Arguments for ground war - forget it

[Gordon Fitch]

Brad DeLong:
> >Brad portrayed the anti-war protesters, no matter how
> >orderly or polite, as personally afflicting the bereaved...
> >
> >-- Gordon
> 
> Liar.
> 
> What I wrote was:
> 
> >>Of course the war was not legitimate. Of course in a world in which 
> >>there are such inequalities of wealth and power, a counterattack 
> >>was illegitimate.
> >>
> >
> >
> >So we should have gone to visit the homes of the dishwashers at 
> >Windows on the World killed on September 11, and told their wives, 
> >husbands, and children that "Because the United States is a rich and 
> >powerful country, it would be illegitimate to take any steps to 
> >force the Taliban to hand over those responsible for this atrocity, 
> >and illegitimate to take any steps to reduce Al-Qaeda's ability to 
> >commit a similar atrocity again?"
> >
> >Somehow I don't think so.
> >
> 
> Maybe you misrepresent people's positions because it used to be 
> effective, and you got into bad habits. It's certainly not effective 
> today.

I didn't misrepresent your "position".  You constructed a
fantasy about anti-war protestors harassing the bereaved
relatives of victims -- there it is, right above.  But 
because it's a fantasy, a hypothesis, you don't have to 
take responsibility for it -- it's just a story, not a 
"position".  Calling you on it seems to have been effective
enough; I've merited a decoration.

-- Gordon