X-Message-Number: 18084
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 20:43:03 +0900 (JST)
From: "Matthew S. Malek" <>
Subject: Moral Relativism

> For you to equate America's past support and training of Iraqi as well
> as Afgahni troops with the actions...

Again, I would point out to you that the United States established and
funded the training camps that were used by Al Qaeda.  They were
established to train terrorists, the only difference is that they were
called "Freedom Fighters" when they served US interests.

> ...blow up innocent women and children, 

Again, the United States is culpable.  Recall how many innocent women and
children died in Dresden.  Or when the atomic bombs were unleased.  

(For that matter, how many innocent men?  I don't see the lives of
civilian men as being any less valuable than that of civilian women...)

> Show me the CIA manual that espouses those acts as virtues and then
> maybe we'll talk.

Manuals are irrevelevant.  Not only do I have no access to _any_ CIA
manuals (I suspect you do not, either), but actions do speak louder than
words.  Read up on the history of other actions taken by the CIA.  Look at
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Grenada, Chile, and others.  

The United States has engaged in an enormous amount of state-sponsored
terrorism.  In fact, the US terrorist actions have killed far more than
the numbers who dies on September 11th (tragic though that day surely
was!).  Bush's goal of "ending terrorism" is a propoganda tool, nothing
more.  If the United States were sincere about wishing to end terrorism
worldwide, the best place for it to begin would be at home, with the
dismantling of its own terrorists.

> However your equating American actions with those of the ilk mentioned
> above is represhensible. 

Again, the United States put the Taliban and Saddam Hussein into power.
An automatic association with their actions, and a shared responsibility,
follows.  I stand by my words, and think that you might wish to take a
less naive look at the foreign policy of the United States.

> You should be ashamed of yourself for such a blatant morally
> relativistic response.

Moral relativism?  Hardly.  I take a very simple view:  Killing civilians
is wrong.  If the US does it, it is wrong.  If Al Qaeda does it, it is
wrong.  I don't care which rich religious fundamentalist is behind it,
Bush or Bin Laden.  It's still wrong.

The relativism that I have seen here is more along the lines of, "It's a
terrible affront to all of humanity when our citizens are killed, but no
matter who _we_ need to kill in pursuit of our goals, trust us... it is
sadly necessary."

=>Long Life for ALL,
=>Matthew

---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
   Matthew S. Malek        |    "Judging by his outlandish attire, he's 
       |     some sort of free-thinking anarchist!"
---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

      "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have
       found the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be
       imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted."

					--Frederick Douglass 
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