June 25, 2003

Moral Stupidity

Another excellent article by Orson Scott Card (via that Instapundit guy)

I had just finished an interview at a public television station, and a staff member was kindly presenting me with a tape of the program, when I saw on a monitor a CNN report that Hamas had declared total war on Israel.

I laughed and said, "And how will that be different from what they've already been doing? Once you've spent a few years blowing up babies and schoolchildren and old people, how can you make your war more total than that?"

To my astonishment, she clucked her tongue and said, "It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the two sides."

I couldn't believe she actually meant that. "Israel hasn't been targeting helpless civilians," I said.

To which she contemptuously replied, "They just use the regular army to achieve the same result."

Then she picked up a phone and made a call, rudely turning her back on me. I was, apparently, no longer worthy of serious attention.

Her rudeness, of course, was entirely understandable -- the politically correct are above the rules of ordinary civility, once they have identified you as an unbeliever in their religion.

But I still can't help but be appalled when I find people as morally stupid as this person was.

Posted by Ithildin at June 25, 2003 7:04 AM | PROCURE FINE OLD WORLD ABSINTHE

Charming...

Posted by: Paul Jané at June 25, 2003 10:15 AM

Thanks for the link. My opinion of Card just went way up.

"I cannot find a single leader in the Democratic Party who is capable of acting on the basis of what is right, rather than what will make our side win. "

This seems to me the fundamental problem with that party. I place much of the blame on the law schools (aren't most Democrat pols lawyers, and aren't most lawyers Democrats?) In law school future politicians are taught to base all their arguments on what is in the interest of their side rather than on what is true or right. And that's exactly what Democrats do these days: twist, torture, and spin the truth until it appears to support their side, no matter what.

Posted by: John B at June 25, 2003 2:06 PM

John!! Great to "see" you again :)

Posted by: Ith at June 25, 2003 2:29 PM

So, Paul... Should we get really old school and follow Shakespeare's advice to 'Kill all the lawyers'? It would make for some interesting elections. I've shared your Lawyer/Democrat thesis for close to six years. Though Orson's post is incredibly telling about the liberals' incredibly narrow mindset.

Posted by: Red Ruffansore at June 28, 2003 6:08 PM

Ooops, made a mistake in my upper post. Comments were to be directed to John B... Not Paul.. Sorry.

Posted by: Red Ruffansore at June 28, 2003 6:10 PM

Yes, Red, that would be an excellent start. Bring out the guillotine for all the "let them eat tort(e)s" lawyers. And broadcast scenes of all the pointy little heads rolling would make better "reality TV" than those "Meatballs Surviving on An Island" shows... :-)

Posted by: John B at June 30, 2003 10:16 AM