Ought I to be surprised that Nietzsche’s understanding of crime parallels that of the ancient Stoics?

This disciplined way of life aimed at moderating the passions, harmonizing emotion according to reason was developed from 400 to 500 year span of time from Athens to Rome. Stoics recognized that feeling, impulse, bodily sensation is emotion when subject to rational analysis and control. Thus the rationale for the day to day journal kept by Marcus Aurelius no matter what circumstance of the empire he happened to have on his plate, – including plague, death of his children, and war on the frontier.

Criminal behavior is an outsized variant of crass behavior. The Stoics and Nietzsche too understood this as a catastrophic failure of reason. In the story told by Nietzsche’s mouthpiece Zarathustra, a judge in red robes says that a pale criminal convicted of murder wanted booty, that is to abscond with the swag. Zarathustra strongly disagrees saying what the man in fact wanted was blood, the intoxicated “rush” when causing pain.

Or to put the matter in more down to earth terms, a morally ill individual, is never in a position to accurately diagnose the true desire which overtakes them.

To cut to the chase, you and I were dismayed at the spreading trade war, declared by the occupant of the Oval Office. War is not too strong a term because the tariffs will cause a world economy to slam into a wall. Tariffs imposed upon Canada, Mexico, and Europe have destroyed several generations worth of good-will cultivated between the United States and former friends. The latest is that all countries who had not retaliated in kind to the import tax, will have to bear a tariff of only 10% – until July. The choke-hold will be loosed somewhat for 90 days. China however did retaliate. Today’s news, for China Trump upped the ante to a rate of 125%.

If your head is spinning do not bother to ask the red robed judge what is going on. Know that the president wants blood, that he feels energized by causing pain. Pay no attention to the complaints about unfair trade, about negotiating, about wanting better deals or that “he knows what he is doing”. All are diversions.

This man “gets off” by causing pain.

And what of “the American people”? Or Congress? I must agree with Nietzsche. Things have changed little if any since Nietzsche’s day. The majority of Americans frankly desire to live as long as possible, in our wretched self-complacency!

A quiet voice inside asks, “Is this fate, our destiny?’

Thus speaks the red judge:
“Why did this criminal commit murder?
He meant to rob.”

I tell you, however, that
his soul wanted blood, not booty:
he thirsted for the happiness of the knife!

But his weak reason understood not this madness,
and it persuaded him.
“What matter about blood!” it said;
“wish you not, at least, to make
booty thereby? Or take revenge?”

And he listened to his weak reason:
like lead lay its words upon him
–thereupon he robbed when he murdered.
He did not mean to be
ashamed of his madness…

What is this man?
A mass of diseases that reach out
into the world through the spirit;
there they want to get their prey.

What is this man?
A coil of wild serpents
that are seldom at peace among themselves
— so they go forth apart and seek prey in the world.

…Him who now turns sick, the evil overtakes which is now the evil:
he seeks to cause pain with that which causes him pain.
But there have been other ages,
and another evil and good.

                                    ~*~

But this will not enter your ears; it hurts your good people, you tell me.

But what does it matter to me
about your good people!

Many things in your good people
cause me disgust, and truly, not their evil.
I would that they had a madness by which they succumbed,
like this pale criminal!

Truly, I would that their madness
were called truth, or fidelity, or justice:
but they have their virtue
in order to live long,
and in wretched self-complacency.

I am a railing alongside the torrent;
whoever is able to grasp me may grasp me!

Your crutch, however, I am not.

–Thus spoke Zarathustra.

Thus Spake Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche, trans. by Thomas Common, The Pale Criminal no. 6

A song? Is there a tune to hold onto? Of course there is. King of Pain by The Police.