Chainism. Holistic discrimination.

Consider a chain. When tested for purpose, it will be as strong as its weakest link.

Consider a belief system that is based on blind faith. Lets use the handsome young Pakistani Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab as an example. A young man so blinded by belief that he chose to go off and machine gun innocents in neighboring India. It may be that our Mohammad has many fine qualities, and I bet somewhere a friend will proclaim how nice and gentle and loving he was - but the measure by which he will be seen where life's achievements are counted - is by this weakness. His blind faith in an imaginary God.

Because by accepting without substance belief in an imaginary being, a precedent is set. You must then accept any number of possibilities that lead on from this irrationality. Mohammad can justify his murderous actions on the same basis as every believer.

Belief in imaginary things places a kink in the chain of possibilities for developing awareness of the life experience.

Chainism is the holistic idea that you consider the value of people by the sum of their weakest and strongest qualities, not solely their most trumpeted strengths.
In military confrontation and even in competitive sport, the effective tactic is to identify the opponents weakness and play off that. Your opponent is as strong as his strongest weakness.

In the discrimination process by which we decide whose opinions and wisdom to believe and be influenced by, it becomes clear that those with the most to offer qualify because they have strengthened the weakest-link in the chain of their self awareness.

An example: Michael Jackson.
Strengths: talented young singer dancer in the 70's.
Weakness: Consumed by drug addiction delusion.

Measure of overall holistic chain strength: Tragic deluded failure. Had some early fun, got to play with Eddie Van Halen, but otherwise missed the point.

Try James Brown:
Strengths: Used compulsive obsessive control skills to bully a funky groove out of underpaid musicians until he established a legendary reputation as the Godfather of soul.
Weakness: Consumed by drugs and became by all accounts a thoroughly nasty piece of work.

Measure of overall holistic chain strength: The funky groove comes from a pretty unfunky and uncool place, so how funky cool can that groove really be. Conclusion. Overall - not the King of Soul at all. Sad deluded control freak mired in narcissistic flatulence.

last example: Keith Richards.
Strengths: Guitar playing songwriter and reliable friend.
Weakness: Well - you try find people to say bad things about Keith. A well liked man.
Measure of overall holistic chain strength: A successful life balanced in self fulfillment, having fun and helping others.

You try some now:

Michael Jacksons children

I am bemused by press suggesting a custody battle for the 3 Jackson children is imminent. What custody battle?

Children are not chattels whose ownership is defined by possession.

So clearly in the case of the Jackson children (The first 2) the fact is Michael is obviously not the (biological) Father and Debbie Rowe is definitely the Mother.

Unless she is so unfit as a Mother that it is clearly in the childrens best interests never to see her, which is on the face of it extremely unlikely, is there any possible argument for the children not to go to her?

And what kind of Wacko decides its in his (and in this case not even biologically his) kids best interests never to see their Mother.

Must the wacko-ness continue even now, when the deleterious consequences of the wacko lifestyle have become so painfully obvious?

It is very unusual that the children's best interests are not served by being with a biological parent.