Re: Impact on History

From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Thu Sep 13 2001 - 09:10:15 MDT


Anders Sandberg wrote:
>
> On Thu, Sep 13, 2001 at 07:32:26AM -0700, Brian D Williams wrote:
> >
> > You seem to be missing the point. This is going to be a war against
> > organized terrorism, after this there may never be terrorism of the
> > sort we know now. There may be isolated cases sure, but the world
> > may come out from all this with the resolve to never let organized
> > terrorism exist in the world again.
>
> You mean just like the extremely successful War on Drugs?

I agree that Brian's is a "glass half full" interpretation of events.
I think that "terrorism" will more likely shift and become less focused,
and more like the "partisan" activity described in Brunner's _Stand on
Zanzibar_.

>
> > An idea worth dying, (and killing) for.
>
> No ideas are worth dying or killing for. Ideas are for living, not
> death.

Friend Anders, I wish you were right. Perhaps, someday, you will be.
But we'll have to make death obsolete before you are right, I think.
Until then, "I am willing to die/kill" is still a powerful trump.

MMB, with sorrow and a bit of bloodymindedness

-- 
"Du musst ... AMBOSS ODER HAMMER SEIN." 
  -- J. W. von Goethe, _Der Gross-Cophta, Act II_


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