RIP Mr. Foley.

[PalJoey]

Moral equivalencies are not a debating technique. They are an attempt to have the final word and choke off the rest of the conversation by introducing guilt as a supposed trump card.

[PalJoey]

Here's a moral equivalency for you to further choke off conversation:

200,000 people have been killed so far in the Syrian civil war and over 6.45 million people displaced, over 50 percent of them children.

Rather than toss around mindless and meaningless moral equivalencies, why not discuss one topic at a time--and in depth?

[PalJoey]

Back to the topic of Mr. Foley, his family received a condolence call from Pope Francis yesterday.
NY DAILY NEWS: Pope Francis calls parents of slain journalist James Foley to give condolences John and Diane Foley received a phone call at about 3 p.m. on Thursday from the pontiff, who spoke through

[NYadgal]

I saw them being interviewed on the Today Show this morning.

I am in awe of their strength and grace.

(ETA - and the Pope is dealing with grief of his own. I wish them all strength and the blessing of peace)

[GavestonPS]

Moral equivalencies are not a debating technique. They are an attempt to have the final word and choke off the rest of the conversation by introducing guilt as a supposed trump card.

PJ, if you would climb down off your high horse for a moment, you might realize that my post was an ironic response to the argument that Middle Eastern atrocities justify any response, regardless of the collateral damage.

My point was not to induce guilt, but to expose hypocrisy. That IS a legitimate debate technique, whether you like it or not.

I in no way implied that Mr. Foley's assassination is justified by drone strikes.

[FindingNamo]

I'm pretty sure he was talking about the abscessory.

[Reginald Tresilian]

I think Namo is correct.

[SNAFU]

I hate to say it but Saddam Hussein managed to keep all these factions in check. Yes, he was brutal but then again what corrals these animals? They live the life of brutaliy and it is brutality they respect.
I find the killing of Foley an act of cowardace because his murderer was masked. You believe in this screed? Show your f*cking face!

[FindingNamo]

Also, do all the terrorism experts not realize how easy it is to do a British accent?

Me bloody buggery post is right done, cor, blimey.

[Liza's Headband]

"I hate to say it but Saddam Hussein managed to keep all these factions in check."

Yes, you're right. It's amazing how well he did with gassing and torturing the innocent people of Iraq; specifically the already-oppressed Kurdish population of Christians and religious minorities. He did such a great job with that. Agreed.

[FindingNamo]

TRAITOR WARNING

To be fair, that was when he was good friends with the US neo-cons in government.

"Centrists" are soooo "blame America last". Hahahhahahahahahahhaaaaa

[GavestonPS]

I'm pretty sure he was talking about the abscessory.

Thank you, namo and Regi, for the correction. I confused proximity with correlation.

Sorry, PJ. I shouldn't have taken umbrage without asking for clarification.

[PalJoey]

You can go ahead and take a little umbrage anyway. You make some pretty insipid moral equivalencies yourself.

[FindingNamo]

Oh jesus. Now he's going to get back up on the medium horse we just talked him down from.

[GavestonPS]

Aw, let PJ enjoy his ride! I'm sure I'm guilty as charged. LOL.

I'd only add that analogy is an important part of how we make sense of the world. Sure, we make errors. But demanding that every phenomenon be considered in perfect isolation isn't realistic.

It's also fine to point out flawed analogies, of course.