No, I don’t actually believe my own headline. But if you want to understand why some folks on the left do, you might find this “analysis” illuminating. It’s from a world in which September 11th never happened.
Speaking of the left, I was determined not to watch Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, as a regard him as an worthless ideologue more than willing to bend and twist the truth to suit his purposes. Unfortunately, the film is part of the Introduction to Ethics course that I’m TA’ing this semester. So I’ll be seeing it (with my professor and my fellow TAs) this Thursday. Apart from David Kopel’s long analysis of its deceits, where might I find other interesting commentaries on it?
Moore’s film is actually going to be the background for a debate that all five TAs will conduct on 9/11 and its aftermath over the course of two days of regular class. As I’m sure to be the only hawk, I’ve been reading Daniel Pipes’ Militant Islam Reaches America for some background, which has proven most illuminating. Any other highly recommended sources? In particular, which works on the subject from the Ayn Rand Bookstore might be worth reviewing?
Happily, Yaron Brook is coming to the Boulder campus to speak on the morality of war on September 23rd. Here’s the synopsis:
The Morality of War by Dr. Yaron Brook
As the death toll of American troops continues to mount, this three-year-long war, we are told, must drag on for years to come–and demand even greater sacrifices of our soldiers. At home, we are urged to accept the inevitability of further catastrophic terrorist attacks. Is military victory within our reach? And, if it is, then why must so many of our soldiers–and more civilians–die?
Why does Washington seem to care more about avoiding civilian casualties in Baghdad than in New York? Why does it fear torturing prisoners of war, if that could save American lives?
In this passionately reasoned lecture, Dr. Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute explains why America’s war is being sabotaged. He blames the moral code of Altruism–embodied in the “just-war” theory–that drives Washington’s battle plans. It is this code of warfare that explains why victory is within our reach, but consciously forfeited.
But, as Dr. Brook argues, there is an alternative–a morality of war that leads to unequivocal and swift victory. Drawing upon Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, he advocates a morality of war based on the principles of rational egoism. It is a practicable, rational solution to the threats from Islamic totalitarianism.
Unfortunately, the lecture will take place after all of the debate in class is done and the students have turned in their short papers on the subject. Regardless, I hope to entice at least a few of my students to attend his lecture.
