Perspective
Over at the Volokh conspiracy a conversation as fascinating and disturbing as a freeway accident is going on about Guantanamo Bay. One of the sentiments I find most curious is this one:well, we didn't remain pristine or faultless in past wars which were essential to the survival of the nation. WWII and the Civil War spring to mind.
When was it precisely that terrorist groups gained as much power as Hitler did in World War II? Six years later a single terrorist strike apparently has been enough to convince that the armies of darkness are amassed at our gates, ready at any instant to destroy us.
Apparently terrorism worked.
posted by Michael Benson @ 1:09 PM
2 Comments:
I know there's a formal name for it in ethical philosophy, but I just call it the "it worked, so it must have been necessary" fallacy.
By that logic, we ought to be A-bombing something at this point, right? or marching through Georgia.
It's the rock fallacy. I have this magic rock that protects me from lions. As proof I proffer the fact that I've never been attacked by lions while wearing it!
The paranoia of it is quite absurd. Look at the volume and kinds of terrorist attacks other nations have dealt with! All it takes is one very successful attack and the fools are prepared to trade away the rule of law for protection against the bad guys. What else could make Osama seem more right when he accuses the U.S. of being a week kneed paper tiger, willing to give in when their is any actual cost?
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