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From: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: American Hostages
Message-ID: <380@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 13:01:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.380
Posted: Mon Aug 26 13:01:56 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Aug-85 10:04:27 EDT
References: <1042@ihlpg.UUCP> <185@pyuxii.UUCP> <11045@rochester.UUCP>
Reply-To: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 41
Xref: watmath net.politics:10685 net.flame:11704
Summary: 

In article <309@ubvax.UUCP> tonyw@ubvax.UUCP (Tony Wuersch) writes:

>In a state of law and respect for decency and civilians, anyone not
>threatening violence should be able to go about their affairs without
>inciting violence against them.  The only way to demonstrate that a
>state of law and respect does not exist is to initiate nonviolent
>actions which generate violent responses.  

I think the lack of a state of law and respect in Nicaragua was
abundantly clear without the Witness for Peace actions. Various brutal
acts in both Nicaragua and El Salvador have been reported frequently
on the nightly news and have failed to convince the average person on
the street that the contras are Bad Guys. Mr. Reagan tells the public
that the contras are the moral equivalents of our founding fathers.
The contra leaders tell us that there is no conspiracy to rape, maim,
and torture the Nicaraguan citizenry. People hear what they want to
believe. Exactly who is being convinced by all of this?

>If Bill thinks we all know
>the contras are bloody murderers, then why doesn't the Congress know
>this and cut the funds to the butchers?  Why should the Christians
>believe Bill?

Read Jeanne Kirkpatrick's essay on the difference between
Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism for a good laugh. Murder and rape
appear to be O.K. as long as they're on the side of Truth, Justice and
the American Way. And no one has to believe me; the evidence has been
presented over and over again ad nauseum on the evening news (the
public doesn't read any more, but I assume it still gets its news from
the boob tube). 
 
>When there's a conspiracy of silence going on, often the more irrational
>acts break through and do great good.

I deny there's a conspiracy of silence. Everyone knows what's going
on; it's just the INTERPRETATION of the facts that's at issue. Did you
see that Nicaraguan peasant getting his throat cut? Sure. Too bad, but
that was just some guy feeling his oats. I'm sure his 'morally superior'
commander told him not to do it again...

                                -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly