From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Wed Jan 02 2002 - 07:06:32 MST
From: "Geraint Rees" <g.rees@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk>
> previous US involvement in Afghanistan has certainly contributed to the
> current undesirable situation.
I disagree, because previous US involvement in Afghanistan has helped to
expose the terrorists, who would otherwise have remained hidden and secretly
plotting their malignant and murderous crimes.
> This suggests that risk assessment was
> faulty,
On the contrary, the outcome of this war continues to show that it is better
to destroy terrorism rather than try to appease it. The world is safer without
organized religious fanaticism such as the Taliban and Al Quaida.
> and suggests that at least as much attention should be paid to long
> term outcomes as short term gain.
In this case, "short term gain" equates to trying to appease the terrorists.
Long term gain means ridding the world of terrorists.
> I think that this applies whatever the
> situation; we pay politicians & diplomats for such foresight;
We pay the Commander in Chief to wage whatever war is necessary to preserve
the Constitution and integrity of the US. He has performed admirably, don't
you agree?
Let's applaud him: "Keep up the good work, Mr. President."
> marines are
> the ones who kill others before they kill us.
Ahem...
In case it has escaped your notice, let me point out that the President is the
top Marine.
The marines do *not* act independently of the government ("politicians &
diplomats").
War is diplomacy carried on by other means.
> Leaving 'why' to the next decade was dangerous in the 1980s as we can see
> with the luxury of hindsight;
Nonsense, the 80s had no equivalent act of terrorism to that of 9-11, and to
conflate US policy in the 80s with the kind of murderous acts of the Taliban
and Al Quaida is just plain ignorant.
> I don't see that it is any less dangerous
> today.
Today the world is a safer place due to US action against terrorists.
If the kind of passive denial that you advocate were to prevail, the
terrorists would go on terrorizing the whole world, and by now they might even
have carried out their vow to destroy Israel. But then, perhaps that's what
you secretly want to happen.
--- --- --- --- ---
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, Cyc, Eliza, cryonics, individual
uniqueness, ego, human values, scientific relinquishment, malevolent AI,
non-sensory experience, SETI
We move into a better future in proportion as science displaces superstition.
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