Oliver Willis

5 Responses to “Cowardice”

1. 1 frameone
   Nov 13th, 2005 at 7:11 pm

   I love this kind of shit: http://www.techcentralstation.com/020304A.html (linked to by Reynolds)

   “In fact, I believe that the liberal stance of trying too hard to “humanize” our enemies is a mistake that will make the problem worse, and produce more violence rather than less.”

   The last time I checked, the terrorists we are fighting are indeed human beings. Like Hitler was a human being. To call Bin Laden or Hitler monsters and leave it at that obscures more than it illuminates. It’s a defensive move — dare I say, a displacement mechanism (see the other idiot Reynolds links to ) to shield us from the darker truths about human nature and the truth that any human being can, given the right circumstances and influences, justify the most utterly abhorent actions. Unable to face this truth about human beings we turn away from it, declare the offenders something other than human, “animals,” “monsters” and “pure evil,” so that we can justify the use of savagery in our own response. We become then what we are fighting. Of course this kind of comment drives the Right-wingers batshit because, in their fear and ignorance, they don’t understand it. They think it means weakness which is the opposite of what it really means. It takes great honesty, and so great courage, to recognize that when we set out to kill our enemies, we are setting out to kill other human beings. In recognizing that our enemies are human, we place a check on our own instinctive will to savagery. In recognizing that sometimes we have to kill human beings to defend what is right and good, we ensure that we will never loose sight of the right and good ourselves. The opposite approach, to abstract the true nature of our enemies by referring to them as “animals” or “monsters” is the path to torture and darkness and the loss of all we claim to be defending. The right-wing would rather lose everything than ever have to face the truth.

2. 2 cypher
   Nov 13th, 2005 at 9:11 pm

   You didn’t like my comment?

3. 3 frameone
   Nov 13th, 2005 at 10:11 pm

   I disagree with McCain on a lot of things but I think his opposition to torture proves my point: Men of courage don’t torture:

   “I hold no brief for the terrorists,” he said. “But it’s not about them. It’s about us. This battle we’re in is about the things we stand for and believe in and practice. And that is an observance of human rights, no matter how terrible our adversaries may be.”

4. 4 Tuco Ramirez the Rat
   Nov 14th, 2005 at 9:11 am

   Oops, wrong thread. I thought that the title “Cowardice” was referring to Howard Dean’s refusal to be interviewed together with Ken Mehlman on Meet the Press, like his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, did on at least five occasions.

5. 5 frameone
   Nov 14th, 2005 at 9:11 am

   Unbelievable. Good to know that you’re Drudge’s little bitch, Tuco.

Leave a Reply