First Principles
As we are bombarded with more and more information about vital world events -- often confusing or confused by fools or knaves, it is important periodically to pause and concentrate on where we are, why we are here, what we are doing, and why we are doing it.
On February 5, 1938, before World War II had started (with the joint Soviet/German invasion of Poland), George Orwell, reviewing Arthur Koestler's Spanish Testament for the magazine Time and Tide, wrote:
On February 5, 1938, before World War II had started (with the joint Soviet/German invasion of Poland), George Orwell, reviewing Arthur Koestler's Spanish Testament for the magazine Time and Tide, wrote:
You cannot be objective about an aerial torpedo. And the horror we feel of these things has led to this conclusion: if someone drops a bomb on your mother, go and drop two bombs on his mother. The only apparent alternatives are to smash dwelling houses to powder, blow out human entrails and burn holes in children with thermite, or to be enslaved by people who are more ready to do these things than you are yourself; as yet no one has suggested a practicable way out.Via NRO.
Presented for your delectation by the Gentleman Farmer at 7:45 AM
Comments on "First Principles"
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Anonymous said ... (9:33 AM) :
post a commenti am not certain i understand the argument here. we are, according to New Gingrich in your "World War III" post, witnessing a war to save "civilization". a tall order. but in order to do this we must "smash dwelling houses to powder, blow out human entrails and burn holes in children with thermite". if we want to win, we must first foresake our civilized values. what kind of a thing is this that can only be saved through its own destruction?