I just got an email from the Ayn Rand institute (one of their op-eds) that really addresses this subject. The title of the op-ed is "Arafat's Undeserved Honor: The West's Shame." Unfortunately, I don't have a political blog to put it up, and it's really quite inappropriate for Fusion Authority.
Here are three paragraphs from that op-ed that reflect my position and Michael's (and Jerry Johnson's, it appears) exactly: "This extravagant tolerance of Arafat, given his blood-soaked record, is not due to ignorance on the part of our politicians. It comes from the precept that moral judgment is an obstacle to action. This is the view that moral principles are an impediment to achieving practical aims, such as peace. One should, on this view, remain morally neutral--even though one side may be clearly in the right--and try to engage both sides in gentlemanly negotiation--even though one side may be a murderous thug. "Because moral neutrality is such an obviously immoral policy, its perpetrators must blacken the good while whitewashing the evil. Hence, world leaders condemn Israel, the innocent victim who refuses to submit, and lionize Arafat, the ruthless killer. "Arafat's elevation to the dignity of a peace-seeking statesman is due to our politicians' moral corruption. Were he judged properly, Arafat would long ago have been dealt the punishment he deserved. By sustaining him and perpetuating the delusion that Arafat was really a well-meaning statesman, politicians committed treason to his innocent victims." Judith ----- Original Message ----- > No, we tell them that the man who has raped them for years and has led them > to a > dead end is dead. It's time for a change. If they give respect, they'll get > respect. If they stop the attacks on Israel, Israel will not retaliate. If > they > want peace, they'll get peace, a state, land, world recognition, the whole > ball > of wax. The first thing is to show that they are not following in the > murderous > path of Arafat. > That seems rather simple, doesn't it. Ask them to show respect in return for > respect. > But look what's happening. There have been attacks on cars, on hospitals, on > civilians across Israel since Arafats death. There has been terrorist groups > renaming themselves in his honor. There is no move towards peace, there's just > more of the same. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:135817 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
