[Joe Dees]
It is in the nature of extremist that they cannot consider their own views extreme; therefore they must consider middle-of-the-roaders to be extreme themselves, or...
[rhinoceros]
So, are you sure you are not an extremist? That would make sense if you take into account that you are arguing for neat solutions.
[Joe Dees]
...or to be wishy-washy weak-willed Charlie browns lacking the courage to say what the extremist thinks they REALLY believe (which is, of course, identical to what the extremist him/herself believes), or to be either ignorant dupes of a malevolent propaganda conspiracy or, indeed, an active and knowingly collusive part of that conspiracy itself.
[rhinoceros]
Didn't you leave out "or memetically infected members of the CoV"
[Joe Dees]
It is, thus, a distinguishing mark of an extremist position that all alternative views are to be found on only one side of it, not on both sides, and that they typically manifest paranoia concerning conspiracy theories as to why the entire world does not accept the obvious truth of their position with welcome, open arms.
[rhinoceros]
"why the entire world does not accept the obvious truth of their position with welcome, open arms." Hey! You were supposed to argue *for* USA's international policies, not against.
[Joe Dees]
If the people that one is attempting to bomb are those who execute women for attempting to learn to read and man for playing music, and who fire at you from behind human shields of which you are not aware, it is more understandable, even by Afghanis;
[rhinoceros]
As reasonable and liberating all this may sound, there are other aspects to solutions enforced by war. I am not going to talk about theories on how society works, based on present and past human activity and blah blah. Just consider this imaginary statement: "I'm telling you school is good for you, so I killed your evil father who wouldn't let you go to school. Now, go."
[Joe Dees]
mistakes are made in wartime, and we have apologized for and attempted reparations for them
[rhinoceros]
That would make no difference to me if a bomb came out of nowhere while I was typing this.
I noticed you have been using *we* in several threads in connection with USA's international policies. I am curious about the mentality that would make someone chose this word. I use "they" for the government of my country, and I was thinking: Would I say *we* if the government's choises coincided with my beliefs? Maybe -- I have heard people doing that. Would this make me feel affirmed? Is it possible that I would change my beliefs if I needed this kind of affirmation?
Of course, it is possible that you are not just an ordinary Joe.
---- This message was posted by rhinoceros to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=25860>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sun Sep 22 2002 - 05:06:17 MDT