Hate

I'd like to start with someone else's words - one of my favourite authors, Dick Francis.

He wrote these in 1977 or so, in his book "Trial Run". I hope posting them here is covered by "fair use".

I looked across for the last time at the naked hate-filled faces of international terrorism, and thought about alienation and the destructive steps which led there.

The intensifying to anger of the natural scorn of youth for the mess their elders had made of the world. The desire to punish violently the objects of scorn. The death of love for parents. The permanent sneer for all forms of authority. The frustration of not being able to scourge the despised majority. And after that, the deeper, malignant distortions . . . The self-delusion that one's feelings of inadequacy were the fault of society, and that it was necessary to destroy society in order to feel adequate. The infliction of pain and fear, to feed the hungry ego. The total surrender of reason to raw emotion, in the illusion of being moved by a sort of divine rage. The choice of an unattainable end, so that violent means could go on and on. The addictive orgasm of the act of laying waste.

I would classify his books as crime/suspense. He was a famous jockey in England, so they all refer in varying degrees to horses. They're easy to read, I recommend any of them. Go pick some up second hand, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy reading them.

It's amazing how true these words still ring today. I guess 28 years is not all that long in some ways.