AC> Uh, the cost of the missile vs. the cost of the target hardly has
 AC> anything to do with anything.  Consider, our country gives billions of
 AC> dollars (welfare, etc.) to human debris who are worse than worthless.
 AC> Now, how smart is that?
 KK> Andrew, I really hope you keep these kinds of posts coming. Only a week
 KK> ago you were calling people Nazis, and in this post you demonstrate what
 KK> is apparently a quite sincere contempt for the value of human life.
 AC> Uh, WE was only concerned about the cost of bombs, the the loss of life,
 AC> so why did you not find it in your heart to find fault with him?
 AC> Anyway...
 KK> I was not replying to your accurate perception of military strategy. I
 KK> was replying to your mention of "human debris who are worse than
 KK> worthless."
 KK> You are correct in implying that if a million-dollar 'smart' weapon
 KK> could neutralize an enemy weapon that might kill 1,000 Americans, most
 KK> of us would say that was a bargain.
 KK> But you don't seem to have thought much about what to actually _do_
 KK> about those "human debris who are worse than worthless." Euthanasia?
 KK> Work camps?  You wouldn't seriously consider such ideas, would you?  If
 KK> not, what then?  If you say they should get jobs, tell me where these
 KK> millions of jobs are suddenly going to materialize from.
 KK> If you look at the history of welfare programs, you see that the
 KK> 'relief' in the 30s was a direct respinse to the worst of capitalism's
 KK> cyclical fuckups, where millions of people desperately needed a few
 KK> dollars to keep from literally starving.
 KK> In the 50s, when the 'Welfare' concept was being forged, you see that
 KK> both Dems and Repubs understood very well that this was a way of buying
 KK> people off so they would not riot in the streets. It is accurate to say
 KK> that there was never any provision for education, job training, or child
 KK> care.  But both sides went along with this. Does that mean we are now
 KK> justified in cutting them off so that we create millions of bag ladies
 KK> raising their children on the sidewalk, with food gained from dumpsters?
   Delightfully refreshing for one who ACTUALLY LIVED IN THAT PERIOD to see
such an accurate portrayal of the dynamics of it.  You dealt quite adequately
with the mentality that harbors what has now become a favorite mythical view
of this period.  Even the politicians in both parties appear to be reluctant
to discuss the REALITIES of technological displacement and "welfare."   But,
that gets into politics and is probably not appropriate discussion for this
echo.  
Sincerely, 
                                     Frank
                                                                              
                                                       
 
--- PPoint 2.05
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