IVIV: Trust

[John Bailey]

Fascinating discussion - the p-list talk surrounding the meanings of
'grace' and 'kindness' were some of the most useful to me then. Keep
this going.

Trust is definitely an ambiguous notion in IV. Coy's redemption
(enabled by Doc) involves a credit card from the bad guys - not too
far from a 'trust' fund, since in both cases your financial freedom is
controlled by someone else.

And the rigid codes of trust among the cops, the mafia, the Golden
Fang... all bound up in modes of control... "It's about *being in
place*"

This kind of trust can be tied to loyalty, honour, even patriotism -
abstract principles that dictate behaviour. Not the freely chosen acts
of uncredited kindness espoused by some of AtD's characters, but a
kind of individual submission to the demands of the group. This can be
abused, and it's no coincidence loyalty and honour are also common in
militaristic or nationalist discourse.

Maybe it is more like kindness, though - when you consciously choose
to place trust, rather than blindly submit to it, you're taking
responsibility for how things pan out. Trusting Fenway is as authentic
an act as trusting your stoner buddies, by this logic.



On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 1:24 PM, Richard Fiero <rfiero at gmail.com> wrote:
> I do not see any issue of trust here.
> If you are wearing a badge, a Federal ID tag (even if you're just a census
> taker), an animal control uniform, or even just are from the utility company
> with a goddamn flag on your shoulder, chances of being fucked with go way
> down.
>