy the obstacles in their way, they just focus that power in a way that aligns with their True Will.

The defining aspect of the darkworker is first and foremost the inward pull. You're not dealing with a darkworker if they're not drawing energy into themselves from the environment. Second, they use everything at their disposal to advance themselves both physically and spiritually. Note that "using everything" is not the same thing as "****ing people over." It all depends on their code of honor, and every darkworker has a code of honor. You don't get very far without restraint. You are supposed to be in control. A hedonist is not in control. Someone who's so reckless they destroy without thought is not in control.

The thing to understand is that darkworkers are human. The point is to fully embody one's humanity, not chop off the pieces which are inconvenient. Every single person wants what will make them happy. Would you take joy in being an absolute dick? As I'd assume the answer is no, that's not what you'd do as a darkworker.

As a true darkworker though, you are supposed to instill fear in every aspect of my being. I dare not speak up against you, lest I be killed on the spot. Want the shirt off my back? Take it because if I refuse you'll give me such a terrible beating I'll never forget it. Your energy is supposed to command me to obey your whims, to blindly serve you and only you. That is what I view dark energy as, or at least the embodiment of it.

If darkworkers ruled the world, anything less than this supreme standard would just end up serving a more polarized darkworker.

[st33med]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

As a true darkworker though, you are supposed to instill fear in every aspect of my being. I dare not speak up against you, lest I be killed on the spot. Want the shirt off my back? Take it because if I refuse you'll give me such a terrible beating I'll never forget it. Your energy is supposed to command me to obey your whims, to blindly serve you and only you. That is what I view dark energy as, or at least the embodiment of it.

If darkworkers ruled the world, anything less than this supreme standard would just end up serving a more polarized darkworker.

I'm pretty sure your definition of darkworker is different from his. I don't agree with the polarity aspect of light/darkworker, but I believe Cado doesn't intend to strike fear into anyone's heart. It's quite pointless and serves no rewards unless you are clinically insane or have some insecurity about yourself that you try to project onto others.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by st33med

I'm pretty sure your definition of darkworker is different from his. I don't agree with the polarity aspect of light/darkworker, but I believe Cado doesn't intend to strike fear into anyone's heart. It's quite pointless and serves no rewards unless you are clinically insane or have some insecurity about yourself that you try to project onto others.

But if darkworker philosophy was actually applied to the world, one person would ultimately have the most inward pull, therefore making everyone his servant. It would just be one servant after another in a chain that ultimately serves one ridiculously dark darkworker.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

As a true darkworker though, you are supposed to instill fear in every aspect of my being. I dare not speak up against you, lest I be killed on the spot. Want the shirt off my back? Take it because if I refuse you'll give me such a terrible beating I'll never forget it. Your energy is supposed to command me to obey your whims, to blindly serve you and only you. That is what I view dark energy as, or at least the embodiment of it.

If darkworkers ruled the world, anything less than this supreme standard would just end up serving a more polarized darkworker.

You're basically saying that your definition holds weight over the personal experience of those who have polarized as well as the history, philosophy, and theory behind it. That may be how a lot of people, particularly lightworker oriented bloggers, have presented it but it's not the truth-at least not the whole of it.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

But if darkworker philosophy was actually applied to the world, one person would ultimately have the most inward pull, therefore making everyone his servant. It would just be one servant after another in a chain that ultimately serves one ridiculously dark darkworker.

So every darkworker is after the same exact end, has the same life purpose, same talents and desires...?

That's cartoonish supervillainy, it's not darkworking. Multiple darkworkers can exist because there are so many roles for us to play, and the way things are balanced it's impossible for any one person to literally rule everything.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by st33med

I'm pretty sure your definition of darkworker is different from his. I don't agree with the polarity aspect of light/darkworker, but I believe Cado doesn't intend to strike fear into anyone's heart. It's quite pointless and serves no rewards unless you are clinically insane or have some insecurity about yourself that you try to project onto others.

Exactly. I reject the whole love/fear paradigm right out of the gate. As I said in one of the threads I linked, that's a lightworker perception of a path they don't understand.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Cado

There's also the flipside-either coming from privilege or clawing your way up and then turning up your nose to everyone who's not in the same income bracket as you. It's easy to think of people as not being people when you've never been around them or you manage to use tools which are available to them to accomplish what they haven't. Again, it's not the inevitable result, but it is a possibility if a person is inclined to think that way or they don't give themselves adequate markers to anchor themselves as they change.

