Re: Hope for the US - 2004

begin  Timothy R. Butler's  quote:

| > The fact that anyone in a position of power in the US government
| > is even contemplating such a unilateral attack (and Rumsfeld has
| > floated many trial balloons) just demonstrates the foolishness of
| > the administration's world view.
|
|   It ought to demonstrate the foolishness of certain members of the
| administration's world view. Suggesting the administration as a
| unit, and thus President Bush, is foolish because of an idea from a
| part of his administration that he personally shot down isn't a
| very good idea.

there is much accepted as fact that is not fact, not the least of it 
being the idea of a "unilateral attack," the "unilateral" coming 
almost solely out of kyoto, which was nothing more or less than an 
attempt by much of the rest of the world (which, interestingly, also 
has not approved it) to attempt to do economic damage to the u.s. 
(and lest this be thought to be a bush creation, it should be noted 
that clinton, under whose presidency it was negotiated, did not even 
put it before the senate for ratification; in a sense of the senate 
resolution, the vote was unanimously against kyoto).

now, let's deal with the matter of pre-emption. the unthinkable events 
of september 11, 2001, rendered defenses, that would earlier not have 
been considered, not only possible but sensible. surely if by some 
act of pre-emption the events of thast sad day could have been 
prevented, it would have been a good thing. though then there would 
be many, including many on this list, who would argue that those 
events would not have taken place and the pre-emption would have 
taken place for some other reason. this flawed reasoning has been 
employed by thoughtless people and members of the rabble for 
centuries, and has made as little sense throughout history as it does 
today.

it comes down, always, to one thing, which is indeed the basis of much 
of our law: motivation. to do something to bring about an evil end is 
always evil, and to do something to bring about good is at least 
mitigated by that motive. and all the rest is talk, and not very good 
talk at that.
-- 
dep

http://www.linuxandmain.com -- outside the box, barely within
the envelope, and no animated paperclip anywhere.

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