"Bush's re-election may be a lesser evil because he is much more likely to continue the destruction of the alliance system that is so crucial to American power."
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If I were a god, observing humanity from some pan-dimensional perch, manipulating events from time to time the way Zeus for example was said to have pushed Achilles into war, I might have some sympathy for Kolko's cleverness.
But, as it happens, I'm not a god at all but a squishy, vulnerable human, dependent upon things like heat in the winter, medical care and other indispensible goods and services. When I look around, I see others just like me, not a "destroyer of worlds" in the bunch.
Now, it seems the Bush administration, whatever its negative virtues may be as an engine of empire deconstruction, is also a sort of wrench unthreading the few bolts holding the support system for millions of people together.
Four more years of these fellows will mean more turns at the wrench and more weakness of an already faltering, poorly maintained system.
Each turn brings more suffering.
A god might say, 'well yes, it's unfortunate but you'll see, it's all for the ultimate good, a grand chess game is being played.' A fine position for a god to take but a very poor one for a human who should, we hope, experience empathy. It's quite alright for Lord Krishna to advise Arjuna to go to war, regardless of the cost in blood -- who, except the Christians, expects their god to care? But for a person to write such things, knowing the further misery that's sure to come if their tactical wishes are granted, is leaving behind the proper human perspective and putting on the robes of assumed deity.
I can't accept this argument, built as it is upon an olympian foundation.
.d.