I think this is the main reason politicians lose touch with reality. They aren't around regular people regularly. They surround themselves with other politicians and live in their little bubble. Same as CEO's, though it's been found that many in the corporate world and the political arenas are actually psychopaths, so it's kind of in their nature to operate this way.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by Cado

So every darkworker is after the same exact end, has the same life purpose, same talents and desires...?

That's cartoonish supervillainy, it's not darkworking. Multiple darkworkers can exist because there are so many roles for us to play, and the way things are balanced it's impossible for any one person to literally rule everything.

But you live in my world, Cado. Your desires are of no importance, and you ultimately serve no other purpose than to serve me. After all, that is the highest purpose you could possibly serve. Come to think of it, your opposition to my opinion is quite concerning. I shall have you dealt with by sun rise.

Of course I don't really mean that, but a truly polarized darkworker would.

Everything else is just sugar coating what darkworking really is.

And by the way, there are still plenty of pockets in this world where a person like this can come into power, not over the entire world but over quite a fairly large region. Look at the heads of cartels or a lot of other criminal organizations.

[supertom]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

But you live in my world, Cado. Your desires are of no importance, and you ultimately serve no other purpose than to serve me. After all, that is the highest purpose you could possibly serve. After all, come to think of it, your opposition to my opinion is quite concerning. I shall have you dealt with by sun rise.

Of course I don't really mean that, but a truly polarized darkworker would.

Everything else is just sugar coating what darkworking really is.

This sounds more like solipsism.

Darkworking can be applied to atheism or subjective reality, a darkworkers beliefs about reality will colour and type their "behavior"

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by supertom

This sounds more like solipsism.

Darkworking can be applied to atheism or subjective reality, a darkworkers beliefs about reality will colour and type their "behavior"

I'm just tired of the word darkworker getting thrown around so easily, and then when people name examples that totally embody it, some of the people who call themselves darkworkers and subscribe to the philosophy shy away.

It reminds me of a kid who went to my middle school who insisted he was an initiated member of the Crips. For those who don't know, that's a street gang with a pretty notorious reputation. That kid was not a freakin member of the Crips, but a lot of people in school believed him and he got a lot of the so-called "positives" that are associated with gang membership out of it.

And you can not convince me that by using the word darkworker you are not giving off a certain impression, one that is similar to saying you are a part of a gang.

To me, it really is like the same thing. It's like telling me you're a part of some big cartel, but you don't shoot people. Or vegetarians who "just eat chicken". It's like are you vegetarian or are you not?

And I've read quite a bit about darkworking, the philosophy, and opinions. The ones who sugarcoat it secretly want to be evil, they'd just be really embarassed if a lot of people knew about it. At least in my opinion.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

I'm just tired of the word darkworker getting thrown around so easily, and then when people name examples that totally embody it, some of the people who call themselves darkworkers and subscribe to the philosophy shy away.

It reminds me of a kid who went to my middle school who insisted he was an initiated member of the Crips. For those who don't know, that's a street gang with a pretty notorious reputation. That kid was not a freakin member of the Crips, but a lot of people in school believed him and he got a lot of the so-called "positives" that are associated with gang membership out of it.

And you can not convince me that by using the word darkworker you are not giving off a certain impression, one that is similar to saying you are a part of a gang.

To me, it really is like the same thing. It's like telling me you're a part of some big cartel, but you don't shoot people. Or vegetarians who "just eat chicken". It's like are you vegetarian or are you not?

And I've read quite a bit about darkworking, the philosophy, and opinions. The ones who sugarcoat it secretly want to be evil, they'd just be really embarassed if a lot of people knew about it. At least in my opinion.

I kind of agree with you here. It does seem like an image people take on to give off a certain impression that invokes feelings in people, whether it is fear or whatever. It's like people who tell everyone about their bdsm lifestyle to shock them and appear interesting.

I've never understood why there is a need to label yourself this in the first place, though the whole identity thing has been explained to me before.

I secretly want to be evil, 'cos it sounds so fun. I'm sick of being good.

YouTube - ‪Eartha Kitt - I Want To Be Evil (Live Kaskad 1962)‬‏

[supertom]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

I'm just tired of the word darkworker getting thrown around so easily, and then when people name examples that totally embody it, some of the people who call themselves darkworkers and subscribe to the philosophy shy away.

