From: "Graham C. Hughes" <graham.hughes@resnet.ucsb.edu>
Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 01:45:42 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: The Inducement of Rapid Oxidation of Certain Materials....
In-Reply-To: <199705151652.JAA13955@fat.doobie.com>
Message-ID: <199705151732.KAA12426@A-abe.resnet.ucsb.edu>
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> Oh, this is just charming.  People are still dying, and now you're
> going to sit on the sidelines writing email messages to people about
> what they're discussing on some mailing list. 

Better than being the one to bring it up in the first place.  Really, is 
a crypto list an appropriate place for that sort of tripe, any more than 
it is for this?

> > You can't count up human lives and say ``this entity is more evil than
> > this entity.''  It doesn't work that way.  People are people,
> > regardless, and usually don't deserve that kind of premature
> > termination.
> 
> Your use of the word "usually" betrays your hypocrisy.  If some people 
> "don't deserve that kind of premature termination," it follows that
> some do: presumably those that are more evil than the rest.

I do believe that there are varying degrees of evil, yes.  I do not 
believe they can be differentiated by counting bodies.

I remarked `usually', because of a practical bend; the Rhwandans 
certainly don't deserve their lot, but there are others who well deserve 
premature termination in one form or another; Dahmer comes to mind.  From 
time to time, I thought that things would be better off if I were to 
simply die.

Put another way, the situation in Rhwanda distorts the usual 
life-and-death cycle, by killing indiscriminately people who should live 
much longer.  Dahmer, a man who lived in death, could hardly come to a 
more appropriate end.

As I look back on that paragraph, I do acknoledge it was poorly worded, 
and I apologize for the difficulties.  No one, not even Dahmer deserves 
the hardships Rhwandans (to pick a convenient example) are going through.

> So you're saying that fewer people would die in Rwanda if we discussed
> something else?  What exactly is it that you think the members of the
> Cypherpunks list should do about it (assuming for the sake of argument
> that "we" wanted to do anything)?

I just don't think it's appropriate to center a long flame about.  Does 
it not cause you, too, anguish to see such a situation fought over like a 
dog bone?




- -- 
Graham Hughes  http://A-abe.resnet.ucsb.edu/~graham/  MIME & PGP mail OK.
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