There’s a famous line, from a book written by a bigot, “the enemy gate is down.”
The idea being, when you lack the pull of gravity to show you where down is, you need to orient yourself somehow.
There is a standard rule, we don’t punch down. It mostly comes up in comedy, but applies in most things.
But, in social structures, without that inherent pull towards the centre, how do you determine what would be an ethical direction to punch, should one be compelled that doing so was the best choice?
Well, it seems to be that the answers is actually kinda similar, or inherently inverse, depending on your perspective.
If we see wealth and power as being above us, spires that folks are climbing, then it’s clear that the same rules apply.
If we view the concentration of wealth and power, the same way we view the concentration of mass, then down would be towards those who have more. So not punching down becomes being inverted.
(This is almost but not quite pithy.
It feels under baked, and needs a bit more time to rise up as a coherent metaphor. -a )
As an aside, gallows humour only applies to those who have to walk up the steps, without the expectation of walking down. Those pulling the levers and jeering from the crowd, do not get that privilege; though family of those on the steps would.
If I’m being unclear, let me know. But the core should be there and should be clear: asking those already struggling to carry the heavier burden is abhorrent.
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