Is it possible to win against the system?

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

I was thinking about Babylon 5 earlier this night, and my favorite line from the entire series came to mind.
Its from the episode "Intersections in Real Time", where Sheridan is being held by Clark's forces and is being tortured so he'll break.

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

Now, reading this on the screen hardly captures the drama of the scene, but it does bring up the interesting question I thought of when I remembered t his screne. The question being, is Sheridan right? Are you beating the system every time you say no, or are you just post-poning the enivitable ending where the system breaks you and forces its will upon you?

Personally, I think that you do beat the system every time you say no. Every time you say no, you state that truth is something that is not dictated by fear and pain. You beat them every time you say no, even if you break or die in the end. In my opinion, for somethings it is worth taking the stand, even if it you have to die for it; nothing can change the fact that you were willing to take that stand and did so. The downside is that your either dead or a broken hust of your former self. What are your thoughts on the matter?

[Durandal]

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

I absolutely love that exchange. As for taking on the system, just ask Martin Luther King, Jr or Rosa Parks.

[Stuart Mackey]

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

As Durandal said about Rosa Parks.
You can deny the system and you can change the sytem and to deny it is to deny its legitimacy, and thats what gives us freedom.
Remember the speechs of Churchill when every one thought that Germany must win
"..and if, in a thousand years, this nation and its commonweath, still survive, they will say this was their finest hour"

"..We will fight on the beeches...we shall never surrender"

[Arrow]

History is full of examples of people beating the system, as has been pointed out. Everytime you force the system to go around you, give you something or leave you alone, you've won. So, the question really isn't if you can beat the system, but what is the cost.

[Slartibartfast]

What was that you people said? It depends whether you "break even" or something like that : you get at least the same or more from "beating the system" than the effort you put into it.

[MKSheppard]

I was thinking about Babylon 5 earlier this night, and my favorite line from the entire series came to mind.
Its from the episode "Intersections in Real Time", where Sheridan is being held by Clark's forces and is being tortured so he'll break.

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

That's hollywood bullshit. EVERYONE breaks under torture. The only question is:

How fast?

The only way to keep yourself from spilling the beans is to off yourself.

[russellb6666]

I was thinking about Babylon 5 earlier this night, and my favorite line from the entire series came to mind.
Its from the episode "Intersections in Real Time", where Sheridan is being held by Clark's forces and is being tortured so he'll break.

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

That's hollywood bullshit. EVERYONE breaks under torture. The only question is:

How fast?

The only way to keep yourself from spilling the beans is to off yourself.

thanks for that happy thought shep I feel really good now

[Xenophobe3691]

I was thinking about Babylon 5 earlier this night, and my favorite line from the entire series came to mind.
Its from the episode "Intersections in Real Time", where Sheridan is being held by Clark's forces and is being tortured so he'll break.

Torturer: If there is one undeniable truth in our age its that you can't fight the system.

Sheridan: Yes, you can.

Torturer: Ah, but can you win?

Sheridan: Every time I say No.

That's hollywood bullshit. EVERYONE breaks under torture. The only question is:

How fast?

The only way to keep yourself from spilling the beans is to off yourself.

Ahem, Hanah Senesh comes to mind.