Holte's corner

Effect and Intent

At this website: http://hnn.us/readcomment.php?id=66710&bheaders=1
One Ibrihim Baker writes: "Why is it that the demolition of the WTC, the Madrid and London bombings, are considered acts of "terrorism" while the air bombing of civilian shelters, by the USA in 1991 in Baghdad which resulted in some 500 civilain fatalities (Al Amirieh) and by Israel in Qanaa (Lebanon) which led to some 200 civilian casualties, are NOT considered as acts
of "terrorism" but deemed acts of war since both were terribly
"terrorizing" and both led to the same result: the killing of uninvolved civilian bystanders?"

One Jim B. Harris replies:

"One thing that comes to mind right away is "What was the intent?". What is the intent of the party doing harm and what are they trying to accomplish?"

"How many times as parents do we ask our kids, "What were you intending to do?"

"When the person in Iraq a few weeks got into a car laden with bombs and drove it into a group of school children getting candy from a group of US Soliders, what were they intending to do?"

But the real question to ask is, not "what is the intent." But, the deeper question, of what is the cause and what is the effect. Intent is just one component of causality. Ultimately whether a bomb is put by a terrorist, or by a pilot flying a plane, to the civilians the "effect" is the same. To the propagandists the "effect" is in the hands of the propaganda. And to the peace-maker, the question to be asked is "how do we stop it?"

Obviously, when folks are fired up, they aren't going to stop themselves. Obviously when the subject becomes one of "collective guilt" every act will result in a reprisal. There seems no getting around it. The crude civil wars that used to occur between family and family now become huge wars between entire collections of families. With both sides seeing red.

What was the intent? Did Israel really intend to harm civilians in Qanaa? Of course not, but to folks we know from the Arab Street, that doesn't matter. There is no explaining that "mommy died in an accident" or "your baby died because a missile was 100 feet off course." And the propagandists don't care.

Does it matter whether it is Bush and Cheney, or their equivalents in Hezbollah or Israel -- out to destabilize the region or Syria and Persia? They both seem only too happy to profit from the chaos. They play chess with other people's lives, and send other people to die. Yet, the folks in the street can't see how they are being played. Don't we all regret the loss of civilian lives? Don't we all mourne the young men, even the useful idiots wearing suicide belts, who carry out or are the targets of these attacks?

Don't we wish that God would soften their hearts and that they would listen to higher voices than those of the devils within their hearts? The intent does matter, but so does the effect. At some point all concerned are going to get tired and realize the utter folly of what they are doing. Will it take Atom bombs hitting New York, Meggido, Damascus and Tehran for that to happen?

Chris

Posted by cholte at July 31, 2006 08:42 PM