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I have been contemplating evil. I think that anyone remembering the Holocaust, and watching the news about the Virginia Tech shootings will be contemplating such things.

We have a lot of descriptions of Evil, and every person has their own private definition. But, none of those descriptions really reach the heart of what Evil is – where it comes from. Our definitions merely point to signs and symptoms – the doing of Evil.

When asked where Evil comes from, most of us will say the obvious: hatred, anger – and variations on those two feelings. But, where do those feelings come from?

I have been contemplating evil. I think that anyone remembering the Holocaust, and watching the news about the Virginia Tech shootings will be contemplating such things.

We have a lot of descriptions of Evil, and every person has their own private definition. But, none of those descriptions really reach the heart of what Evil is – where it comes from. Our definitions merely point to signs and symptoms – the doing of Evil.

When asked where Evil comes from, most of us will say the obvious: hatred, anger – and variations on those two feelings. But, where do those feelings come from?

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I love the hysteria that often surrounds ‘peace initiatives’. It’s usually characterized by talking heads claiming that this is ‘the last chance for peace’. They jump on ANY positive sign as a source for optimism.

In Sunday’s Jerusalem Post, Barry Rubin, offered up his favorite example from Newsweek: 

‘The Supreme Leader [of Iran, Sayyid Ali Khamenei] was deeply suspicious of the American government,’ says a Khameini aide whose position does not allow him to be named. ‘But [he] was repulsed by these terrorist acts [of September 11] and was truly sad about the loss of the civilian lives in America. For two weeks, worshipers at Friday prayers even stopped chanting ‘Death to America.’

I love the hysteria that often surrounds ‘peace initiatives’. It’s usually characterized by talking heads claiming that this is ‘the last chance for peace’. They jump on ANY positive sign as a source for optimism.

In Sunday’s Jerusalem Post, Barry Rubin, offered up his favorite example from Newsweek: 

‘The Supreme Leader [of Iran, Sayyid Ali Khamenei] was deeply suspicious of the American government,’ says a Khameini aide whose position does not allow him to be named. ‘But [he] was repulsed by these terrorist acts [of September 11] and was truly sad about the loss of the civilian lives in America. For two weeks, worshipers at Friday prayers even stopped chanting ‘Death to America.’

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So, why do so many have this insane notion that talking will stop evil people from doing what comes natural to them?

Part of the problem is just that. Insanity.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
  – Albert Einstein

Too many believe that a nice friendly chat over coffee will solve everyone’s problems. And, if you don’t get the result that you want? Well, you just weren’t friendly enough, and you just haven’t chatted long enough.

(I smell a conspiracy by the Nescafe people.)

So, why do so many have this insane notion that talking will stop evil people from doing what comes natural to them?

Part of the problem is just that. Insanity.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
  – Albert Einstein

Too many believe that a nice friendly chat over coffee will solve everyone’s problems. And, if you don’t get the result that you want? Well, you just weren’t friendly enough, and you just haven’t chatted long enough.

(I smell a conspiracy by the Nescafe people.)

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Yesterday, the BBC offered up their daily report on the current diplomatic confrontation with Iran and the preparations for some kind of military response. As usual, they interviewed this person and that person, as well as the head of the US Senate intelligence committee (a Democrat) and a few other Democrats unworthy of note.

There was blather and blunder. Armchair generals gave armchair strategies. The talking heads talked. Then, something got past my idiocy filter and made me laugh.

News Hour and other news programs read, on-air, emails sent to them during their broadcast. Most of those are read at the end. One such email was from a woman in Ohio, who wrote (and I paraphrase):

Yesterday, the BBC offered up their daily report on the current diplomatic confrontation with Iran and the preparations for some kind of military response. As usual, they interviewed this person and that person, as well as the head of the US Senate intelligence committee (a Democrat) and a few other Democrats unworthy of note.

There was blather and blunder. Armchair generals gave armchair strategies. The talking heads talked. Then, something got past my idiocy filter and made me laugh.

News Hour and other news programs read, on-air, emails sent to them during their broadcast. Most of those are read at the end. One such email was from a woman in Ohio, who wrote (and I paraphrase):

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In my series on Bernard Lewis’ interview with The Jerusalem Post, I want to start with two quotes from the article:

For President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran, he noted dryly, the notion of mutual assured destruction, of certain devastation so immense as to have kept the United States and the Soviet Union from firing their missiles at each other through the Cold War, was “not a deterrent,” but rather “an inducement.” Given the apocalyptic messianism of Ahmadinejad and his supporters, “if they kill large numbers of their own people, they are doing them a favor. They are giving them a quick free pass to heaven and all its delights, the divine brothel in the skies.”

In my series on Bernard Lewis’ interview with The Jerusalem Post, I want to start with two quotes from the article:

For President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran, he noted dryly, the notion of mutual assured destruction, of certain devastation so immense as to have kept the United States and the Soviet Union from firing their missiles at each other through the Cold War, was “not a deterrent,” but rather “an inducement.” Given the apocalyptic messianism of Ahmadinejad and his supporters, “if they kill large numbers of their own people, they are doing them a favor. They are giving them a quick free pass to heaven and all its delights, the divine brothel in the skies.”

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