Tut tut, Kymar; remember that being a philosophy professor has no bearing on one's logical consistency, or even one's humanity. Many philosophy profs are indeed 'moral monsters' themselves, to borrow stockoptionist's phrase. Peter Singer at Princeton for example: ============ From the man who proclaimed that killing month-old newborns is perfectly moral but eating a turkey sandwich is tantamount to murder comes the declaration that sex between humans and animals can be a wonderful experience. Princeton Professor Peter Singer called for tolerance for bestiality in an article in which he graphically describes an octopus performing sex acts upon a woman and men engaging in the marital act with barnyard hens. Of this latter practice, the Ivy League prof. waxes, "But is it worse for the hen than living for a year or more crowded with four or five other hens in [a] barren wire cage so small that they can never stretch their wings, and then being stuffed into crates to be taken to the slaughterhouse, strung upside down on a conveyor belt and killed?" All of this would be laughable if not for the fact that Princeton energetically recruited [this nitwit], provided him [with] an endowed chair, and houses him in its Center for Human Values. Why an enthusiast of bestiality, infanticide, and equality between humans and animals would be hired as the featured professor in a "Center for Human Values" has not been explained. Contemplating that humans, like dogs, monkeys, apes, and elephants, are mammals, Singer concludes: "This does not make sex across the species border normal, or natural, whatever those much-misused words may mean, but it does imply that it ceases to be an offence to our status and dignity as human beings." Speak for yourself, Professor. =================
Max, missed the "tirade". I am sure though that FOX got their money's worth. As an aside, just curious......Max, do you think Jonathan Pollard got a square deal? Didn't get shot, but got a life sentence. What's your take on that my brother? Rs7
Just because you were against the war, doesn't mean you are automatically anti american. What a load of crap. I dont know why people automatically jump to that conclusion. I was absolutely against the reasons behind the war, but very pro american. Alot of the peace protestors were. They are pro american, because they didn't want to see America become this vigilante country, thumbing its nose against world opinion/international law. I dont want to see this country hated in the middle east because they think we're imposing an Israeli/American agenda at the expense of their countries. I'm glad the war is almost over, but alas......a few weeks into the campaign, and they STILL can't find those dreaded WMD's the war was supposedly about. You know what's really amazing is that here we are, April 12 2003, there's been no use of WMD's in the war, no al Qaeda strikes here in the US, no mass rioting in the middle east, no nuclear war with pakistan/india, N Korea seems to be semi-rational,......damn....the world is in better shape than alot of people thought it would be compared to 6 months or a year ago.
KymarFye, Philosopher Thomas Nagel mentions that anyone taking on a morally really risky project such as starting a revolution to overthrow a repressive government should think twice about his actions. If the revolution failed and it resulted in even more repression and more loss of lives, then he might not be justified to start it to begin with. The bottom line is that in some cases, including this war I believe, one may only be justified by the eventual outcome, however careful one's plans are. Moral luck is a huge subject traced back to Aristotle. If you are interested, I encourage you to refer to the following: Martha Nussbaum, The Fragility of Goodness Bernard Williams, Moral Luck, Thomas Nagel, Moral Luck, and a collection of fascinating essays edited by Daniel Statman, Moral Luck. It's impossible for me to go deeper here. Besides, I don't want to make this forum too academic. Cheers, stock.
"a really morally risky project such as starting a revolution to overthrow a repressive government should think twice about his actions." Wow! Good thing Nagel wasn't around in the time of our founding fathers. Phew! We were "morally lucky" on that one! Close call. And I'm sure glad Jefferson didn't get to read Nagel's "What is it like to be a bat?" http://members.aol.com/NeoNoetics/Nagel_Bat.html
The Delusion Continues for these Japanese "Human Shields." These idiots actually think they protected Iraqi infrastructure: 6 human shields leave Iraq, saying their job is done Sunday, April 13, 2003 at 06:00 JST BAGHDAD â Six Japanese human shields who remained in Baghdad to protest the U.S.-led war on Iraq, left the country Saturday as they judged their task of trying to help protect life-supporting facilities for local people has been accomplished. The six entered Iraq from late March to early April and were stationed at facilities including a water-purification plant some 10 kilometers south of central Baghdad and a power station, they said. They said they were frightened by air raids and conflict occurring nearby, but also expressed satisfaction in judging they helped to prevent the utilities from being destroyed with no attack targeted at them. They decided to return to Japan as the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein no longer controls Iraq and the utilities they were shielding are now likely to remain undestroyed, they said. "I'm proud of myself for doing my best by placing myself in the same place with the Iraqi people suffering from war," Takayabu said. (Kyodo News)
My favorite Quotes from Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf: "My feelings - as usual - we will slaughter them all" "Our initial assessment is that they will all die" "Yes, the american troops have advanced further. This will only make it easier for us to defeat them" [On surrenders] "Those are not Iraqi soldiers at all. Where did they bring them from?" "I blame Al-Jazeera - they are marketing for the Americans!" "We have destroyed 2 tanks, fighter planes, 2 helicopters and their shovels - We have driven them back." "We are not afraid of the Americans. Allah has condemned them. They are stupid. They are stupid" (dramatic pause) "and they are condemned." "We have them surrounded in their tanks" "The American press is all about lies! All they tell is lies, lies and more lies!" "Lying is forbidden in Iraq. President Saddam Hussein will tolerate nothing but truthfulness as he is a man of great honor and integrity. Everyone is encouraged to speak freely of the truths evidenced in their eyes and hearts." "Let the American infidels bask in their illusion" "I triple guarantee you, there are no American soldiers in Baghdad." "I speak better English than this villain Bush" "They're not even [within] 100 miles [of Baghdad]. They are not in any place. They hold no place in Iraq. This is an illusion ... they are trying to sell to the others an illusion." "they are nowhere near the airport ..they are lost in the desert...they can not read a compass...they are retarded." "On this occasion, I am not going to mention the number of the infidels who were killed and the number of destroyed vehicles. The operation continues" "Today we slaughtered them in the airport. They are out of Saddam International Airport. The force that was in the airport, this force was destroyed." "We went into the airport and crushed them, we cleaned the WHOOOLE place out, they were slaughtered"