Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
And I can't figure out whether you think we ought to just kill them because they won't be deterred, etc., or whether we ought to be ruthless because then they'll back off like they did in Syria and Iraq.
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Both. Ever have a real nasty case where its hard to get what you need, so you ask for something unreasonable and just become a real son of a bitch about things, knowing that if you make a forceful enough demand for 10, you'll get the 7 you need? Although on many levels, I loathe that behavior, I also respect the determination of such bastards. Assad didn't have to clear cut the entire neighborhood, but he knew if he didn't, he was fucked down the road. I am also comfortable with clear-cutting religious fanatics because they do nothing to move humanity forward. If we had no religion, we might not have the nonsense we have today. Organized religion speaks to man's fear of death. Nothing more, nothing less. Its a primordial defense mechanism - a conscious self-fooling. I believe in a God on the basis that something had to create the world. I don't believe in organized religion, or that there's any way to "talk" with him. My theory in that regard is just as disprovable as the "faith" these lunatics tout, but at least mine is grounded in rational thought, rather than fables. The Koran is not rational thought, and I don't respect anyone who'd believe it whole hog. Such a person should offend all rational thinking men. We're not losing any Nobel prize winners or progressive future leaders when we bulldoze a slum packed with madrasses. I say good riddance, and while I couldn't do it myself, I respect Assad's wise decision to do so. He nailed the cancer early and it hasn't been back. Nobody else has had such success.
Nothing makes a better argument than success. Assad was successful. Them's just facts.