I think its best just to look at their results, if they haven't got any results than you know what they are. People like that are free to label themselves whatever they want...let reality take care of them. No need to lose your piece of mind.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I kind of agree with you here. It does seem like an image people take on to give off a certain impression that invokes feelings in people, whether it is fear or whatever. It's like people who tell everyone about their bdsm lifestyle to shock them and appear interesting.

I've never understood why there is a need to label yourself this in the first place, though the whole identity thing has been explained to me before.

I secretly want to be evil, 'cos it sounds so fun. I'm sick of being good.

YouTube - ‪Eartha Kitt - I Want To Be Evil (Live Kaskad 1962)‬‏

lol, well at least you are owning it Elucidate!

For those who aren't familiar with darkworking, here is an excerpt from a blog post Steve wrote about it...

To a true darkworker, the life of another human being is as inconsequential as the life of a food animal. The energy of other people is nothing more than a meal or a snack. If the darkworker drains or harms other people on the path to his goals, it’s considered no big deal. The darkworker has to eat, right? Other people are valued only in terms of their ability to bring the darkworker pleasure.

Here is a link to the actual blog post itself...

Are Darkworkers Evil?

And I've read other things about darkworking, and most of them have the same jest.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

lol, well at least you are owning it Elucidate!

For those who aren't familiar with darkworking, here is an excerpt from a blog post Steve wrote about it...

To a true darkworker, the life of another human being is as inconsequential as the life of a food animal. The energy of other people is nothing more than a meal or a snack. If the darkworker drains or harms other people on the path to his goals, it’s considered no big deal. The darkworker has to eat, right? Other people are valued only in terms of their ability to bring the darkworker pleasure.

Here is a link to the actual blog post itself...

Are Darkworkers Evil?

And I've read other things about darkworking, and most of them have the same jest.

That doesn't mean Steve is right though, just because he has written a blog about it.

His definition of darkworker sounds suspiciously like that of a psychopath/sociopath, so why not just call them that?

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

That doesn't mean Steve is right though, just because he has written a blog about it.

His definition of darkworker sounds suspiciously like that of a psychopath/sociopath, so why not just call them that?

Well Steve definitely helped build the popularity of the term darkworker. And I think it fits a certain life path very accurately. Sociopath/psychopath is like a Jeffrey Dahmer in my opinion, someone who just kills for the sake of killing. A darkworker is more organized and their darkworking is a means to an end, a way to get what they want out of life.

A gang is a perfect example. How do you get into a gang? Well for a lot of them, you have to already belong to a certain group, in America your skin color will usually dictate what gangs you can and can not join. If the gang selects you, and you want to be a member, you have to first go through some kind of inititiation. You might have to be severely beaten, you might have to severely beat someone else (usually someone completely innocent and random or a rival gang member), but whatever it is, you must prove how "dark" or bad you are. Once you are allowed entry, you are assigned a rank, the lowest rank, but still a rank. Your ultimate goal is to be the guy at the top of the gang, and it's almost always one person (you might say the head darkworker), and you work your way up the ranks by doing more and more evil. It comes with plenty of twisted rewards, people probably will think twice before they mess with you in your neighborhood, there's a whole bunch of girls who are forced to be sex workers in the gang and you'll get to have your way with them no doubt, you'll get to have money, sex, and a have a lot of your needs satisfied in very dark ways (which makes sense since they were obtained through very dark means).

But it's a conscious choice. You still have the ability to convert to the opposite polarity. Just like people choose to join gangs everyday, people choose to leave gangs everyday. A psychopath is pathologically void of emotion and will never change nor do they have the capacity to really change.

I think that this darkworking/lightworking idea actually applies to other dimensions and planes of existence, but that's a different conversation altogether.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

Well Steve definitely helped build the popularity of the term darkworker. And I think it fits a certain life path very accurately. Sociopath/psychopath is like a Jeffrey Dahmer in my opinion, someone who just kills for the sake of killing. A darkworker is more organized and their darkworking is a means to an end, a way to get what they want out of life.

This is just innacurate.

There are some psychopaths who will kill, but most of them aren't even violent. The damage they do is mainly by manipulating people and destroying lives to get where they want to go. That is the definition of darkworker according to Steve.

Jeffrey Dahmer wasn't a psychopath, though he was deemed clinically insane from memory. There's a difference though. Popular media and movies have done a lot to confuse the two in most peoples heads.

