[OPE-L:5932] Re: Re: Re: RE: Re: Re: Re: the wages of war

From: Michael Perelman (michael@ECST.CSUCHICO.EDU)
Date: Mon Sep 17 2001 - 13:16:45 EDT


Ridiculous or not, he was on the State Department terrorist list.  The
talk of terrorism means that anybody whose policies the government
dislikes can be a terrorist -- the category is not grounded in objective
behavior as Patrick suggests.  Patrick, you are mking the mistake of
thinking rationally in irrational times.

On Mon, Sep 17, 2001 at 01:13:44PM -0400, Patrick L. Mason wrote:
> 
> 
> This discussion is bizarre. Mandela, a terrorist!!! Pure garbage.
> 
> To conflate terrorism with a legitimate freedom fighter is mind boggling. 
> Everyone on the face of the earth who cared to know, knew the purpose of 
> the ANC's struggle. On the other hand, no one knows (for certain, at the 
> moment) who was behind last week's insanity or what possible goal the 
> perpetrators were trying to achieve.
> 
> People who target buildings with day-care centers are simply evil. The WTC 
> included people of every religion, political ideology, economic class, skin 
> color, sexual preference, etc. among human beings. The only definable 
> target was human life.
> 
> Blowing up the world trade center (through the suicidal hijacking and 
> destruction of planes that also contained a vast variety of people) is an 
> extraordinarily vicious, utterly futile, and stupidly meaningless act. 
> America has an $8.5 to $9.0 trillion GDP. This senseless act will have zero 
> longrun economic impact. Politically, it will only make it more difficult 
> to create a more humane world. This horrific event eliminated all 
> discussion of the World Conference Against Racism from the print and 
> electronic.
> 
> The public works injection associated with rebuilding New York and 
> expanding the military will increase the size of the GDP. The American 
> military-industrial complex will only be made stronger. Neither the 
> Palestinians nor any Arab/Islamic political group fighting for a more 
> democratic government or any form of economic justice will be helped by 
> this act.
> 
> To equate Mandela and the African National Congress with the 
> nation/organization/individuals that carried out the actions of the past 
> week is deeply insulting to anyone who thinks that morality, ethics, 
> values, and the preciousness of life, especially human life, are something 
> more than "contemptible bourgeois concepts." The ANC had as its policy that 
> only economic infrastructure and military targets were legitimate targets.
> 
> Only degenerate, hedonistic, psychopaths murder thousands of people for the 
> sheer joy of killing.
> 
> Maybe, I don't understand the mentality of some on "the left" anymore. 
> Maybe, I never did. Many leftist wish to save whales, protect rain forests, 
> stop the senseless of baby seals, and (some) encourage humans to quit 
> eating meat. Okay, that's all good.
> 
> I'm all for saving whales, rain forests, and old growth forests and spotted 
> owls. But, I also think human life is worthy of salvation. I'm totally 
> against the senseless murder of animals. I live in a wooded area with 
> rattlesnakes, mocassins, copperheads, and coral snakes. I'm even against 
> killing these deadly snakes.
> 
> I have no idea who carried out this horrific action, but common decency 
> would suggest that the perpetrators have nothing in common with the ANC or 
> British teenagers training to fight off a Nazi invasion.
> 
> patrick l mason
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 04:48 PM 9/17/01 +0100, you wrote:
> >During the WW2  British boy scouts, from the age of 11 to 16 were taught how
> >to sabotage an expected German invasion force, in ways which were almost
> >certainly 'suicidal'... ... no doubt we might have regarded this as
> >terrorism if we were with the Wehrmacht.
> >
> >Your question is  strikingly naive, if you will excuse me saying so.
> >Mandela, Makarios, and many other post colonial leaders were well
> >established 'terrorist' leaders.
> >
> >What are the 'objective' or material causes of these acts? that is the
> >point.
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Chai-on Lee <conlee@chonnam.ac.kr>
> >To: ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu <ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu>
> >Date: 17 September 2001 11:21
> >Subject: [OPE-L:5922] RE: Re: Re: Re: the wages of war
> >
> >
> > >Dear All,
> > >
> > >Could anybody distinguish between the terrorist and the guerrilla?
> > >I am purplexed.
> > >
> > >Chai-on
> > >
> > >
> 

-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@ecst.csuchico.edu



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Oct 02 2001 - 00:00:04 EDT