<I can hear your objections now--legalism in place of morality.>
No, I've given up on moral arguments. Since my nation doesn't seem to think of Others as human, moral arguments fall on deaf ears. And I've given up on legal arguments, as I encounter an endless willingness to bend, stretch, twist, fold and mutilate the law, to suit any purpose. Pointless.
I'm reduced to making a plea for long-term self-preservation. Every time we give one more Iraqi (or Palestinian, or Afghan, or....) reason to hate us, that's one more person who may, sooner or later, help explode a nuke in your backyard. You can't kill them all. You cannot detain them all. You can't hold a gun to all their heads all the time. You cannot bring enough terror and violence to bear, to make them fear you enough, to make them submit, and finally make you safe. I know, that's the plan. The plan is failing.
The reason we should treat Them with respect and dignity, and follow the letter of international law, is because that is the only way we are ever going to be safe. As long as we treat them as subhuman, they will hate us, and Hit Back at us.
This should make sense, even for those who place nil value on the lives of people of all Other tribes. If not now, it'll make sense after a few more painful learning experiences. Which is what's coming up. |