A gang is a perfect example. How do you get into a gang? Well for a lot of them, you have to already belong to a certain group, in America your skin color will usually dictate what gangs you can and can not join. If the gang selects you, and you want to be a member, you have to first go through some kind of inititiation. You might have to be severely beaten, you might have to severely beat someone else (usually someone completely innocent and random or a rival gang member), but whatever it is, you must prove how "dark" or bad you are. Once you are allowed entry, you are assigned a rank, the lowest rank, but still a rank. Your ultimate goal is to be the guy at the top of the gang, and it's almost always one person (you might say the head darkworker), and you work your way up the ranks by doing more and more evil. It comes with plenty of twisted rewards, people probably will think twice before they mess with you in your neighborhood, there's a whole bunch of girls who are forced to be sex workers in the gang and you'll get to have your way with them no doubt, you'll get to have money, sex, and a have a lot of your needs satisfied in very dark ways (which makes sense since they were obtained through very dark means).

Yes, I'm aware of this, my brother is part of a "crew" like this (though it's not so elaborate with colors and such) and he is what Steve would call a darkworker. He does nothing for anyone else and is totally self-serving, highly manipulative, very aggressive and abusive and basically a total dick who does actively use fear as a way to control, that I stay away from now. He knows many dark people like that which you describe.

But it's a conscious choice. You still have the ability to convert to the opposite polarity. Just like people choose to join gangs everyday, people choose to leave gangs everyday. A psychopath is pathologically void of emotion and will never change nor do they have the capacity to really change.

Yes true. I guess that is what seperates the two.

I think that this darkworking/lightworking idea actually applies to other dimensions and planes of existence, but that's a different conversation altogether.

I'd almost be interested in a thread like that.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

There are some psychopaths who will kill, but most of them aren't even violent. The damage they do is mainly by manipulating people and destroying lives to get where they want to go. That is the definition of darkworker according to Steve.

I know what you mean, but I was just pointing out that darkworker is more like a twisted form of growth.

And just a side note, I don't like it when people always use the Nazi's to illustrate the whole darkworker thing. If anything, the best example of darkworkers, at least in the past 100 years or so in my opinion, is the Medellín Cartel.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

I know what you mean, but I was just pointing out that darkworker is more like a twisted form of growth.

And just a side note, I don't like it when people always use the Nazi's to illustrate the whole darkworker thing. If anything, the best example of darkworkers, at least in the past 100 years or so in my opinion, is the Medellín Cartel.

There are plenty of examples in history but for some reason, Hitler always seems to be the favorite poster boy. What about Stalin? I think he clocked in some pretty good hours as a total bastard.

Ever seen Gomorrah? They made the Mafia look like boy scouts.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

There are plenty of examples in history but for some reason, Hitler always seems to be the favorite poster boy. What about Stalin? I think he clocked in some pretty good hours as a total bastard.

Definitely, but these guys are like the go-to's for anytime someone mentions anything dark or evil. Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, etc. They're very dark no doubt, but there are other people who are not as frequently mentioned that amassed tremendous fortune and power by being a darkworker.

I mentioned the Medellín Cartel. Pablo Escobar, the former head of the organization, was born extremely poor and died a billionaire - pretty much by sticking to the path of a darkworker. And he was a billionaire many times over.

On some level, I think his darkness was soul deep.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Ever seen Gomorrah? They made the Mafia look like boy scouts.

Actually I haven't. And that's a good point to make. It's like no one really sees this underworld, so it goes on without our awareness, but it still simultaneously exists amongst the world where you go to college and start your own business and what not.

So many people like to bring up Hitler like he was the only one, when there has been thousands and thousands of extremely powerful darkworkers.

I gotta call it a night but I'll be back on tomorrow

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

Actually I haven't. And that's a good point to make. It's like no one really sees this underworld, so it goes on without our awareness, but it still simultaneously exists amongst the world where you go to college and start your own business and what not.

So many people like to bring up Hitler like he was the only one, when there has been thousands and thousands of extremely powerful darkworkers.

I gotta call it a night but I'll be back on tomorrow

Ok, G'night.

I don't think Hitler was the worst, but for some reason he gets the medal?

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

Definitely, but these guys are like the go-to's for anytime someone mentions anything dark or evil. Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, etc. They're very dark no doubt, but there are other people who are not as frequently mentioned that amassed tremendous fortune and power by being a darkworker.

I mentioned the Medellín Cartel. Pablo Escobar, the former head of the organization, was born extremely poor and died a billionaire - pretty much by sticking to the path of a darkworker. And he was a billionaire many times over.

