The Logic Off Topic list

Thoughts from the mind of GAmoore@..., 9/24/01:

>Pupkid wrote
>>>  A job needs to be done, for the good of the world. And the US is willing
>>>  to accept the loss of life of our soldiers, the economic costs, and the
>>>  political costs.
>>
>>While you pat yourselves on the back, lots of us are sick to the stomach at
>>the thought of what is about to be done in our names.  And highly dubious
>>about what it will do to rid the West of the threat of terror.
>
>Go in the bathroom and vomit then. You are ASSUMING you know what will
>happen, when in reality, nothing has happened yet. Please at least wait
>for the crime to occur before blaming us for it.

As far as I can see, there are 2 possible attitudes.  One: have blind 
faith in the US government to do the right thing.  If "by accident" 
any sort of wrong is being done, we can always complain about that 
later.  Or two: don't have blind faith in the US government and sound 
some words of warning and good reason, before we run the risk of 
making nasty mistakes.

I have the impression attitude one is rather common, and is (imo) 
extremely naive. Give me one good reason to have *blind* faith in 
whichever government.  "Blaming someone after the crime has occured" 
makes less sense to me than warning for a "possible crimne about to 
occur".

Therefore attitude two makes much more sense, in a rational world. 
The only problem is that all words of wisdom, care, rationality or 
compassion probably will have little or no effect on the actual 
measures that will be executed.  So be it.  At least those of us 
who've sounded words of warning will have the rational and emotional 
satisfaction of having been awake enough to have warned for any s* 
hitting the fan, _if_ things go wrong.  If nothing "hits the fan" and 
all actions are a wonderful success, well, then we've warned for 
nothing.  Still no harm done, and: better safe than sorry...

>They don't desserve to be called human beings, and they have 
>surrendered the right to be among the living.

... which would almost get me started on the fact that the US is the 
only western civilisation that's still thinking the death penalty is 
a reasonable punishment...  But I won't, I won't...


ttfn,
HJ
-- 
     Hendrik Jan Veenstra
     email: mailto:h@...
     www:   http://www.ision.nl/users/h/index.html