Usually, long-term consequences of individual actions and inactions are utterly incalculable. That cuts both ways, throwing a monkey wrench into both the idea that good ends justify more means than bad ends, if not all means, and the one that process matters and that the means must prefigure the ends, being good in themselves.
Nevertheless, there are some predictable systemic outcomes, despite incalculability at the level of individual decision-making. Under capitalism, most bad consequences come not from clearly violent means (e.g., war) and obviously evil intentions (e.g., malice) but from normal means (e.g., cost-benefit calculations) employed with normal intentions (e.g., just following the orders, minding one's own business) or even no particular intentions at all.
"Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect," <http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/safety/upload/deathonthejob.pdf>.
A Sound Bite on Occupational Safety: "You have a right to safe jobs -- your job isn't supposed to injure, kill or maim. But each year more than 6 million American workers are injured or become sick on the job -- 50,000 American workers die from occupational illness -- nearly 6,000 are killed on the job." <http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/safety/>.
Capitalists and politicians do not intend to kill 56,000 Americans and injure or sicken 6 million Americans each year, and yet unintended consequences of their normal actions and inactions are worse than intended consequences of violent actions by individuals or groups of individuals, including the current war. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://solidarity.igc.org/>