Spying Game Philosophy - The Phoenix must die!

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 81174

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, B Arrowsmith <arrowsmithbt at b...>
wrote:

<< What happens if Voldemort wins? More of the same, I expect. When
you've got ultimate power people do what they're told. Even
supporters. Maybe a demonstration of power every now and again, just
to remind everybody what's what. No need to go berserk. Who wants to
rule a wasteland? Just like the Roman Empire. >>

I don't agree. I suppose that in general people who lead a coup 
d'etat or a revolution to make themselves dictator *intend* to keep
the country and its economy functioning, so that they have something 
worth ruling (as you said). But it seems to me that even the ones who
intend to keep society alive often f*** it up due to incompetence or
bad temper or greed. 

Anyway, I am not at all convinced that *Voldemort* intends to keep
society alive, being as how he is obviously quite insane. It would be
pretty stupid of him to make himself immortal and then, you know,
destroy all life on Earth and spend eternity hanging around a burnt
rock (our planet's remains) with nothing to eat and no one to serve
him, but to me it seems quite in line with his type of insanity not 
to realise that it was stupid until after he's done it. He's full of
hate and anger, and his greatest ambition is to be feared, and he 
gets off on destroying things and killing people, and oops there's
nothing left to rule over ...

<< An idealist is he? This Dumbledore chappie o' yourn? Tsk, tsk, 
tsk. Them's the sort as causes trouble, you mark my words." >>

How does your attitude toward idealism affect your reaction to the HP
books? To me, they seem to be pro-idealism.