Is there no good news in the world? There's precious little in this thread.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

I don't think "killing" is the measure of success on the US's part: Their goal is basically to stop the killing; every time someone is killed, be it an American, or an Iraqi, our cause is hurt---not true with the other side.

The link that Kevy posted shows otherwise.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

The link that Kevy posted shows otherwise.

I do not enjoy disciplining my children. My goal is to not have to discipline them because they make they will make the right (as a parent, I determine right) choices. If I have to discipline them, have I failed in my goal? No. not in the least. I am hopefully moving toward the goal of not having to dicsipline them by disciplining them.

Our goal during the cold war was not to nuke to USSR. Yet we built a tremendous arsenal to ensure we would not have to use them (mutually assured destruction).

It is most certainly possible to have a goal of the elimination of conflict while engaging in conflict itself.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I do not enjoy disciplining my children. My goal is to not have to discipline them because they make they will make the right (as a parent, I determine right) choices. If I have to discipline them, have I failed in my goal? No. not in the least. I am hopefully moving toward the goal of not having to dicsipline them by disciplining them.

Our goal during the cold war was not to nuke to USSR. Yet we built a tremendous arsenal to ensure we would not have to use them (mutually assured destruction).

It is most certainly possible to have a goal of the elimination of conflict while engaging in conflict itself.

Well, that's a whole 'nother thread altogether, and a fight we definitely do not want to have. But if the analogy is supposed to say that it's a means to an end, I'm on a whole different plane about it. Just as I do not punish children, as I don't believe that it teaches them anything other than might makes right, I would not support killing as a means of stopping said behavior.

But hey, I'm mostly a pacisifist, so I know we won't agree. I understand your viewpoint, however.