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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (100187)	6/4/2003 12:17:37 PM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 281500

I disagree. There is no justification for the language you quoted, no matter how allegedly funny. If there ever is anything that is measured in the eye of the beholder, it is humor. I'm certain John didn't think the comment was particularly funny. The ultimate point being made was thoroughly ignored by all sides. The point I was about to ask John was this: Does evil exist or is it always something to be measured against the backdrop of perceptions, mores, political views and, yes, even biology? If evil is morally neutral, dependent on the observer, my next question would be this: If so, why are there some universally accepted acts that all groups, religions, etc., proscribe because they are deemed evil? I would expect John to reply that my premise is questionable, that religions,for example, have historically sacrificed children. How is that any different from the Palestinians sacrificing their children for political purposes? I would reply that I can't think of any religion embracing the sacrifice of children for political purposes. All religions that have engaged in human sacrifice did so purely for reasons mistakenly thought to be benevolent. Politics as far as I know never were never the justification. But he's AWOL so I'm not having what I think might be an interesting discussion. The thing that needs to be recognized is that the sacrifice of children for political purposes, while clothed in the flimsiest religious justification imaginable, I think is a new chapter in human history. It is repugnant, manipulative of the involved childrens' lack of informed judgment, and inherently evil. It proves to me that the capacity for organized evil exists--the Holocaust, in my view, was proof enough--and that it must be dealt with ruthlessly. Bush is 100% correct in refusing to meet with Arafat, who in my opinion is the prompting force behind "martyr" operations. I'm fairly certain that if it did not erupt the ME into a firestorm, Bush or the Israelis would justifiably assassinate him. I think it was Hannah Arendt who wrote about the banality of evil. We're now seeing a good example of her point. Are we complicit in these acts by failing to take stronger measures against them?