Random Thoughts (Great Sowell quote re: War Heroes)

Town Hall ^ | 02/25/2004 | Thomas Sowell

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Benedict Arnold was a war hero, wounded in battle -- before he turned against his country. Hitler was likewise a decorated and wounded veteran of the First World War. Being a war hero is not a lifetime "get out of jail free" card, exempting you from responsibility for what you do thereafter.

[reluctantwarrior]

bump

[machman]

Bada bing, bada boom.

[lizm_77]

Mr. Sowell knows how to sum it up.

[pabianice]

"Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole."

This has GOT to be the quote of the political season.

[John H K]

Mussolini was a World War I hero as well.

Been pointing out the Hitler war hero thing for a few weeks now.....

Seeing the horrors of combat doesn't automatically make someone a level-headed peacemaker or something.

[jigsaw]

"Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the
consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they
claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole."

Amen!

[Protagoras]

"Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole." Amen!

Lots of activists on this board would disagree with that. I'm not one of them.

[Steve_Seattle]

I think his comment about activists refers to "peace and justice" types who coddle dictators and never, ever do anything to actually bring about peace and justice.

[Protagoras]

I didn't read the article, I will as soon as I get a chance.

[Protagoras]

One can only speculate that he meant something other than he said. He gave no context, I therefore take it literally.

[jigsaw]

I was thinking of leftist activism which tries to gain power over others as opposed
to conservative activism which usually tries to help others empower themselves.

[Protagoras]

People see things through their own prism.

The question is what he was thinking, and since he didn't say, we have to take him literally.

BTW, conservative activism isn't always concerned with empowering other people. Often it is concerned with making them conform to whatever the person defines as conservative values.