From: Steve Peterson (peterson.steve@verizon.net)
Date: Tue Dec 16 2003 - 23:54:23 GMT
Hi Platt,
> "Our National Dialogue on Terrorism" From Platt Holden's revision of
> Al Franken's new book:
>
>> Why do they hate us?
>>
>> "They hate us because they are evil."
>>
>> Thatıs it, huh? Thatıs the entire story?
>>
>> "Yes. Theyıre evil. They murder innocent men, women and children.
>>
>> I know theyıre evil. I was just thinking that maybe if we
>> understood what specifically seemed to trigger the
>>
>> "You believe murder is excusable?
Steve:
Of course not. (In fact, by definition it's not. That's what murder
means---inexcusable killing. What I'm wondering is why do we have to cheer
for tautologies like "murder is wrong!" and "terrorism is evil!" before we
can have a conversation on the roots of terrorism??) "Itıs just that maybe
if we understoo"
Platt:
>> Understood what?
Steve:
I'm glad you asked. That's the whole point. We should be able to have the
conversation. (Unless you meant to imply that there is nothing to
understand.)
>> Iım not! I hate the terrorists. I was just saying that we might
>> be able to prevent the next
Platt:
>> How? By paying them off?
Steve:
Ummm...No? ...Or, I dunno. Maybe. If that would work...but I don't think
it would. Would it?
>> Believe me, I was not defending them. What they did was horrific
>> and inexcusable. Theyıre evil. I was just
>>
>> "Just what?
>>
>> Iım trying to say that maybe there are lessons we can
Platt:
>> What lessons?
Steve:
I don't know if you are seriously asking, or you are saying what you would
have said in this conversation. But I'm glad you asked and seem willing to
have the conversation.
The reason I tagged Franken's satirical exchange to that post is because I
thought that you were doing to DMB what the angry voice in the exchange was
doing (also because I had that conversation several times in the months
following 9/11).
You seem to be properly angered by liberal political correctness, but have
no sensitivity for the conservative version of the same. I liked Wim's
description: "Politically correct agreement is just a mask for social level
power games: who has enough status to exclude whom from the discussion." If
DMB had opened up his critique of the war on terrorism with a story of how
he lost one of his legs in 'Nam but it only serves as a reminder to him
daily of how much he loves his country, perhaps you would have been less
likely to try to exclude him from the discussion by lumping him in with
history's worst enemies. I long for the day when we can cut through both
the liberal and the conservative PC crap ("social level power games") and
have candid intellectual discussion.
Thanks,
Steve
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