James Lileks Newhouse News Service
| It takes a special breed of moral imbecile to believe their hearts will be softened by the entreaties of pacifistic spam. |
A progressive group called ActForChange has announced that it will send your disapproving e-mail to the Taliban. Direct from your warm, comfy dorm to diplomats in Pakistan. We can stop the Bush Death Juggernaut, friends -- just start typing for peace! One small problem: the Taliban itself. This is a government that beats people to death for playing cards. It takes a special breed of moral imbecile to believe their hearts will be softened by the entreaties of pacifistic spam.
But in the protesters' world, the actual effect of one's actions is immaterial. What counts is holding forth a standard that ensures your civilization dies in a state of moral purity. Every response to aggression should have the same effect as the Polish cavalry's assault on Nazi tanks -- gallant, doomed, and above all symbolic. Hence the march on D.C. last Saturday. |