----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Land" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 2:18 PM Subject: Re: Peaceful change L3
> On Apr 17, 2005, at 7:32 PM, Gautam Mukunda wrote: > >> Lincoln's last great speech, and the one that seems to have best >> expressed his intentions, says it best - "With malice towards none, >> with >> charity for all, _with firmess in the right as God gives us to see >> the >> right_, let us strive on to finish the work we are in..." >> >> With firmness in the right. > > "... as God gives us to see the right." > > This elision is telling, and is for me the crux of the problem. > > Too often, we fail to remember that we only see so far, that our > certainties are only so certain. > >> Lincoln contained multitudes, but none of those multitudes can >> plausibly >> be enlisted in an argument that we should sit on our hands in the >> face >> of great evil. > > And this is a result of that failure: the oversimplification of > complex > issues. Who, is it -- citations, please -- is arguing that we should > sit > on our hands in the face of great evil? > > While I've certainly heard you, Gautam, and others making the claim > that > Nick has made that argument, I haven't seen him or anyone else argue > that > inaction was the solution. > > I see a pattern here: > > Urge cautious language and be accused of cowardice and/or pretense. > > Urge cautious action and stand accused of inaction. > > Isn't the world more complex than this? > It is. And some of those who warned us about binary thinking on this list in years past are practicing it today. xponent Continuum Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
