spider image

Moral Calculus

12-11-04

"Americans will judge the rightness and wrongness of the Iraq war based on how many American casualties there are. The deaths of Iraqis hardly enters into that moral calculus. Knowing that, the administration has crafted an attack on Iraq that will minimize American casualties, mostly through air power, that also has the effect of maximizing civilian casualties. Smart bombs are only as smart of the people who set their targets. And if those people are indifferent to civilians then the bomb is neither smart nor dumb, but just as indifferent as they are. "

From Mykeru via Riverbend.

I am compelled to post this as I go up to bed and squeeze my baby's wonderful fat legs.

Comments

blowing up babies is about the least christian thing I can think of.

what a country it is that we live in. is it really ours? doesn't feel like it.

tyson
Mon 12/13/2004 3:23AM e-mail home page

War is horrible and ugly and hell for innocent civillians.
When your dad was a one year old toddler, in diapers, the family spent 40 days in a cellar bomb shelter, while Budapest was being blitzed. Someone gave Tom a handful of raisins, and he played with them for an hour before he ate them. Nagymama told us about that, and how they had to dodge from house to house to get to a well for water. At least they survived, all limbs intact, so we're all here.

Alexa
Mon 12/13/2004 5:23PM e-mail home page

I saw that picture the other day and just cried.

I haven't read your weblog in a *long* time and spent an hour or so catching up -- congratulations on your new (to you!) home, and on your gorgeous scrumptious baby boy!!! (william is exactly a week older than my wee maggie.) I love your writing, too. /gush

Anna
Thu 12/23/2004 1:17AM e-mail home page

that photo rocks me to my core. war is always so stupid, so senselses, and so very wrong. it is a crime of the highest order, and the biggest flaw of humankind. ugh. what kind of karma will our country reap from this? not that the government cares. it just breaks my heart into a million pieces to see that poor baby. one thing that the government does not understand is that is not just "a" baby, it's my baby, when i look at it. if only a mother were president, maybe things would be different.
xoxo

suess
Fri 12/31/2004 11:41AM e-mail home page