On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 08:04:01 -0500, DSK wrote:

2- we're supposed to be the good guys


Dave Hall wrote:
Yea, but it's all relative.

In other words, you don't believe there is really such a thing as good
and evil? Only varying shades of gray?

I look at it as a long line. On the one end of the line is "good" the
opposite end of the line is marked "evil". Most people fall somewhere
in between those extremes, and the increments are infinite.


3- we control what we do, not them



It seems to me, that we place ourselves a great tactical disadvantage
by steadfastly proclaiming to adhere to "the rules", while our enemy
freely flaunts its indifference to following "the rules".

Well, if by being "realitvely" good compared to terrorists, we create
more new terrorists faster than we can kill them, *and* give world
opinion a solid reason to like them more than us, then we lose. Isn't
that kinda dumb?

What's the alternative? We wear white uniforms and smile when they
drive suicide bombers through our gates?

We are not, BTW, "creating" new terrorists. We are only exposing them
for what they really are. This sentiment has been festering in that
region for a long while now. We're just bringing the situation to a
head now, rather than later when those "dark" forces are much
stronger.


2ndly, if you set aside principles for convenience, then you do not
really have any principles.

I can't argue with the essence of your statement. But sometimes, you
have to bend the rules a little for the greater good. Life is a
series of compromises. Many times that greater good will not be
realized until many years later.


Dave