From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Apr 07 2003 - 22:31:37 MDT
--- Samantha Atkins <samantha@objectent.com> wrote:
>
> Perhaps the Europeans have a bit more direct experience than we
> do with supposedly high ideals used as rationalization or even
> when honest high ideals leading to jackboots. Personally, I
> find it utterly appalling that intelligent people can speak as
> if our reason for this war is to bring freedom to the Iraqis.
> More freedom may eventually be a consequence - a very long
> maybe. But it is certainly not our true motive. It is becoming
> a bit of successful brainwashing that giving the Iraqis freedom
> is why we are there. Sad how gullible human beings are.
I was going to make an ad hominem here, comparing Samantha's grip on
reality to that of Baghdad Bob. I think, instead, that her attitude
here reflects a common difference in attitude.
I get generally categorized with conservatives, despite my many
libertarian opinions, but I think that this labelling occurs because I
share a neocon attitude about my opponents.
Liberals and left wingers, and their sympathizers, generally have an
attitude that their enemies and opponents cannot possibly have
benevolent intentions because they are inherently evil, wrong, and
stupid. They beleive that because libertarians like myself and neocons
tend toward beleiving in the value of self interest, that that is ALL
we value, that we cannot possibly have any fiber of altruism in our
beings, they cannot consider the idea that self sacrifice can serve
self interest.
Conversely, libertarians like myself and many neocons have an attitude
about liberals and other left wingers like Samantha that they certainly
do have benevolent intentions, but that the policies they espouse to
achieve them are inherently evil, wrong, and stupid, SPECIFICALLY
because they reject the value of self interest as a goal of self
sacrifice.
"There are no American tanks in Baghdad." - Baghdad Bob
"Kaboom" - M-1 Abrams tank, 1/4 mile away...
=====
Mike Lorrey
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
- Gen. John Stark
"Pacifists are Objectively Pro-Fascist." - George Orwell
"Treason doth never Prosper. What is the Reason?
For if it Prosper, none Dare call it Treason..." - Ovid
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