tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353680062320179256.post5692480627303801355..comments2023-12-29T17:12:14.653-08:00Comments on Shaving Leviathan: Terrorists Are Honest, Sort OfJeffrey Perrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11841019772535869442noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353680062320179256.post-67744638936096102582008-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:002008-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:00Yes, that's it exactly. That gets to the essence o...Yes, that's it exactly. That gets to the essence of the problem. Even honorable men, without principles, will be limited in their ability to see beyond a few concretes.Jason Pappashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233796281520274898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353680062320179256.post-78392052891155663092008-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:002008-08-25T15:09:00.000-07:00An excellent point. But given the tunnel-vision ex...An excellent point. But given the tunnel-vision exemplified by pragmatists, it shouldn't be too surprising.<BR/><BR/>Bush and those around him who have mostly decent values have little ability to form broad abstractions, a vital exercise in connecting the dots between two different concrete threats, especially when one of them is in chiefly philosophical form.<BR/><BR/>Others who might be influential have that ability, but because of their commitment to anti-life, anti-freedom positions will, naturally, not be inclined to connect the dots for him.<BR/><BR/>That principle has wider application.<BR/><BR/>Hence we see the majority of conservatives, who mostly have their hearts in the right place, are typically unable to think in terms of principles. Note, for example, how they harp on the price of gas but say little or nothing about the property rights of oil producers. <BR/><BR/>By contrast, the modern so-called liberals tend to be better educated and more intellectually capable, but are so vicious they are hopeless at solving our genuine large-scale problems. They are capable of understanding climatology, economics, and more, yet are perfectly content to sign everyone up for a global suicide pact.<BR/><BR/>The same idea applies to the fight against Islamic-fueled jihad.Jeffrey Perrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11841019772535869442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353680062320179256.post-88941204637533256492008-08-25T10:09:00.000-07:002008-08-25T10:09:00.000-07:00One of the things I hold against our current Presi...One of the things I hold against our current President is his failure to face the problem.<BR/><BR/>He’s made it appear that we only have a problem with one particular organization of villains, al Qaeda. Thus, Muslims can say they support the ideas of virtually any jihadist organization without fearing ostracism as long as they don’t give financial support to officially designated “terrorist groups.” <BR/><BR/>It was only a few weeks after 9/11, Bush said that Arafat isn’t a terrorist because he is a head of a state. That’s when I knew Bush wasn’t serious. His business as usual with Saudi Arabia made it obvious (to some of us.)Jason Pappashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233796281520274898noreply@blogger.com