Haven't you ever played football in the street, Richard?
I like this from Camus; it seems especially pertinent, in its careful
but principled dissidence, to the situation today:
"...if anyone, knowing it, still thinks heroically that one's brother
must die rather than one's principles, I shall go no further than to
admire him from a distance. I am not of his camp.
This does not mean that principles have no meaning. An opposition of
ideas is possible, even with weapons in hand, and it is only fair to
recognise one's opponent's reasons even before defending oneself
against him. When one's own family is in immediate danger of death,
one may want to instil in one's family a feeling of greater
generosity and fairness; but (let there be no doubt about it!) one
still feels a natural solidarity with the family in such mortal
danger and hopes that it will survive at least and, by surviving,
have a chance to show its fairness. If that is not honour and true
justice, then I know nothing that is of any use in this world.
Only from such a position have we the right and the duty to state
that military combat and repression have, on our side, taken on
aspects that we cannot accept. Reprisals against civilian
populations and the use of torture are crimes in which we are all
involved. The fact that such things could take place among us is a
humiliation we must henceforth face. Meanwhile, we must at least
refuse to justify such methods, even on the core of efficacy. The
moment they are justified, even indirectly, there are no more rules
or values; all causes are equally good, and wars without aims or
sanctions the triumph of nihilism."
I think the man who wrote this would have found your jingoism and
belligerence offensive, Richard, though it is impudent of me (to
Camus) to say so.
Alison
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Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead
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