JC Re: [extropy-chat] Re: US not right to invade say Iraqis

[John K Clark]

"Brett Paatsch" <bpaatsch at bigpond.net.au>

> I need to get some sense that it will be possible for you to recognize
> that international law exists. [....]  I await your reply with genuine
> eagerness,  so much so that I expect you  will dodge the questions or not
> send it.

Let me relieve your anxiety, I have no intention of dogging your question.
If the day comes when you can show me the error of my ways and that for
years I have been laboring under a misconception and you prove to me that
international law does indeed exists I will be forever grateful to you for
correcting my grievous and long lived mistake. To render me this service all
you have to do is name one aircraft carrier under the command of
international law, or cruiser, or destroyer, or PT boat, or tug boat, or
dingy, or bb gun, or cap pistol. Until that day comes to pass I will call it
for exactly what it is, international suggestions.

Why do you suppose people debating if Australian law existed or not would be
absolutely absurd, an exercise fit only for morons? It would be absurd
because the answer is so blindingly obvious. The fact that the very
existence of international law is controversial is pretty damn good evidence
to me of its mythical nature and can join its noble brethren, Big Foot,
flying saucers, cold fusion, and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying it's a bad idea, far from it!
Perhaps someday billions of people will have enough confidence in
international law to entrust their freedom and safety to it, I hope so, but
we're not there yet.

>  I'd like to know which would disturb you  more that "they" genuinely
> believed or that they were lying and deceiving including to Congress and
> to the American people.

You are asking me who is worse, a liar or an idiot. I have no easy answer.
Would you rather be shot or hung?

> I can say good things about Bush. I think he really loves his
> family.

Granted.

> I think he is probably genuine in his faith in God.

Yes but believing in something (faith) when there is no good reason for
doing so is not a virtue it is a vice. Bush had faith there were WMD in Iraq
and look where that got us. If you put a gun to my head I would say there is
a 51% probability that Bush really did believe all that WMD crap; but the
fact that the man who could destroy all human civilization in a few hours
with the wave of his hand is probably an idiot rather than a liar does not
enable me to sleep more soundly at night.

  John K Clark