Ritual As Regulation

Hsun-tzu had no love for Rousseau.
He was an empiricist moralist of vice.

Back up, Yankee. Keep it simple, stupid.
The rules of the game are clear.

If there are no rules, no game.
If there is no game, no love.

If there is no love, no us.
If there is no us, no rules,

No game, no ritual, no broken rules.
To break the rules, that is vice.

To observe the rules, that is ritual.
To play by the rules is fair.

To be fair is the only thing
That makes us breakably human and afraid.

No, you can't possibly believe that, Superman.
To be fair, we are always afraid.