Good and Evil

Is it justifiable to end someone's life in order for evil person to end his wicked ways? Do you think killing the source of evil is acceptable so that the good may persist? Is it legitimate for a man to be the judge, jury, and executioner? These are some of the questions that linger in someone's mind when a person is confronted by evil. 

There is a book entitled Eagle Strike written by an English writer, Anthony Horowitz which touched on this subject. New York Times bestseller and author, Anthony Horowitz wrote a lot of great books for his 'Alex Rider' series and the book Eagle Strike is one of them. The story is about a deranged man who was possessed in carrying out his sinister plan even at the expense of killing millions of people. It caught my attention particularly in Chapter 15 where the leading character Alex Rider came face to face with the villain named Damian Cray. Alex was still a teenager in the story but by an unexpected twist of fate, he was forced to work dangerously as an undercover agent for the British secret agency called MI6. His mission was not of assassination or sabotage like in the James Bond movies but only to gather valuable and reliable information for the British secret organization. He was a perfect fit as a spy. He was sneaky and cunning. His teenage look was a good cover for his undercover work. The highlight of the story is in chapter 15 wherein Damian Cray, a millionaire, a philanthropist, peace activist, vintage pop star, and a man of great political influence lost his faith in the effectiveness of the justice system. Instead of pursuing his lofty ambition, he took a gruesome and hideous path to achieve his goal. Using his misguided judgment based on his psychopathic view, he hatched a plan of destroying the world of its drug curse, once and for all. Bent on destruction, he would blast his selected targets on the globe with the use of nuclear weapons!

"Let me ask you a question Alex. What do you think is the greatest evil in this world today?" asked Cray.

"I do not know," Alex said. "You tell me."

"DRUGS!" Cray spat out the single word as though it were obvious. "Drugs are causing more unhappiness and destruction than anything anywhere in the world. Drugs kill more people than war or terrorism. Did you know that drugs are the single biggest cause of crime in Western society? We've got kids out on the streets taking heroin and cocaine, and they are stealing to support their habits. But they are not criminals; they are victims. It is the drugs that are to blame."

"All my life I've been fighting drugs," Cray went on. "I've done advertisements for the government. I've spent millions building treatment centers and I've written songs about it. But I know how to end it, he said simply. I've worked it out. And that's what Eagle Strike is all about. A world without drugs. Isn't it something to dream about, Alex? Isn't that worth a few sacrifices? Think about it! The end of the drug problem and I can make it happen."

"How?" Alex was almost afraid of the answer.

"It's easy. government won't do anything. The police won't do anything. No one can stop the dealers. So you have to go back to the supplies. You have to think where these drugs come from. And where is that? I'll tell you."

Poppy is a herbaceous flowering plant, often grown for their colorful flowers. One species of poppy produces seeds which is also the source of crude drug opium which contains morphine and has been used since ancient times as an analgesic and a source of narcotic, medicinal and recreational drugs.

"Every year, hundreds and hundreds of tons of heroin come from Afghanistan - in particular the provinces of Nangarhar and Helmand. Did you know that production has increased by fourteen hundred percent (1400%) since the Taliban was defeated? So much for that particular war! Then after Afghanistan, there's Burma and the golden triangle, with about one hundred thousand hectares of land use to produce opium and heroin. The government of Burma doesn't care. Nobody cares. And let's not forget Pakistan, manufacturing one hundred and fifty-five metric tons of opium a year, with refineries throughout Khyber region and along the borders."

"On the other side of the world, there's Columbia. It's the leading supplier and distributor of cocaine, but it also supplies heroin and marijuana. It's a business worth three billion dollars a year, Alex. Eighty tons of cocaine every twelve months. Seven tons of heroin. A lot of it ends up on the streets of American cities. In high schools. A tidal wave of misery and crime! "

"But that's only a small part of the picture." Cray holds up a hand and began to tick off other countries on his fingers. "There are refineries in Albania. Mule trains in Thailand. Coca crops in Peru. Opium plantations in Egypt. Ephedrine, the chemical used in heroin production, is manufactured in China. One of the biggest drug markets in the world can be found in Tashkent, in Uzbekistan."

"These are the principal sources of the world's drug problem. This is where the trouble all starts. These are my targets."

"Targets......... . ." Alex whispered the single word.
Damian Cray reached into his pocket and took out the flash drive. "Although you weren't supposed to know it," Cray explained, "this is actually a key to unlock one of the most complicated security systems ever devised. The original key was created by the National Security Agency (NSA) and is carried by the president of the United States........... . ."

He held up the little metal capsule.

"This key will give me access to two and a half thousand nuclear missiles. These are American missiles and they are on hair-trigger alert - meaning that they can be launched at a moment's notice. It is my intention to override the NSA's system and to fire twenty-five of those missiles at targets I have carefully chosen around the globe."

Cray smiled almost sadly.

"It is almost impossible to imagine the devastation that can cause by 25 one-hundred ton missiles exploding at the same time. South America, Central America, Asia, Africa........ . .almost every continent will feel the pain. And there will be pain, Alex. I am well aware of that. But I will have wiped out the poppy fields. The farm and the factories. The refineries, the trade routes, the markets. There will be no more drug supplies. Of course, millions will die. But millions more will be saved. That is what Eagle Strike is all about, Alex. The start of a new golden age. A day when all humanity will come together and rejoice. That day is now. My time has finally arrived."

Why does evil continue to persist in this world? Why do the righteous seem to suffer while the wicked prosper? Is it acceptable for a man to be the judge, jury, and executioner at the same time? These are rhetorical questions which may stir your imagination. What can you say?