What constitutes mercy? Under what circumstances does mercy become an ill-afforded luxury? Is there intrinsic value in sacrificing soldiers in order to retain a moral imperative? Does that value persist if exercising mercy may prolong the combat and prevent an immediate peaceable solution, post conflict? These two posts on Weekend [...]

Posted on March 27th, 2003 by Zsallia
Filed under: Philosophy, Politics | Comments Off

Steven Den Beste recently suggested guidelines for reacting to news reports on the war:
For any of the following reports, allow at least six hours before you even begin to take them seriously:

Any report of a Scud
The first three reports of mass casualties by anyone

For these, wait 12 hours:

Any report of an attack against a [...]

Posted on March 24th, 2003 by Zsallia
Filed under: Politics | Comments Off

In the end, I suspect the truly definitive question regarding the War on Iraq will revolve around the Turkish invasion and the US response to it. I have sent out questions to several trusted correspondents and bloggers requesting input. Nonetheless, my feeling is that this will define the ultimate outcome of the [...]

Posted on March 21st, 2003 by Zsallia
Filed under: The Present | Comments Off

I remember the drums. Sometimes they were actual percussion instruments, beating out a rhythmic call to arms. Others were more metaphorical, shouted out from criers, or pulpits, or newspapers, but always- drums. War is an entirely human enterprise and it serves a valuable function in a purely Darwinian sense: both individually [...]

Posted on March 18th, 2003 by Zsallia
Filed under: The Present | 2 Comments »

The rolling and tumbling tore me from frigid oblivion and I gagged as seawater sprayed from my throat, burning in my sinuses. Again the waves tossed me against hard sand and this time my hands dug in, holding me against the backwash as water retreated from the beach. Sick, trembling I pulled [...]

Posted on March 14th, 2003 by Zsallia
Filed under: The Past | 2 Comments »