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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 21 2020, @03:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the succinct-and-to-the-point dept.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/4ay4kb/guillotine-emoji-unicode

When you want to express your complete rage at the incompetence of leadership over text, in a way that says "I would like to see their heads removed at the neck with a large falling blade and rolled into little baskets" but less literal and more succinct, an emoji would help a lot.

Sadly, there is no guillotine emoji, despite "guillotine them" being the ruling sentiment of the pissed-off proletariat for the last... well, probably many years, but more lately, as tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in protests around the world.

Lisbon-based artist Carrozo is lobbying the Unicode Consortium to include a guillotine in its next emoji update, and has sent an application outlining why the people need the 18th century execution machine in their emoji lexicon.


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by tangomargarine on Tuesday July 21 2020, @02:29PM (10 children)

    by tangomargarine (667) on Tuesday July 21 2020, @02:29PM (#1024579)

    Is there more to the story than this? Because it doesn't sound like it fell on anybody, and there's nothing about the guilt or innocence of those involved.

    According to the story, Damocles was pandering to his king, Dionysius, exclaiming that Dionysius was truly fortunate as a great man of power and authority, surrounded by magnificence. In response, Dionysius offered to switch places with Damocles for one day so that Damocles could taste that very fortune firsthand. Damocles quickly and eagerly accepted the king's proposal. Damocles sat on the king's throne, surrounded by every luxury, but Dionysius, who had made many enemies during his reign, arranged that a sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse's tail to evoke the sense of what it is like to be king: Though having much fortune, always having to watch in fear and anxiety against dangers that might try to overtake him. Damocles finally begged the king that he be allowed to depart because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate, realizing that with great fortune and power comes also great danger.[1][2]

    --
    "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @05:48PM (9 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 21 2020, @05:48PM (#1024678) Journal
    Consider the "great danger" represented by that dangling sword. Rulers died all the time from that danger: assassinations, coups, defeats in war. Fustakrakich is presenting death from those dangers as judgements and claiming they are always correctly applied.
    • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday July 21 2020, @06:19PM (8 children)

      by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday July 21 2020, @06:19PM (#1024693) Journal

      Fustakrakich is presenting death from those dangers as judgements and claiming they are always correctly applied.

      No, unfortunately they often miss, but the authoritarians must accept the risk, whether it is "just" or not. We must put an extremely steep price on power. It might reduce the desire. Then we'll have to conscript people to serve in the senate. They'll be more likely to tread lightly on the heathens begging at their feet

      --
      La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @11:30PM (5 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 21 2020, @11:30PM (#1024791) Journal
        My take is that you will merely increase barrier to entry, making those with power a protected class. You know, like the drug cartels.
        • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday July 21 2020, @11:47PM (4 children)

          by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday July 21 2020, @11:47PM (#1024799) Journal

          Exactly the opposite. Those in power are the most at risk, as designed. Make the job so fearsome that nobody wants it. You know, like hang the sword over his balls

          --
          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 22 2020, @01:13AM (3 children)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 22 2020, @01:13AM (#1024816) Journal

            Those in power are the most at risk, as designed.

            And with outsized rewards due to the limited competition for the job.

            • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday July 22 2020, @01:18AM (2 children)

              by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday July 22 2020, @01:18AM (#1024820) Journal

              They still have to win the election, and they still have to perform satisfactorily

              --
              La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
              • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 22 2020, @04:44AM (1 child)

                by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 22 2020, @04:44AM (#1024861) Journal

                They still have to win the election, and they still have to perform satisfactorily

                Both which will come easier to manage as control over society is increased due to the lack of competitors. I'm pretty sure you haven't thought this through even a little.

                One of the points of a democratic society is that it's easier and safer (rather opposite to your proposal) than ever for someone to become a leader - they just need to get votes. It's the competition for the position that enables relatively good leaders who reflect the wishes of the voters.

                Put too many bogus conditions on leadership, then you will filter out all but the people with the worst ulterior motives. It's a filter for the very problems you claim to be trying to avoid.

                • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday July 22 2020, @05:57AM

                  by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday July 22 2020, @05:57AM (#1024868) Journal

                  You're just covering for your peeps again, brother.

                  --
                  La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
      • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday July 22 2020, @03:52PM (1 child)

        by tangomargarine (667) on Wednesday July 22 2020, @03:52PM (#1024970)

        "Whoever wants power must under no circumstances be allowed to wield it"

        --
        "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
        • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday July 22 2020, @05:12PM

          by fustakrakich (6150) on Wednesday July 22 2020, @05:12PM (#1024996) Journal

          Absolutely, that why we should make the legislature, and the prez, and the judges more like jury duty. In and out, nobody gets hurt

          --
          La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..