couvi
05-01-2011, 11:02 AM
Let’s set aside the faulty logic of Tony Shaffer and instead concentrate on the characteristics of his humanity. On ‘Stossel’ Shaffer claims that our modern wars are made necessary because “we have to defend our equities” (oil most importantly). He argues that “we inherited an empire” and therefore have an obligation to maintain it.
This is a unique admission. In saying such a thing Shaffer reveals the only truthful reasoning for our current policy of interventionism; he doesn’t suffer from the denial which causes most war mongers to exclaim stupidly that war advances the cause of humanitarianism; he doesn't argue dumbly that somehow the imposition of our extraordinary use of violence will eliminate more terrorists than it creates. Alternatively, Shaffer is saying, with mind-blowing sincerity, that it is alright that we kill people to advance our own comfortable American life.
Although it might benefit me financially, I do not murder strangers on the street and rob them of their money. I do not make a habit out of harming others for my benefit. I do not do such things because I have a moral compass which functions--Shaffer does not. He advocates the equivalent of what would be considered to be blatantly criminal if committed on a small scale.
But in Shaffer’s mind the murderous action of our military is made OK because it is committed by a monstrous and collective force. He finds it “necessary to sacrifice some for the greater good”, but what he promotes is only a cause for the lessening of good. He calls the violence of our impositions an American “value”. Blasphemy.
Shaffer and the rest of the elite military and political class should be vehemently ostracized and ridiculed for promoting what any decent human being who is not blinded by ignorance would call radical extremism. What Shaffer advocates is more disgusting than the actions of the cruelest serial killer. He promotes a “chess game” (his words) of rampantly murderous tyranny. He deserves the respect which one might give to the worst rapist or child molester--it is a cause of pain even to type his name. Non-propagandized history will judge him and his class of people as instigators and perpetuators of one of the most dreadful empires in history.
Plainly: Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer is a bad person. And we should have no qualms about calling him such. Along with his ilk.
This is a unique admission. In saying such a thing Shaffer reveals the only truthful reasoning for our current policy of interventionism; he doesn’t suffer from the denial which causes most war mongers to exclaim stupidly that war advances the cause of humanitarianism; he doesn't argue dumbly that somehow the imposition of our extraordinary use of violence will eliminate more terrorists than it creates. Alternatively, Shaffer is saying, with mind-blowing sincerity, that it is alright that we kill people to advance our own comfortable American life.
Although it might benefit me financially, I do not murder strangers on the street and rob them of their money. I do not make a habit out of harming others for my benefit. I do not do such things because I have a moral compass which functions--Shaffer does not. He advocates the equivalent of what would be considered to be blatantly criminal if committed on a small scale.
But in Shaffer’s mind the murderous action of our military is made OK because it is committed by a monstrous and collective force. He finds it “necessary to sacrifice some for the greater good”, but what he promotes is only a cause for the lessening of good. He calls the violence of our impositions an American “value”. Blasphemy.
Shaffer and the rest of the elite military and political class should be vehemently ostracized and ridiculed for promoting what any decent human being who is not blinded by ignorance would call radical extremism. What Shaffer advocates is more disgusting than the actions of the cruelest serial killer. He promotes a “chess game” (his words) of rampantly murderous tyranny. He deserves the respect which one might give to the worst rapist or child molester--it is a cause of pain even to type his name. Non-propagandized history will judge him and his class of people as instigators and perpetuators of one of the most dreadful empires in history.
Plainly: Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer is a bad person. And we should have no qualms about calling him such. Along with his ilk.