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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: 2MAR$ who wrote (32180)	10/12/2001 5:16:09 PM
From: Solon	Respond to of 82486

Good article. One would think that "reason" would always win. However, there is an unfortunate (tongue in cheek but serious) corollary between rationality and morality--empathy/identity. Rational people tend to be pacifist and caring because the mind and the feeling are interconnected. An Iranian friend of mine says we MUST use force while we still can in these countries. He says we MUST practice totalinarianism as a pragmatic expedient for the time being. It makes me shudder. But is he right? If six riders are coming to hang you when you are innocent , do you face them and draw on all six? or do you shoot them from ambush? I don't know. What we do to others we do to ourselves... But in the end we try to prolong life. Some people believe that life is already eternal in the same ego setting; so they do not need to cooperate with their brothers and sisters. These brothers and sisters can be sacrificed for higher ideals such as 72 virgins (EDIT: I thought 72, but it might be 73) and 28 young boys (just like pearls)--(and, of course, fresh water, fresh fruit, and rivers of wine). Other people live their life strictly on the evidence. Having no supernatural goals, they have no need to take the risk of condemnation, murder, or suicide. They have no net, so they live with care. Absolutism is the enemy of life. Whether Communist, Catholic, Muslim, or Manson--I wish we could exile them all to good arable land. But, I suppose in the end we will run to the stars...while they tear apart the carcasses of the dead...