RE: Prostitution v. war crimes: the real moral offense.

"... I believe that our Heavenly Father invented man because he was disappointed in the monkey. I believe that whenever a human being, of even the highest intelligence and culture, delivers an opinion upon a matter apart from his particular and especial line of interest, training and experience, it will always be an opinion of so foolish and so valueless a sort that it can be depended upon to suggest to our Heavenly Father that the human being is another disappointment and that he is no considerable improvement upon the monkey." *The Autobiography of Mark Twain

Unlike Mark Twain, I've never been disappointed in the monkey.

I believe the point, Glenn, is the comparison itself (persecuting/prosecuting prostitutes v. war crimes) is the real moral offense. A monkey would get it. In a sense, and 0% prime rate, we've all been left barefoot and pregnant.

Take your shoes off, relax, sit a spell ...when did you say you're doing that interveiw w/ Moyers on the media?

bah.

Although, Glenn, there is no such thing as pure evil - if for no other reason than one could always imagine a still more pure evil -, the following excerpt gives me goose bumps:

>"But anyone who felt the way I felt after 9/11 has to reckon with the fact that what was done in our name was, in some sense, done for us - not with our knowledge, exactly, but arguably with our blessing."

I don't know who this fellow thinks he is, how he feels or what he is blessing, but he don't speak for me. ... blathering blovators are worse than a sewing circle.

***

What, today, seems hardly beyond dispute, Glenn, is the nationalistic underpinnings in commiting war crimes for the 'right reasons.' American exceptionalism, an adament refusal to even consider subordinating [perceived] national interests to the broader interests of the world community, is an 'obsolecent doctrine.'

'... The woes and tribulations which threaten [America] are partly avoidable but mostly inevitable ..., for by reason of them a government and people clinging tenaciously to the obsolescent doctrine of absolute sovereignty and upholding a political system, manifestly at variance with the needs of a world already contracted into a neighbourhood and crying out for unity, will find itself purged of its anachronistic conceptions ...'

bah.

Firstly, I would imagine it to be the extent to which the character of political officials so instructs them to uphold the law(s) in question. In the first place!

(In other words, they should be just for justice's sake.)

A distant second, imo: criminal deterrence.

'...Not by force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching - no matter how elaborate in its character - not even by the staunchness of our logic or the exaltation of our enthusiasm, can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of of a critical and sceptical age the supreme claim of '...justice.

So, Glenn, I would humbly suggest the best way, perhaps the only way, to establish justice and to deter injustice is the extent to which our own character and conduct reflect and exemplify the principles and characterics of justice.

vigilently yours,

bah.

bop o. what's a 'shoat'?

I admit it Glenn. Like you (litigating in NY), I assumed at the time our political/media leadership were so consumed with Bill Clinton's sex life that they wouldn't have the time or inclination to screw-up the whole freaking world ... quite the way they have!

Since then, I've come to the conslusion that democratic leadership, in particular, ain't got enough sense to get out of the rain. Complicity in the NSA programs but a minor manifestation of their malfleasence.

The whole stupid "Global War on Terror" is inherently illogical and dangerously destablizing. (*And personally, after eight, counting 8, years, i'm beginning to think Osama bin laden is just a figment, a cgi, of our imaginations as well.) Terrorism is a police matter, as any fool knows.

Hell, by and large, they voted for the stupid AUMF Glenn, and you want to know (just kidding) if they are complicit! They are worse than complicit, they are C.r.a.z.y.

bah.

~bop o. I hope wherever William Timberman is, he gets a little 'shoat' in his poke for Christmas. A gentlemen's gentleman. e.s.p... spooky.

and all the bloggers were quite,

with no possible retort:

"after being involved in a Fox News report."

Some oberservations to list and bump,

you can't argue with a stump.

***

Cheer up Glenn... 'for the blogger an empty stocking, but in our sleeve a hoard.' (*Hafiz or bop o, I get confused.)

Merry Christmas all,

bah.

ergo the ego (h/t William the Timberman.), I have a Phd. I won't tolerate torture of any kind - small critters or even bugs. My vanity won't abide by it. I will fight [you, yoo or anyone else] over a dog.

It must be some kind of sickness Glenn - there is no *good motive* for torture. Torture is known by its tortureous qualities; ergo the term torture. It don't take no phd-esp mind-reader to know the motive for Torture! '...when once the pearl is opened, it will be evident if it contains a pearl or worthless matter.'

***

bah.

new years resolutions;

~temporize my writing a bit more (or, as shakespeare put it, a few more pregnant pauses.). I need all the help I can get!

~bop o. happy thanksgiving and a merry new years.

~o/t Glenn. Concerning the nonexistence of evil. Look at it this way; Good things do exist (e.g. good writing and other small kindnesses.), evil is their nonexistence.

"Who's there," asked bop o?

"Tis I, Tongue of the Invisible," replied Glenn.

"I see", said the bop o.

...As a small jesture of mercy, we shall restrain from juggling.

bah.