Do the ends justify the means??? Adrian Veidt

Do the Ends, Justify the Means.

As I sit here and look through my “class” books, I search for a quote worth working with for this third paper. I re-read Batman, I glance at Fallen Son, I look over Sin City, and my eyes wonder to the core book of our class. I find nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This draught is quickly cured by a second look into Watchmen. My eyes fly as my hands turn through pages searching for the one conversation that has bothered my subconscious for weeks. This brings to mind our class discussions and the title of my paper, “Do the ends justify the means?” I find the page and still I’m looking for. I see Ozymandias and Dr. Manhattan speaking about his plan and why he did what he did. I paraphrase Veidt’s words as, “Someone had to do it”, and “Did I do the right thing in the end?” to which Dr. Manhattan replies, “Nothing ever ends.” In life, this is very true, in the story we never know for sure as the last thing in the novel is Rorschach’s journal being looked at by some right wing newspaper. We never get to see if the story is told in all its truth.

As we read the novel and find out all the pieces to the puzzle, we find out who done it and why. How did the comedian fit in, why kill him and not buy him off, why the big elaborate plot to bring out a catastrophe large enough to pull society out of its apathy and hate for one another? This is the means. Veidt’s plan to save humanity by a perceived global common enemy is pulled off. To do this all the events in watchmen unfold and take place. This all leads to an unknown but generally assumed peaceful end. However, it is Dr. Manhattan’s statement that leaves a bad thought to linger in the back of not only Veidt’s but my mind as well. Did I do the right thing? Did I have the right to kill millions of people, for the greater good? Did I just break up millions of lives and scare billions more into believing a falsehood simply to save humanity? What have I done, really? Did I accomplish anything at all?

In my head, these are my thoughts, as I place myself in Veidt’s shoes. I make his decisions, I rationalize them, and I make them my own, so as to understand why this dramatic action would shock the world into peace. I, personally, find that the ends to justify the means. In the short term, that is. Were I Veidt, I would say that I was successful and that I have saved humanity at the cost of only a few million people. Pennies as opposed to the “dollars” saved. Their sacrifice was necessary to help make the plan believable and more attached to humanity. It is here at this thought, that I stand back, horrified by my own thoughts. Not by the ease at which I had thought of how best to execute the plan and carry it out, but to actually feel like I had accomplished something, like Veidt feels he does. I suddenly feel very inhuman and uncaring. I feel like a monster.

This is where I start to realize what my thoughts could have done, just like Veidt thinks when he is talking to Dr. Manhattan. I need to ask for reassurance. Did I do the right thing? In our world and our reality, we are not that sick. We don’t need to be shocked by acts of cruelty and violence to act. In this world, Veidt’s plan and my acceptance of it would not be right. In Veidt’s world, however, this is just what is needed. In class, we had the discussion, as mentioned in the first paragraph, do the ends justify the means? Here, in the watchmen’s universe, they do. They answer the questions of right and wrong and justifiable homicide without a flinch or a blink of Veidt’s eye. He plans this meticulously and even includes putting himself in danger to make sure that this plan of his goes off without any troubles via the rest of the watchmen. In my eyes and in my own words, I had defended Veidt’s actions and a good majority of my classmates held with me. Some who didn’t felt Veidt had a God complex. This can be said of anyone who feels they are apart of anything and can make a difference or even count for something in society. If so, then do we all have God complexes? Heaven knows we are all flawed, but no one really thinks they are god. Who can be?

I still hold with Veidt’s decisions and plans. I still think he made the right choice. His world needed to be targeted by something humanity can collectively fight against. So as to turn his society back into a united front, for how long, you might ask. I know that we can’t be so sure. We, the readers, are left with only our imaginations to take over. Many of us hope for the best, however, many readers hope for the worst. A sort of comeuppance for what Veidt did to his world. I stand by Adrian, firmly. I won’t leave his side and yes, it is very true what Dr. Manhattan says, nothing ever ends. In class discussion, someone said what if it was in vain and they all start fighting again and are back to being close to nuclear war? This is student didn’t believe Veidt’s end justified his means. In response to this student, I heard in class from another classmate that he too believed Veidt did the right thing, but that in the future, someone else will do the same thing, so as to keep that world in check. I can see that. I have to agree with him on that. Not because of the ending but because that is how I perceive Adrian’s world. The Watchmen universe is a sick place that needs a sick wake up call. If it needs it every now and again, I think that is only typical.

In our world, this is wrong in so many ways. It is nearly pointless here in reality. Yet, in this novel, I believe we can say that the ends to justify the means. The dramatics, the plot, and the carnage, are all necessary to the end. Without them, the watchmen universe has no order, in such a place, it is true that only chaos can rule. Thank goodness our world isn’t like that. Or we’d be dead, like those in New York City. Many would be the victims of people like Veidt and their plans. Its sad to say, that I would probably be in Veidt’s shoes. I would find a way to justify my means. Of course, the end would have to be near perfect. Let’s hope for a brighter tomorrow and a peaceful future, so the many Adrian Veidt(s) of the world can stay hidden. I know I will keep the part of him in me, hidden. For the greater good.