On some level, I think his darkness was soul deep.

I think you also have to take into consideration that over in countries like where Pablo Escobar was born, life is pretty cheap and if you have no money to educate your kids, well, they're probably gonna end up drug dealers. Being ruthless would be to such a different degree to what most of us could even imagine, and he would have grown up with that around him daily, so it really is a "dog eat dog" mentality over there.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

Actually I haven't. And that's a good point to make. It's like no one really sees this underworld, so it goes on without our awareness, but it still simultaneously exists amongst the world where you go to college and start your own business and what not.

So many people like to bring up Hitler like he was the only one, when there has been thousands and thousands of extremely powerful darkworkers.

I gotta call it a night but I'll be back on tomorrow

And in a way it makes it easier for these people to run their operations, knowing that regular people are oblivious to their existence. They can walk among us openly and do things right under our noses, and they don't wear signs around their necks saying "I'm a badguy".

People often fail to see what is right in front of them. or choose to not see it at all...and denial is a factor people like this will exploit as much as possible.

[taylor]

I see what you mean jellybean. The term darkworker refers to darkness but a lot of self professed darkworkers aren't very dark at all. It's a poor word so why do people still use that to label themselves? Must be to sound cool.

Darkworker can sound mysterious, dark, iconoclastic.
Lightworker can sound pretentious and holier-than-thou.

"By their fruits ye shall know them."

[Cado]

Originally Posted by jellybeanpimp

I'm just tired of the word darkworker getting thrown around so easily, and then when people name examples that totally embody it, some of the people who call themselves darkworkers and subscribe to the philosophy shy away.

The thing is, I'm not just throwing it around and I haven't adopted it because it's "edgy" or "cool." Like I say, there's a lot of history behind all this even if the term itself is fairly recent, and Steve certainly doesn't know everything about it.

At this point there's nothing else to be said because you're using a circular argument-"this is not darkworking because I (or the authority I appeal to) do not consider it darkworking and I know this is the definitive definition of darkworking because it is."

If you're firm in your assumptions before you pose the question then nothing can change your mind even if reality disagrees.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Ok, G'night.

I don't think Hitler was the worst, but for some reason he gets the medal?

What's funny is I think you can make a strong case for Hitler being a rogue lightworker, but that's for another thread.

[Cado]

Originally Posted by taylor

I see what you mean jellybean. The term darkworker refers to darkness but a lot of self professed darkworkers aren't very dark at all. It's a poor word so why do people still use that to label themselves? Must be to sound cool.

Darkworker can sound mysterious, dark, iconoclastic.
Lightworker can sound pretentious and holier-than-thou.

"By their fruits ye shall know them."

Not quite. Again, the association with darkness goes back a long way, and it has to do with delving into the underworld and communing with the entities there, as well as tapping into the self by going deep into shadow.

It's all woven into myth and metaphor in such a way as to heighten a person's consciousness. The same is true of the opposite, and again it rests on the crux of pulling to or giving out.

I am curious whether the labels lightworking and darkworking will have any staying power. The paths will because they're as old as civilization and it's the nature of consciousness to forge a path to greater awareness. The labels come and go, and in this case the terms are only known and applied within a very small niche.

[jellybeanpimp]

Originally Posted by elucidate

And in a way it makes it easier for these people to run their operations, knowing that regular people are oblivious to their existence. They can walk among us openly and do things right under our noses, and they don't wear signs around their necks saying "I'm a badguy".

People often fail to see what is right in front of them. or choose to not see it at all...and denial is a factor people like this will exploit as much as possible.

Very true. Speaking of cartels, I remember watching Blow not too long ago and what you said reminds me of one scene. Johnny Depp's character is meeting some big time Colombian drug cartel leader and upon his arrival the cartel leader apparently is busy talking to someone else. The cartel leader excuses himself to have a friendly discussion with this person, they casually walk into a field having a normal conversation, and then he pulls out a gun and shoots him point blank in the head.

I was like "?!?!?!", but it's the same concept. It is an extreme benefit to these guys to make themselves appear as charming, witty, and sophisticated as possible. That way, you never see it coming.

[VinceG]

Originally Posted by elucidate

There are plenty of examples in history but for some reason, Hitler always seems to be the favorite poster boy. What about Stalin? I think he clocked in some pretty good hours as a total bastard.

Most of the epiphanies I was arguing from in our earlier exchange actually came from the book Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. Highly recommended.