Yaron Brook, director of the Ayn Rand Institute, speaking at Tufts University:
- “[President George W.] Bush has not taken the actions necessary to defeat terrorism,” Brook said in his opening statement. “Instead, he has unnecessarily sacrificed [American] soldiers’ lives … because we hesitated to kill so-called innocents.” …
He made reference to World War II, when Allied leaders authorized the bombings of German and Japanese cities, including the dropping of atomic bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “Doing so saved thousands of lives and ultimately ended the war,” Brook said.
“All Americans today owe their lives to leaders who do whatever it takes to win the war – [those past leaders] were willing to kill anyone. Civilians of enemy nations are part of the [enemy] war machine,” he said. …
Brook attacked just-war theory’s principles that force used in war must be proportionate to the threat. “In my view this is horrific,” he said. “That’s saying we must balance the deaths of U.S. soldiers and civilians with the deaths of enemy soldiers and civilians … and sacrifice the greatest nation in the history of the world to the worst countries today.”
He also criticized just-war theory’s idea that combatants should be distinguished from non-combatants. “Directly targeting civilians is perfectly legitimate,” Brook said. “If it’s possible to isolate the truly innocent – such as children and freedom fighters – at no military cost, then do so. But insofar as the innocent cannot be isolated … they should be killed without any moral hesitation.” …
Disheartening stuff, but on the upside there’s this:
- He said Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia are nations that currently pose large threats to the United States, but that Bush will not and is not doing anything because “a man truly dedicated to self-defense cannot justify going to war with them. Iran threatens the United States the most, but we can’t attack because there has been no genocide and there is no universally-accepted monster in power there.”
That has to be the least accurate criticism of George W. Bush I’ve ever come across. Remember it when Dubya starts agitating for war with Iran this summer.
In the comments section at bottom, this wonderful response from a student:
- What is Objectivism? Some sort of collectivist/socialist ideology?
I find it monstrous to kill innocent civilians for the crimes of their leaders and their armies. That’s nothing but collectivism at its most ugly. Morality and justice pertains to individuals, not to collective entities like the state.
I wonder if Mr. Brooks would support me killing a random black guy because one robbed me last week. After all, there is some small chance that any given one could attack me. If I killed every one I saw, I’d surely be safer. Indeed, doing anything less would be “altruistic”.
This guy sickens me.
And another gem:
- Objectivism : Conservatives :: Scientology : Hollywood
(Hat tip: Anti-State.com)