tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post116555400063826093..comments2023-10-24T04:29:23.693-06:00Comments on Atheist Ethicist: The Iraq Study Group ReportAlonzo Fyfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-1166135337181003052006-12-14T15:28:00.000-07:002006-12-14T15:28:00.000-07:00What do you think about morality/ethics as a resul...What do you think about morality/ethics as a result of natural selection?beepbeepitsmehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-1165691454687084482006-12-09T12:10:00.000-07:002006-12-09T12:10:00.000-07:00I firmly support your conclusion that promoting a ...I firmly support your conclusion that promoting a concern for the peoples of all countries will make America a more moral nation. I think it would do far more to engender patriotism than absurd anti-flag-burning laws.<BR/><BR/>One way I would suggest doing this is to be careful about how we talk about them. When we use language like, "... the Iraqis deserve much of the blame for their own misery – after all, they are the ones who are causing it to themselves ..." we violate that concern in a couple of ways.<BR/>First, we group together those who commit crimes and those who are the victims. Most Iraqis were first the victims of a brutal dictator, then the victims of a war which they did not instigate, then the victims of a leaderless chaos, and now victims of vicious sectarian violence. By blaming "Iraqis" for the behavior of a minority, we commit an injustice to the majority of the people.<BR/>A second violation is to judge a people in an extreme environment as though it is a normal one. In some ways morality is a long term investment that brings about a better world over time. The long term payoff needs to ultimately outweigh the temporary price. It's just human nature to have a harder time seeing a long term payoff when the immediate cost becomes extremely high. To the extent Iraq has become a "kill or be killed" environment, we should be careful about how we judge or blame the actions of people there who may see no other way to survive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com