Benevolence only works on the benevolent. Meaning those who hold to honesty and honor and demonstrate it by making an honest effort to pull themselves out of their difficulty.

On the other hand, the Islamic Cultists are simply digging a deeper hole. They thereby demonstrate their lack of worthy character. Don't be benevolent to them, give them justice. Push the hole down on top of them without mercy. Benevolence will work no better than with the snake.

Be benevolent only to those who demonstrate their honesty and honor with clarity of purpose and untiring effort to help themselves. That way you might have a chance of pulling your hand out without being bitten. You might even receive a thank you for your aid.

PS: for the ethically challenged: it is not honest and honorable to take by force that which belongs to another and use it as if its your own. Even if you "get away with it".
A. Rational Human | Email | Homepage | 03.14.07 - 3:06 pm | #

"All war is deception." --Sun Tzu


Ever stop to think that by establishing a communication with the remaining snakes, you just might find out where all the snakes and their lairs might be?


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The Machine | Email | Homepage | 03.14.07 - 3:21 pm | #

The Machine wrote: Ever stop to think that by establishing a communication with the remaining snakes, you just might find out where all the snakes and their lairs might be?

As prisoners, yes. As equals, no. All you can trust them to be is what they are. That's the point of the story and my comment.
A. Rational Human | Email | Homepage | 03.14.07 - 8:39 pm | #

Adn if we took 'em all prisoner the screams from the left would resoundeth, of course.

On a related note, one of those Gitmo detainees that the leftoids and the ACLU are trying to free, or at least bring into the country, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, confessed to that attack and a string of others during a military hearing.

http://www.breitbart.com/article...& show_article=1

The surge?

Doing very well, thank you verrmuch, "BAGHDAD, March 14 (KUNA) -- The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force -Iraq Combined Press Information Centre."

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Stor...=en& DSNO=961365

No thanks whatsoever to the Dhimmi-DefeatocRATs presently infesting Congress.


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The Machine | Email | Homepage | 03.14.07 - 9:01 pm | #

Some of your readers might have a phobic reaction to snakes, Doc. Just sayin'.

(...breathe, Patrick. Breathe. It's just a picture... why did it have to be snakes?!)

:-o
Patrick Chester | Email | Homepage | 03.14.07 - 11:00 pm | #

This is a version of the Aesop fable about the scorpion and the frog.

But the point is well taken. Very well taken. Human nature has not changed, and we should not forget wisdom that's been known for millenia.
katzxy | Email | Homepage | 03.15.07 - 12:08 am | #

Evil people are themselves a weapon; yet everytime they go off elected officials pass legislation that keeps the good folks from packing the tools that would stop the bad guys in a second.
Tom TB | Email | Homepage | 03.15.07 - 7:42 am | #

That guy must have been subtly expressing his mistrust of snakes and operating from a limb-normative paradigm. If he had cut off his hand to show solidarity with the snake, he would not have been bitten.

Well, not on the hand, anyway.
Assistant Village Idiot | Email | Homepage | 03.15.07 - 10:54 am | #

"Evil people are themselves a weapon; yet everytime they go off elected officials pass legislation that keeps the good folks from packing the tools that would stop the bad guys in a second."
Tom TB | Email | Homepage | 03.15.07 - 6:42 am |


Connect the dots.


Evil within, evil without.



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The Machine | Email | Homepage | 03.15.07 - 5:06 pm | #

At the least, when handling a snake, KNOW what you're dealing with. And take precautions.

On another note, one wonders what the reaction of the general populace would be to the former militias who made a point of being anti-American and anti-Iraqi Government being willing to cut a deal just for pay. Can this be used to destroy their "street cred" (assuming they have any, versus merely intimidating the population into compliance) and reduce their influence?
Matt | Email | Homepage | 03.16.07 - 3:45 pm | #

Look at Israel's experience with the Arab "Palestinians" from Oslo on. Those Arabs haven't honored a single condition of any treaty they've signed.

The USA in Iraq has negotiated with al-Sadr before, and he's broken his word EVERY TIME.

So now, what do they think has changed? Why do they think that maybe this time what failed before will now work? It's sheer lunacy.
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 03.16.07 - 6:00 pm | #