Quail's Selective Understanding

[barbara100 at jps.net]

Inaccurate again. I don't think the war is "based primarily on revenge."  I think it's an element for sure, especially among average folks, and I think it's an idea very well ingrained into our Judeo-Christian psyches, but I won't extend it all the way into the psyche of the government (if there is such a thing).  It's probably an even more sinister line of thinking within the government.
Since you're just dying to know how far my pacifism stretches, I'll tell you. Again (I've discussed it once or twice here before, in detail).  I can conceive of using violence or force in some situations.  Like if I was about to be raped and tortured and murdered, and I happened to be holding a gun, I wouldn't have many qualms about shooting the mother-fucker dead. The way I'm inclined to see it, I'd be saving future lives by ridding society of him. I might say the same for OBL too. But when you have to bomb 3,700 civilians (blowing off their little arms and gouging out their little eyes) and starve off 7.5 million refugees to do it, well, that's where I have draw the line.  It sort of defeats the purpose in my little unREASONABLE mind. You know? 
Barbara




Original Message:
-----------------
From: The Great Quail quail at libyrinth.com
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 13:14:01 -0500
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: RE: Re: Quail's Selective Understanding


>You just keep hammering away with my use of the word "official." Let 
>me clear it up if I can--An "official eye for an eye" was meant to 
>note the "official" number of dead Afghans, as accounted for in the 
>Report I posted along with my comment.

All right, that certainly does shade your meaning differently. Though 
the gist is still the same -- based on previous posts, you must 
admit, you see the US attacks as not only unjust, but based primarily 
on revenge, yes? Or am I being inaccurate again?

>Seeing as how you probably didn't bother to read the Report, and 
>maybe not even the end of Toby's post, I'll let you off the hook.

Then put me back on the hook, because I read it all. Though I still 
ask the question to the P-List pacifists, especially you, Doug, Toby, 
and Richard:

Do you feel that the United States ever been "right" in waging war, 
keeping in mind that even WWII had civilian casualties? I ask, 
because I wish to know the extent and limits of your pacifism.

--Q

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